what is the correct transmission?

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Ram Year
1996
Engine
magnun 5.9
Hi guys, i want to put a 4 speed tranny on my 96 because it sucks to have only 3 and i get very bad gas mileage as well. i know that having a 5.9 under the hood isn't a gas saver but if had a 4 speed the truck will feel lighter and the rpms won't be as high always. Now, take in count my truck is not a mpfi , it has the older TBi system. what year should i be looking for in the junkyards to make a plug and play swap? do i need to change the differential also?
thanks in advance for the info.
 

Shadow_Death

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Killeen, Tx
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2006
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5.7L Hemi
I'm just going to say that it is very weird that your 96 5.9 is a TBi because my 96 5.2L has MPFI.

Also if I'm not mistaken the only automatic transmission for our trucks is the 46RE. I don't know much about the manuals if that's what you have. I do also find it strange that yours is only a 3 speed. Just looked it up. 46RH and 46RE are both 4 speed autos. The only 3 speed autos I found was last used in a 1991 Jeep.
 
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Ram Year
1996
Engine
magnun 5.9
I'm just going to say that it is very weird that your 96 5.9 is a TBi because my 96 5.2L has MPFI.

Also if I'm not mistaken the only automatic transmission for our trucks is the 46RE. I don't know much about the manuals if that's what you have. I do also find it strange that yours is only a 3 speed. Just looked it up. 46RH and 46RE are both 4 speed autos. The only 3 speed autos I found was last used in a 1991 Jeep.
I have checked the invoice from the dealer cause i thought maybe the P.O. changed the motor, but no. invoice says 5.9 tbi, 3 speed auto.
as far as i know, mpfi was not available till late 1996 en Mexico, i don't know why, if it is made in Mexico. now the dealership can't find any records of my truck with my VIN, the computer says it doesn't exist. so it is a PITA every time i go to the parts store cause their computers don't show it either. i guess i have to ask for 1991 parts, but in that year dodge ram didn't use the 1500, 2500, 3500 series
anyway, i am lost in Mexico with my truck that was made in Mexico...pff
so if was to change the tranny for the 4 speed auto, the 46RH will fit directly?
 

dudeman2009

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2001 1500 Sport with enough electrical modifications to make my brain hurt
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Magnum 360
The bellhousing the is same, you can get any Dodge 46RH transmission for the V6 or V8 engines.

Whats strange is the TBI, I've never heard of TBI on the gen II trucks, I've never heard of any 3spd on them either. I have the service manuals for every truck from 95 to 01, and all of them list MPFI. Something is very strange with what you have going on, Dapepper would be able to shine some more light on it.

I would suspect that someone put some strange components in your truck, it wouldn't surprise me to learn that you have an LA engine in there instead of a Magnum. What is your VIN number?
 
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magnun 5.9
The bellhousing the is same, you can get any Dodge 46RH transmission for the V6 or V8 engines.

Whats strange is the TBI, I've never heard of TBI on the gen II trucks, I've never heard of any 3spd on them either. I have the service manuals for every truck from 95 to 01, and all of them list MPFI. Something is very strange with what you have going on, Dapepper would be able to shine some more light on it.

I would suspect that someone put some strange components in your truck, it wouldn't surprise me to learn that you have an LA engine in there instead of a Magnum. What is your VIN number?
here it is!
 

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dudeman2009

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2001 1500 Sport with enough electrical modifications to make my brain hurt
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Magnum 360
I've pulled up various VIN breakdown sheets, your truck doesn't make any sense. The 8th digit is a 7, that corresponds to the 5.9L 24V high output turbo diesel, but that engine was only put on the 2001 model year.

You'll have to get the Vin from another location on the vehicle. Pop the hood and when looking at it from the front, on the left side of the radiator facing front on the vertical radiator support there is a blacked out vin tag. It has a large group of 3 alphanumeric codes, but there is a VIN on there.
 

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Ram Year
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Engine
magnun 5.9
I've pulled up various VIN breakdown sheets, your truck doesn't make any sense. The 8th digit is a 7, that corresponds to the 5.9L 24V high output turbo diesel, but that engine was only put on the 2001 model year.

