overdrive question

[thirstyram]

Help! My overdrive is just begining to slip when towing or going up a very steep hill. Anyone know if the overdrive unit comes off with the trans in the truck or do you have to remove the tranny and dissassemble from the front?Its a 47re in a 97 diesel 4wd. The closest thing I've ever had apart is a couple of 727's. Any advice will be greatly appreciated. Thanks,Justin

 

[argve]

you can take it off without having to pull the entire transmission.

 

[thirstyram]

thanks much Travis (argve). It's amazing how many trans shops I called and told them the overdrive just started to slip on my last trip under a heavy load, and they gave me a price on a complete rebuild. I think I'll keep on calling around. Justin

 

[averagef250]

You can pull the OD section in the vehicle, but I'd pull the tranny to make it easier.

When you rebuild the OD section you have to have a 23 spline alignment tool to keep the splined sections inside the drum lined up. If you don't you'll never get *** together. The most difficult of doing it under the truck is getting the park pawl rod to go into the right spot. You'll likely end up pulling the pan, removing the VB and rod and installing them after the OD section goes on. After all that you might as well pull 10 more bolts and remove the tranny.

If you rebuild the OD section your self upgrade to the 48RE OD drum and stack as many frictions and steels in there as you can possibly fit. Buy the ATSG and make damned sure you follow the OD shimming procedure line by line. If you don't you'll have all kinds of issues and probably waste alot of time.

Sonnex makes some good 3/4 piston housing/piston upgrade parts that are worthwhile, but you have to tear the tranny completely down to install these.

 

[thirstyram]

Thanks Dustin, I called another local trans shop and they also said i,d have to remove the valve body. They did'nt recommend just rebuilding the overdrive unit. Said there were very likely other issues as well. Thanks for the info on the 23 spline alignment tool. Sounds like I could have gotten myself in trouble! So do ya think I should look for another tranny shop to fix the OD or just bite the 3500 dollar bullet?? Thanks again , Justin