Limped my SDP built trans

[Mike L.]

That sucks. Mike, is it better just to pull the trans when this happens and do a refresh or run it til it starts dying and then do it?

Eventualy the paper will boil off and plug the sump filter/spin on filter and leave you stranded. I would never trust this trans again till it was refreshed.
There is always a chance the coolant was not there long enough to hurt it, but I could not live with the thought that something was going to happen.

 

[LBZ_Baker98]

i may be wrong as i am new to the diesel world and as much as i want to make big power and build my trans in my lbz i just have this thought or feeling that once you build the trans and start throwing bign power at these things they can no longer be reliable. It seems like there is always something going wrong from what i read. Am i wrong?

 

[Josh154]

You gotta pay to play lol. You generally only read about the bad because hats when people post wanting help. I'm not making insane power by any means but I've been running a 500+ tune for about a year and half with 25k miles and haven't had an issue.

 

[Chevy1925]

i may be wrong as i am new to the diesel world and as much as i want to make big power and build my trans in my lbz i just have this thought or feeling that once you build the trans and start throwing bign power at these things they can no longer be reliable. It seems like there is always something going wrong from what i read. Am i wrong?

doesnt matter what you own. you push a vehicle beyond stock power or anything out side of stock parameters (suspension, driveline, carrying capacity, ect), you will be working on it more and maintenance it more. If you want a vehicle you dont have to worry about cause you dont want to work on it, leave it stock and live by the owners manual.

you need to have mechanical ability and the drive to work on these trucks if you want to enjoy big or bigger power than stock.

as far as reliability, thats all in how well you know the truck and take care of issues before they become a big problem. my truck is a built engine, built trans, twinned truck and i have no issue jumping in it, loading my 15k toy hauler on the back and making all day drives to go camping. the ONLY time it has left me stranded on the side of the road and needed a tow was when a chinese wheel bearing let loose 11 hours from home and i was towed into a napa where i changed the wheel bearing in the parking lot. 12 hour trip turned into a 15 hour trip in all. thats over a 15 year span of the truck being owned by my dad, then by me. I love this truck and i know it inside and out. i am the only one that works on it unless the trans needs attention, in which case, it goes to Mike for his magic

 

[Burn Down]

i may be wrong as i am new to the diesel world and as much as i want to make big power and build my trans in my lbz i just have this thought or feeling that once you build the trans and start throwing bign power at these things they can no longer be reliable. It seems like there is always something going wrong from what i read. Am i wrong?

My Truck has had a 600hp tune on it for 5+ years. Has taken me to the states and back several times and never missed a beat, and has never left me stranded (knock on wood). Some people can tear up an anvil in a sand box. Like James said nothing is bullet proof and you need to recognize when something is not right and take care of it.

 

[fast03]

I had over 100k miles on my built trans with 500hp tune and towing.

 

[TheBac]

i may be wrong as i am new to the diesel world and as much as i want to make big power and build my trans in my lbz i just have this thought or feeling that once you build the trans and start throwing bign power at these things they can no longer be reliable. It seems like there is always something going wrong from what i read. Am i wrong?

If you're not prepared to do the increased maintenance/replacement work necessary on a truck with "big power", then dont even start. Stay under +100hp.

 

[LBZ_Baker98]

I hope no one took offence to my post. I was in no way dogging on anyways products, trucks, or what they like to do with there trucks. More just kinda asking a question out of curiosity. Hearing peoples good stories about having not only built trans. but built motors as well being reliable is very reassuring.
Josh154, You are correct about only hearing the bad because thats what people needed help with, i never thought about it that way! Thanks for the replies! :beer2:

 

[AllisonTrans Lb7]

Trans needs to be rebuilt

 

[036.6turbo]

After further inspection it turns out my transmission is filling with coolant.

Almost makes a guy want to bypass the radiator and just use external coolers.

 

[Mike L.]

Almost makes a guy want to bypass the radiator and just use external coolers.

That would be a mistake.

 

[Chevy1925]

Almost makes a guy want to bypass the radiator and just use external coolers.

and then you will be fighting trans temps left and right if you try to tow in any kind of heat

 

[036.6turbo]

Originally Posted by 036.6turbo View Post
Almost makes a guy want to bypass the radiator and just use external coolers.

That would be a mistake.

and then you will be fighting trans temps left and right if you try to tow in any kind of heat

I stand corrected.

 

[CaptPhil]

Originally Posted by 036.6turbo View Post
Almost makes a guy want to bypass the radiator and just use external coolers.





I stand corrected.

On my built truck the trans fluid did not go through the radiator. I had two big setrab coolers in the bed with fans on them running full time. The trans temp was actually pretty good considering the tc stall and pressures it was running, but I wasn't towing anything. When one fan melted down the temps were harder to control and would routinely see 210-215f during normal highway driving. Worst part was that a single fan would not bring the temps down at all, whatever the peak temp was is where the trans stayed until I shut it off.

I ran the lines back into the radiator and put the coolers up front again, and saw a drastic drop in temps.

Keep it through the radiator IMO.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[Mike L.]

On my built truck the trans fluid did not go through the radiator. I had two big setrab coolers in the bed with fans on them running full time. The trans temp was actually pretty good considering the tc stall and pressures it was running, but I wasn't towing anything. When one fan melted down the temps were harder to control and would routinely see 210-215f during normal highway driving. Worst part was that a single fan would not bring the temps down at all, whatever the peak temp was is where the trans stayed until I shut it off.

I ran the lines back into the radiator and put the coolers up front again, and saw a drastic drop in temps.

Keep it through the radiator IMO.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

I got the same results years ago in my testing. If you are going to do this; turn the fans on right away. If you use a thermostat to kick the fans on, you will run hot as the fans cannot play catch up very well. On top of everything else; running the fans all the time will give you constant fan failure.