Jasper Engines & Transmissions has made an update to its Chrysler 47RE/48RE transmissions commonly found in Dodge Ram pickups. According to Craig Leuck, transmission division manager, the lockup piston will wear on one side of the inner seal but not the other, creating a critical weakpoint.
The main reason this occurs is that the piston is not properly centered on the turbine hub of the converter, Jasper said.
“Drivers will notice shuddering problems on lockup, or a loss of lockup capability altogether,” said Leuck. “Losing lockup, to the point of slipping, will delaminate the paper off the piston and potentially clog the cooling system, causing catastrophic transmission failure.”
Although aftermarket sleeve kits are available to weld onto the pistons, Leuck said the kit alone will not solve the problem. “Centering the sleeve kit to the piston will not eliminate the wear problem experienced in OE applications. The key to the repair is to center the sleeve kit to the damper assembly, instead of the piston.”
