A518 auto trans. question

[volaredon]

Yeah there is, but I know 3 Mopar dealership transmission guys that said "yeah I know.... But I've never measured that particular measurement and I've done more of those tranny's than I can ever remember to count, and haven't had a problem. Slap it together ".
I actually went looking for the Miller tools to do that measurement.... Was looking at borrowing them at first. There are ways to do so without those tools. I've probably done a dozen of those transmissions myself over the years with the first half or so of them with one of the dealer transmission guys over my shoulder and never heard a word about that until I asked about "shouldn't we measure that" a couple of those transmission overhauls ago.

 

[Max1196]

Will an OD unit from a 2WD 46RE transmission work on a 518/46RH? If so, it may narrow the search a little.

The case likely will (if it has a speedo location), BUT there's some stuff missing internally, there's no governor components in the "RE".

 

[volaredon]

My last Mopar OD trans overhaul is sitting in my 01 Durango. A 4wd 46 RE.
I finally put it back in last weekend.
Well 2 weekends ago. Last weekend I replaced the intake manifold plenum gasket. But I just drove it for the first time in 15 months last weekend after finishing that.
I actually had it finished by at least last June. Maybe earlier. I didn't start the overhaul until after I got my refund last year from Uncle Sam. I went to the warehouse in Indy (no not A&A) on the way home from last year's Indy swap meet. Which was my second stop for parts for it after finding more wrong inside than I originally bargained for.
The Durango has been down since the previous October. We just bought another one because we needed something capable of holding 2 car seats "like now" when that one died.
But between needing more new parts than the last 2-3 a500/518/44RH/46RE's did (hey it's got 312k, was last freshened up at 258ish-k miles) and having to keep going back to order more parts the deeper I got into it, plus I added some HD goodies like billet servos and accumulator and a new (stock/yeah I know) converter, and then right as I finished the rebuild my mom was in the hospital and then onto nursing home where I had to be instead of my garage and then she died in August with me spending most of my spare time at her house cleaning things out and working on the house, then it just plain got cold ... I finally just put it back in
All the while that trans was sitting in my garage,for some reason while I did have it apart I kept second guessing myself even though this wasn't my first time inside one of these transmissions nor the first time inside this one, I took some things apart and put them back together several times thinking I somehow "was forgetting something", I was actually a little afraid to put it back in there.... Knowing that for one thing a case of "cheap" ATF+4 is now around $100 besides what it actually cost me to rebuild my trans vs what it cost me to do one of these in the past, of I had to drop the pan again it would be at least $60ish down the toilet I second guessed myself more than I did when I rebuilt my first 727 back in about 1988..... Don't know why but I did.... And so far it's working great.
I have no idea why I became so skittish (for lack of a better way to say it) on this particular trans overhaul....

 

[volaredon]

Next up is a 91 a500 that I salvaged out of a rusty Dakota that's destined for either my 85d150 or maybe my son's 72 fury wagon if I decide to convert the truck to a stick....

 

[abdywgn]

do the early A500's use the smaller dia. torque convertor like the 518's did?

 

[volaredon]

The 500s are basically a "904 series trans (I know someone is gonna mention a 998/999) with OD" where a 518/46RH/E are ODs based off of the 727.
I have the factory original 727 still in that 85, it is a lockup. That converter will directly interchange with a 518.
Any converter that will fit a 904 lockup will work in an A500. I know I've done it.
The only possible "no it won't" us if the a500 is new enough to get the "double D" (2 flat spots opposing each other) instead of the slotted snout most 727s/904s had. And they will still interchange if you change your pump rotors to that style inner rotor which is what the slots or flats engage to run the pump. A pump rotors set for a 727/518 can be had for around $25 brand new from a transmission parts warehouse. 904/500 ones are most likely similar prices.

 

[volaredon]

All 904s/500s used smaller converters than 727/518s. And I don't remember any 727 converters that were much smaller except for a race converter. There were 11" and 12" converters in 727s and 518s, over the years.

 

[mopowers]

All 904s/500s used smaller converters than 727/518s. And I don't remember any 727 converters that were much smaller except for a race converter. There were 11" and 12" converters in 727s and 518s, over the years.

Were the 11" versions the factory "high stall" units?

 

[volaredon]

Not sure if diameter played a part in what "stall" a given converter had.

 

[abdywgn]

the early Magnums had the larger exhaust outlet on the manifold and different cams. that was the reason for a little higher stall to make up for the loss of low end. just wondering if the A500 convertor had the same higher stall as the A518 in those years...I think 91 to 93?

 

[volaredon]

Probably in some applications.

 

[Jarlaxle]

I keep an eye on pickaparts for 46rh ‘s . Look for 90-92ish vans and 2wd trucks .

Until 95 in at least V8 Dakotas and vans, my 95 Dak had a 46RH. (Ram pickups and Grand Cherokees I'm not sure.)

A couple of years of the "RE" still had the Speedo gear like the older ones did. I think they went to the rear abs sensor doing Speedo drive duty started around 98-99. If you can find a 96-97 "RE" it should still have the regular Speedo drive. The newer ones also deleted the spline on the output to drive one.

I think that was to 97, because the B-vans still used a mechanical speedometer until the new interior in 1998. I vaguely recall seeing that Ram pickups and 97 Daks may(?) have had the trans with the speedo drive, but they simply didn't use it.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Next up is a 91 a500 that I salvaged out of a rusty Dakota that's destined for either my 85d150 or maybe my son's 72 fury wagon if I decide to convert the truck to a stick....

I'm not sure I'd trust an A500 in a C-body...

Were the 11" versions the factory "high stall" units?

Some were. They usually had a tag that said "HI STALL". I recall all 12" were regular (low) stall.