SHIFT IT RIGHT
Installing a Goerend performance valvebody in Hot Rod RV
When we last left our ‘97 Dodge project truck, we had upgraded the fueling with Power Driven Diesel’s AFC Live, and improved its reliability by performing the “Killer Dowel Pin” fix. One thing we hadn’t touched yet was the transmission, and it showed. The previous owner had indicated that it had been replaced and upgraded, but its mods were unknown and it started acting up.
All at once, there were multiple issues; it was throwing trouble codes, and losing lock-up and overdrive or getting thrown into limp mode. When a transmission is in limp mode it will start in Third gear, but we found that if we went from neutral straight down to manual low (L) then the transmission would still start in First. This meant to us that it was an electrical problem, and not really anything wrong with the transmission internally.
A common problem on computer-controlled ‘97-up Dodge 47RE transmissions is that the governor pressure solenoid and transducer can fail, resulting in a “no lockup, no overdrive” combination that we had. Unfortunately, before the transmission started throwing codes it also had a hang at full throttle on the 2-3 shift, where we’d have to let off for nearly half a second to get the truck to shift into the next gear. This threw our “hopefully it’s just the electronics” theory out the window, and let us know we also had an issue with the valvebody.
Since our transmission was acting up in a variety of ways, we decided to fix everything in one fell swoop with a valvebody from Goerend Transmissions. The performance valvebody has numerous upgrades over the factory version, including raised line pressure with regulated pressure to the torque converter (to prevent ballooning or distorting), a pop-off valve to prevent over-pressurization, and the capability of locked 4-3 and 3-2 downshifts for those who use exhaust brakes. The unit would also have new electronics including a more reliable GM-style pressure sensor, reamed-out passages to prevent cross-leaks (a common problem when installing new shift kits in old valvebodies), and have better holding capacity. For us, it was a triple win, and with the addition of a Goerend Transmissions deep pan, it would be the perfect addition to our Ram.
The valvebody swap is a fairly simple job (only requiring about an hour and a half of labor), but since some parts are sort of tricky and messy, we let our buddies at Sierra Automatic Transmissions in Chico, CA perform the swap. Here’s how it went.
[divider]What Does It Cost?[/divider]
We’ve owned a few of these 12-valve trucks, and we got lucky in the sense that our ride held power on the stock head gasket. Out of the four we’ve had, only one needed a new head gasket, which added about $1,300 to the price tag. We also never got around to adding a pyrometer (which we’d highly recommend) which would have added a few hundred in parts and labor. So for our particular modifications, we got away with a total of $2,196 in parts, and $855 in labor, which isn’t a bad deal to bring a 1997 truck up to 2018 standards.
1997 Dodge 2500 2wd, 161,000 miles
Truck: ……………………………………………. $6,000
Parts:
KDP Parts: …………………………………………. $40
Power Driven Diesel AFC Live and 500hp Fueling Package: …….. $747
AFE Stage II Intake: ……………………… $379
Goerend Valvebody: ………………….. $795
Goerend Deep Transmission Pan: $235
Total: ……………………………………………… $2196
Labor ($90/hr):
KDP and fuel mods installation: 8 hrs
Valvebody installation: ……… 1.5 hrs
Total: ……………………………………………….. $855
Parts and Labor Total: ………….. $3,051
Project Total: ………………………. $9,051
Stock Performance:
0-60 mph: Slow as molasses
Quarter Mile: 19.1 at 70 mph
Miles per Gallon: 22 mpg
Modified Performance:
0-60 mph: 7.6 seconds
Quarter Mile: 15.87 at 89 mph
Miles per Gallon: 24 mpg
Sources:
Goerend Transmission Inc.
563.778.2719
Goerend.com
Power Driven Diesel
435.962.9555
PowerDrivenDiesel.com
Sierra Automatic Transmissions
530.342.0921