RE: SMR tranny WAS Re: Re: Mopar Performance A518

From: RayB (bpracing@worldnet.att.net)
Date: Wed Sep 24 2003 - 11:33:33 EDT


> -----Original Message-----
> Ray, I'm sorry you've had a problem with SMR. Other than your
> experience, I
> have never heard a single negative thing about them. I know a number of
> people running their stuff who are very pleased.
>
> Bill White - http://www.bionicdodge.com

Yeah, that's what he keeps telling me. Somehow it's my fault that what he
sent me doesn't work. My original 518, with a Transgo kit I helped
install, performed flawlessly for 10 years and over 1500 drag strip runs.
SMR's trans couldn't even get down the street in anything other than first
gear. The second valve body at least shifted but caused so much binding
the truck nosed over and slowed down on the 1-2 shift. The third valve body
had no second gear at all, ultimately traced by me to a piece of debris in
the governor passage that was large enough it could only have been left
there during assembly. I took pictures! Fixing that gave me all three
gears but the shift points couldn't be raised above 5000 rpm. According to
SMR a 518 can't shift automatically above 5400 yet my original trans shifted
automatically at 6000 after the transgo kit. I have since solved the 1-2
shift so that it occurs at 5800 even though SMR says it can't be done. I
am having another part custom made to raise the 2-3 shift from 4900 to 6000.
Yes there is a way!! Oh, and the shift to OD is not nearly as good as in
my original trans and it takes 3 seconds of WOT to get it to down-shift out
of OD. It was immediate in my original trans.

Somehow it's my fault the converter stalls at only 2400. He says it should
stall at 3000 and if it doesn't it's because my 318 has no torque (13.60's
at 3700 pounds with no torque ?? and he had all my specifications to help
him determine which converter I should use)!! He was in town this past
weekend but wouldn't come drive it himself! He has sent me another
converter but it can't bolt up to a magnum flexplate without machining and
he won't even acknowledge that or fix it. Again, it must be my fault.....

RayB
http://www.dragtruk.com/ENTRIES/20KM1FD2KWBP.html



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