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New Member with a Crazy 545RFE

7K views 61 replies 11 participants last post by  Ghost03hemi 
#1 ·
Hi folks,

My name is Pete. I live just outside beautiful Denver Colorado, and I have a 2011 ram 2500 5.7 4x4 SLT that has apparently lost it's mind.

I rebuilt the engine and transmission over the last few months. The engine runs great, no engine codes at all.

I wish I could say the same for the trans. This is the 3rd 3/4T auto I've rebuilt over the last few years, and I'm stumped. I replaced all clutches, seals, etc inside the trans, installed new OSS, ISS, line pressure sensor, solenoid pack, of course filters too. I took it out for a test drive around my neighborhood, and everything seemed fine. I shifted up to 3rd in auto mode, and manual mode seemed to work like it should. I took it out on a longer faster drive, and I think I never got out of 3rd. I took it on an small highway, and it was definitely not shifting right. I was turning 2500 rpm at 55 mph. I don't know if that was 3rd or 4th, but it certainly ain't right.

Now I have only 1st gear, I have gear ratio codes and hydraulic codes.

Is it possible the PCM has died / is dying? I probably have to take it to a dealer to be sure about that, I'm guessing. Why else would the manual shift feature stop working? Really odd behavior.

I'm pulling the valve body to have a look tonight, and do my air checks again.

Any other suggestions / ideas?
 
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#34 ·
I tore into the trans tonight, and I found something interesting. I thought my LR clutch may have been bad, so I started on that. My ATSG manual says there should be a total of 12 plates, 6 friction and 6 steels in that clutch, and the clearance should be something like .03" to .06" The clutch plates I had in there were steel on one side and friction on the other, and a total of 14 of them, not 12. I'm confused about it, and I remember being confused about it before, and not asking anyone. Not trying to make that mistake again, does anyone know what happened? Do I maybe have the wrong manual or the wrong parts?
 
#36 ·
Should have a label plate half way bay on the drivers side.
 
#37 ·
Here's the rub - I replaced the case with a used one because my original case was cracked, and I recycled that case a month ago. The case I now have has the right casting number, but it does not have the data plate anymore. I'm certain my old case said 545RFE, but the low reverse clutch says otherwise, it seems.

Everything I've read so far about the 66 says it's identical on the outside to the 545. The differences lie in the gear ratios and the low reverse clutch. My AE had been showing gear ratio errors in 1-3rd gears, so that could actually explain that. I never got any higher than 3rd with the last build. Also, I'm guessing here that if the PCM sees enough errors in any particular gear, it'll determine that gear is no longer valid, and not shift to it. Do I have that right? That could explain why I was shifting ok initially, but by the time I got to parking it a few days ago, I was down to 1st and reverse.

I need to figure out what gear sets I have in there now.

If that's right, then I either have to get a "real" 545 and put that in, or install 545 gear sets into the 66 (assuming they fit, and won't mess with end play). Or possibly get a 2012 PCM, which I really don't want to mess with. Ugh.
 
#38 ·
The case has no bearing on the internals. The single sided clutches are an upgrade red alto style setup normally. I also believe if I remember correctly those single sided ones go in upside down not totally sure on that either been a little bit.

The gear ratios internally are the same but the 66rfe uses the primes as accel ratios to instead of only for downshifts.
 
#39 ·
Are you sure it's a 66rfe and not a 65rfe?
The 66rfe is only available behind the 2012+ HD Hemi trucks, it is a 545 case stuffed with 68rfe internals basically. The 65 is a 545 with a different valve body and tuning. If it is a 65 then you can swap valve bodies from a 545 and off you go. If its a 66 then you're boned because of the tuning differences.
 
#46 ·
It may be a 545rfe with the updated clutch pack style setup like an alto kit has with single sided frictions. The internals of these things are virtually the same 45/545/65/66/68rfe are all the same inside visually pretty much with the 66/68 having thicker shafts and planetary sets .
 
#47 ·
I'm not sure yet because I'm still gathering data, but there are a few more differences. The two jpeg pictures I uploaded are of the low reverse clutch, and the mating gearset that are in my trans. The pdf is out of the 545RFE manual, and shows a completely different setup. The way the LR clutch engages with the gearset on the 545 is through those large castellations. The corresponding castellations on mine are much smaller. If that was just a clutch pack upgrade, they replaced the whole LR clutch drum and that gearset. The sprag itself also looks different. The 545 has what looks like rollers that get jammed when the sprag goes the wrong way, and the 66 has what I consider "wedges" that are tilted in the direction of free rotation, and when it goes the other way, they wedge the thing (that's the best analogy I could come up with, and could be way off about that). Also, the UD clutch on a 545 has 4 sets of steel / friction plates (totalling 8 plates) , the 66 has 5 sets (totaling 10 plates), and mine had 5 sets. I'm getting mixed signals about any other differences, but that's what I have so far.
 

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#48 ·
As long as clearances are in spec it doesn’t matter how many plates are in there. The stack up and snap rings need to be right way around all bevels facing up or out the front of the trans in all setups. The big middle ring needs to not be coming across center of case. The VB did you change the gasket on the solenoid pack if so there is major differences there and that will make all kinds of issues. Did you find where the metal was from?
 
#49 ·
I did change the gasket, but I used the one with my kit. I didn't even think about that, it didn't occur to me. I did make sure that middle ring left it's gap right above the VB. I may have done the rings wrong, I'm going to double check that tonight. I found I had a thrust bearing (number 2) in there the wrong way, so it bound up instead of turning. I piece of it actually broke off. Luckily it stayed right there, and didn't go anywhere (like the pump). I'm not completely satisfied that was the source of all that metal, I'm still digging. Going through it piece by piece. I found I had installed a clutch set wrong. I inter-mingled clutch plates from 2 different clutches, in the LR clutch, causing the clearance to not be exactly right. I didn't think a few hundredths of an inch would matter. I was apparently wrong about that :) Reverse was completely burned, which was wierd because reverse was really the only one that seemed to work right, but I heard what I thought was a hissing noise in R, so that was that clutch cooking. I haven't even got through the rest of the trans yet, and I found lots of my own problems. Learning is a bitch sometimes!
 
#50 ·
Well, I didn’t find any more screw ups in the trans. I did confirm that it was a 66 not a 545. I found some other details yesterday like larger output shaft and a welded sun gear. Anyhow, I am going to put 545 gearsets in there to get the right ratios to make my PCM happy. If I can keep all the clutches and the rest of the internals 66, I will. I don’t know yet. I found a junkyard 545 with a busted case, I just need to have it shipped.
 
#51 ·
I got my donor trans today. I'm getting a new set of frictions, because I messed up the other set. Picking that up tomorrow, and hopefully putting the correct 545RFE back together over the next few evenings. So, the good news is, I'll have a rebuild-able 66RFE if anyone is interested.
 
#52 ·
I have a ton of 545rfe crap here laying around I’m trying to sell lol. I have a stage three sharadon that needs a rebuild I also have a burnt clutch 545rfe simple rebuild and go. I also have a box of parts from a torn down trans
 
#55 · (Edited)
My out put shaft end play was .014 on the Sharadon stage III trans.
Double check to see if everything is seated correctly between the low/reverse housing and the 2-4 clutch retainer assembly. Make sure the thrust bearings are installed in the correct direction. The book will show you the correct install side of the thrust bearings on page 108, figure 144.
 
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