Suncoast TC and TransGo Shift Kit Installed on '06 CRD

DieselButt · **Posted:** Mon Sep 23, 2013 4:03 pm

Did all the installation myself. Vehicle has 47k miles, no F37 performed by the dealer, did all the work without physical assistance. The vehicle had these transmission issues before the upgrades:
1. (Occasional-rare) shudder upon TC lockup
2. Overnight Leak-back
3. Stall when coming to a stop when cold
4. Wimpy shifts and poor TC hookup
First I installed the TransGo, found it to be straight forward and the instructions were adequate. Also found the pan to be spotless on the inside which gave me the confidence to forgo any changes to the pump. Drove it without the replacing the new TC for several weeks and found:
1. The leak-back was not as severe, but still occurred on an inconsistent basis at first, then consistently after a few weeks.
2. Shift quality improved, though TC hookup was unchanged.
Installed the Suncoast TC using the Green Diesel instructions (which were quite valuable and appreciated).
Installing the TC was a profound challenge on the floor. Would not want to repeat it, the nearly unreachable upper bolts from trans to rear of engine burned up maybe 6 hours and infinite amounts of patience. Also, watch when you lower the transmission to first disconnect the shifter cable. I did not and ended up replacing that cable when the vehicle would intermittently not start afterwards (park/starter lockout).
1. The vehicle still has the tendency to stall in the first minute when coming to a stop, but it is better.
2. Leak-back is almost as bad as before all the work.
3. Not any indication of lockup shudder so far after about 400 miles.
4. The shifts and especially the hookup are great, it feels good to drive, not like it has a slipping manual clutch, which is how it felt before the upgrades..
Had I known how frustrating it would be, I probably would not have done the TC swap, but am semi pleased with the results. Anyone have an idea on the cold stall? (By cold I mean 90F ambient and running less than 1 minute)

papaindigo · **Posted:** Mon Sep 23, 2013 4:15 pm

Not sure about the cold stall. My experience with leak back (unless I held a high idle for 10-15 seconds before shifting into reverse or drive and moving off) was either the transmission would not engage at all or if would do so enough to go say 100-200' at which point the engine would do a hard/rough stall. No relation to ambient temp though just how long the vehicle had been parked (6+ hrs at least)

Hindsight is wonderful but with the TC out I would have installed (SunCoast did for me) the Transgo pump part or replaced the original OEM pump with the new style.

mass-hole · **Posted:** Mon Sep 23, 2013 4:31 pm

I pulled the transmission in my '06 GTO in my driveway with an ATV jack. The thing that saved me was the ability to unbolt the trans-mount and pull the back of the transmission down. The engine mounts were flexible enough that I had quite a bit of play. That and about 3.5ft worth of extensions so that I could unbolt the top bolts it from behind the trans.

Does the jeep allow you to move the transmission around while it is still connected to the motor?

amslube · **Posted:** Mon Sep 23, 2013 6:26 pm

I had the same transmission symptoms as you. I opted to replace the front pump when I had the transmission out to replace the TC. That was over 2 years ago and no drainback issues or cold stall issues since. I did mine in my garage with the Liberty's tires sitting on 6x6s. This provided enough height to drop the trans. You are right about some of the bolts around the bell housing...got quite creative with long extensions and u-joints.

Leeann · **Joined:** Thu Mar 14, 2013 9:19 pm **Posts:** 523

Yep, 35" of extensions plus a wobble joint is what it took to made dropping/installing my transmission easy in my back yard. That was a tip from TwoBobsKJ.

I also have a cheap tranny jack from harbor freight that finished off the easy button.

amslube · **Posted:** Mon Sep 23, 2013 7:23 pm

I bolted a piece of 3/4" plywood to my floor jack and a couple of ratchet straps to secure the trans to the jack/plywood. Worked for me!

ebbnflow · **Posted:** Mon Sep 23, 2013 10:45 pm

I did the same as you except I did the euro TC. I put the transgo kit in both the valve body and front pump. I still have drain back issues. I even changed the fluid a couple weeks ago and put genuine Mopar filters in. This did not fix it either. I suspect my front pump is the cause of drain back and my mysterious hard/slow 2-3 shift that will not go away. Just my 2 cents.

usa591 · **Posted:** Tue Sep 24, 2013 1:31 am

papaindigo wrote:

My experience with leak back (unless I held a high idle for 10-15 seconds before shifting into reverse or drive and moving off) was either the transmission would not engage at all or if would do so enough to go say 100-200' at which point the engine would do a hard/rough stall. No relation to ambient temp though just how long the vehicle had been parked (6+ hrs at least).

FWIW...

Yep--this is what I'm currently living with. It happens about two times a month & I'm a daily driver.

Glend · **Posted:** Tue Sep 24, 2013 3:59 am

Did you change the anti-drainback valve, next to the cooler return line filter? Bet that's the cause of your leak back. A $5 part at most.

ebbnflow · **Posted:** Fri Sep 27, 2013 11:33 am

Glend wrote:

Did you change the anti-drainback valve, next to the cooler return line filter? Bet that's the cause of your leak back. A $5 part at most.

I read in another thread that FCV or "anti drain back valve" as you call it does not prevent torque converter drain back. The spin on filter is where TC drain back can occur and a factory spin on filter is supposed to fix it. It did not fix it for me.

Suncoast TC and TransGo Shift Kit Installed on '06 CRD

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