1997 Dodge Ram 3500 Cummins

Fluid was poured into the converter so the transmission didn't have to try to fill up the converter with fluid when the vehicle was first driven.

Life Or Death
As dramatic as it may sound, testdriving the vehicle after a transmission swap is the most important part of the whole process. If something goes wrong with your transmission and you don't know about it, it can easily spell disaster. Running a transmission that's low on fluid, has incorrect throttle pressure settings, or has seals, bushings, or steel lines that leak, can have disastrous results such as burned-up clutches, a slipping transmission, or it could even cause a fire. We've seen all these scenarios happen, and they aren't pretty.

The last thing you'll want to do after putting in a new transmission is take it apart again. When taking a testdrive, start out small-a few blocks or so-and then work up from there, always double-checking for vibrations, binding parts, or leaks. Check your fluid level after each drive (deep pans often require extra fluid) and check with a reliable source about how much ATF to put in to begin with in case the dipstick is wrong. We did have some peace of mind because if anything was wrong with our transmission from the factory, we had a one-year warranty from BD that covers parts, labor, and shipping.

Before our old transmission went to the big junkyard in the sky, we had to remove the kick-down linkage, springs, sensors-basically anything that was attached to the case-so they could be reused on our new transmission. Take the time to clean all the gunk off the old parts-you'll be glad you did when it comes time to reinstall them.

Next, the converter was reinstalled on the input shaft. There were two keyways on the input shaft, so turning the converter and pressing inward was necessary to make sure the converter was fully seated.

BD's PressureLoc was then installed on the transmission where the kick-down linkage would normally reside.

With the PressureLoc system installed on the transmission and the new SFI-approved flexplate in place, it was time to install our new transmission.

After the transmission was put in place, the transmission crossmember, bellhousing bolts, converter bolts, and our rat's nest of wiring, cooler lines, and linkage were put back in place. At this point, we double-checked the PressureLoc assembly and made sure it could move freely and didn't bind on any wires or other parts.

With the new transmission in place, the driveshaft was reinstalled. Again, it helped to have a buddy on this step because the two-piece driveshaft wasn't the easiest thing to install on our own.

With everything tightened and torqued down, the second part of the PressureLoc system was installed. This system increases the line pressure at part-throttle when the converter is locked up to avoid converter slippage on modified vehicles. It was installed on top of the intake and was tapped into a vacuum source, and the system works in unison with the piece that was installed on the transmission itself. After finishing the install, we were ready for the most important part of the whole process, the testdrive, and were secure with the knowledge that we could now throw more power at our truck without worrying about getting stranded.