We slipped the built transmission in our 2001 VP44 tow rig and tore it down to see exactly what failed.
This Power Driven Diesel video features Myer and Will and covers a full teardown of the local built 47RE from our 2001 Dodge Ram 3500 dually Willard after it started slipping while towing at roughly 400 to 450 horsepower with a tune, turbo, and injectors. It shows why the right parts stack matters for diesel performance and how a VP44 powered Cummins can live when you actually use the truck.
Highlights include a torque converter with a blued lockup clutch from heat, dark burnt fluid with glitter from thrust washer wear, and a Derale steel pan that adds capacity but does not cool like finned aluminum. The temperature indicator never popped, yet the filter was sucked in.
Inside the valve body there was a BorgWarner governor pressure solenoid, a stock pressure sensor, a factory clip close to blowing out, and drilled passages instead of a full shift kit. Second gear hardware had wins with a BorgWarner band, a thicker strut and anchor, and a Sonax style accumulator and servo cover, but the misses were big for longevity, including a missing snap ring in the low reverse drum that shed metal, a reused scarred direct drum, and a worn reverse band finger. Overdrive brake showed five frictions with a wavy cushion, the third gear direct pack had five with an over machined reaction plate, and grade five bolts remained where grade eight is preferred. Thrust surfaces showed wear, which is why our Power Driven 650 units use Torrington roller bearings. With a trailer, the converter was the slip point and a stock input shaft is the next weak link around five hundred rear wheel horsepower.
SEO keywords: diesel performance, Power Driven Diesel, Cummins, VP44, dyno testing, turbo upgrades, drag racing, truck builds, VP44 tow rig transmission teardown, torque converter lockup clutch blued, Sonax accumulator and servo cover, Derale steel pan, missing snap ring, Torrington roller bearings, Power Driven 650 transmission.
Subscribe for more builds and teardowns, follow the channel, and check out more Power Driven Diesel content.
Power Driven Diesel is a specialty performance shop engaged in the engineering and development of high-performance turbo diesel technologies.
Contact Us:
435-962-9555
info@powerdrivendiesel.com
https://powerdriven.com
https://www.facebook.com/powerdrivendiesel/
https://www.instagram.com/powerdrivendiesel