ASOG Forums

I had typed in a very long posting, detailing my history, but when I submitted it, it must have timed out my login session.  So here's my shortened version.

I have a 93 Gr. Caravan w/3.3 L and 4 speed 41TE tranny. The TCM is non-flashable.

I've done a few tranny rebuilds, one which resulted in hard parts being crunched in the input shaft clutches assembly being toasted, along with the input shaft, , and large bearings, etc. being blown throughout the tranny.

My last rebuild I put in a shift kit, checked the solenoid pack screens and found nothing in them, and tried to drill the appropriate holes in the valve body, but found I couldn't get it apart afterwards due to some overtorqued bolts and ruined heads. 

I cleaned it as best I could otherwise, and found that for the first 15-30 seconds after being stopped/parked for awhile, it would be in drive but it wouldn't move. It felt like it had leaked down and there was air in the pump assembly or something.  After that it would work okay.  I don't think my torque converter was locking up properly either.

I finally received a few replacement bolts from a really nice person out there (thanks Chris, if you're here!), and finally put it back together.  I did the EMCC reset and checked CVI's which seemed to be good.  I did the fast learn (I have a MT-2500 box) and did the road tests to get it to adjust.  It would occasionally drop into 2nd and stay there, and the errors seemed to point to a sticking valve.  I picked up a wood splitter, towed it home and while backing it up the driveway, it became more difficult.  Thinking it was because I was going uphill, I gunned it slightly, heard a screech, then decided I was far enough up  and turned it off.  I noticed some smoke coming out a few seconds after that.

The van seems to be able to go backwards, including when shifted in neutral, but there's no forward gears at all. (this isn't due to cable slack...)

My internals of the valve body don't match the ATSG manual (in the T/C control valve where I have multiple metal parts, and the book shows a single valve piece.   

Since this last problem came with my only working on the valve body, I figure something's wrong with it and I need to replace it.  It may be permanently tweaked due to the overtorqued bolts I had to replace before.

Are the valve bodies the same between years on the tranny?  Can I pick up a valve body that's on a later year tranny and have it work fine?

I also replaced some aluminum/teflon-ringed accumulator pistons with a metal (or plastic?) rubberized coated single piece version.  Are they okay to replace with, or do they have inherent design problems?

I'm going to be replacing the solenoid pack with a Borg Warner unit.  Is that a decent replacement unit or should I go with a mopar only unit?  (This is a newer solenoid pack that's supposed to cut down on the sound.)

Do I need to replace the TCM with a programmable one to accomodate the shift kit I put in?  Does it have to be flashed for this shift kit?  Or is that a learnable aspect as you drive?  (I found a boneyard flashable unit with the upgrade from 95 for the harsh shift, as per the sticker on the outside.)  But do I need to get it flashed for my tranny to make sure pinion factor matches, or do all trannies have the same pinion factor inside?  (Hmm...  I forgot to check the wheel size on that van.)

Any advice?  My wife is at the point where she wants to chuck the van.  I'd hate to let it go, as it's still fairly decent inside and out, and has beefier leaf springs for towing that I paid for.  If I were to be selling it, then yeah, I could see where it's not worth it to put much in, but I plan on using it for a few more years.  It's my "truck" to haul plywood and my large family in.

Thanks,

Justin