You'll have to get the Vin from another location on the vehicle. Pop the hood and when looking at it from the front, on the left side of the radiator facing front on the vertical radiator support there is a blacked out vin tag. It has a large group of 3 alphanumeric codes, but there is a VIN on there.
its the same vin that has the metal tag as well, i will try to locate the one you say as soon as i get home, thanks
 
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Ram Year
1996
Engine
magnun 5.9
I've pulled up various VIN breakdown sheets, your truck doesn't make any sense. The 8th digit is a 7, that corresponds to the 5.9L 24V high output turbo diesel, but that engine was only put on the 2001 model year.

You'll have to get the Vin from another location on the vehicle. Pop the hood and when looking at it from the front, on the left side of the radiator facing front on the vertical radiator support there is a blacked out vin tag. It has a large group of 3 alphanumeric codes, but there is a VIN on there.
Here is what i found
 

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dudeman2009

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So thats legitimately the VIN. If you can poke around and find the VIN on the engine that will end all suspicion that someone swapped an engine in.

I'm surprised to see that engine code in there though, it just doesn't fit, unless they changed what it meant at some point after the manufacture of this truck and 2000.
 

regularcab2500

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So you have a tbi carb on your engine? Can you take a pic of your trans pan? It sounds like someone took a 5.9la and 727 a swapped it in at some point. If you take a pic of the trans pan and top of the motor we could help at least identify.

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So you have a tbi carb on your engine? Can you take a pic of your trans pan? It sounds like someone took a 5.9la and 727 a swapped it in at some point. If you take a pic of the trans pan and top of the motor we could help at least identify.

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Trans pan? Under the truck I asume?
Meanwhile here is a pic of the dealership invoice where it says it's equipped with a 3 speed auto and a 5.9 tbi
 

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regularcab2500

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Yes im curious to see what trans you have and seeing this makes me think they continued to put la blocks and torqueflites in well after we had mpfi in the states..very strange.

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Yes im curious to see what trans you have and seeing this makes me think they continued to put la blocks and torqueflites in well after we had mpfi in the states..very strange.

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Ok, I'll get down there sometime tomorrow and take som pics from the tranny and the motor as well, maybe you can tell me how to look and ask for my truck parts with this info
 

dudeman2009

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Ok, I'll get down there sometime tomorrow and take som pics from the tranny and the motor as well, maybe you can tell me how to look and ask for my truck parts with this info

To get parts, you'll need to know what engine and trans is in it. When you get some pictures of the trans pan and engine intake, we'll get it figured out what you have. To get replacement parts, you'll probably have to give most standard parts stores in the US the wrong year. Before my buddy sold it, he had a 91 Silverado that he blew the engine out of, so he got an engine out of a 95 S10, when he needed engine parts, he told them it was for a 95 S10 despite it being a 91 Silverado.
 
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Ram Year
1996
Engine
magnun 5.9
To get parts, you'll need to know what engine and trans is in it. When you get some pictures of the trans pan and engine intake, we'll get it figured out what you have. To get replacement parts, you'll probably have to give most standard parts stores in the US the wrong year. Before my buddy sold it, he had a 91 Silverado that he blew the engine out of, so he got an engine out of a 95 S10, when he needed engine parts, he told them it was for a 95 S10 despite it being a 91 Silverado.

Will send the pics tomorrow. Yes, about the parts, even here in the auto zone stores in mexico, if i say 96 ram, they have only the mpfi in their system.
Same thing happened to me back in 2010. i had a 1993 ford f150 that had the 3.8 v6 engine with a 4 speed manual tranny that had to be started in 2nd gear ( as that 1st ) cause the 1st was for towing. auto parts systems didn't show that engine option for my truck as the 6 cil was a 4.9 inline . once i figured out it was the same motor as the taurus thats how i asked for the parts
 

regularcab2500

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I do this with my fifth ave for certain ignition system parts because i eliminated the lean burn system by adding a points distributor. We got some seriously knowledgeable people on here so we'll definitely get it figured out for ya. I did some research and was unable to find any info about specifically mexican produced rams that may have used tbi and 3 speed autos in the 2nd gens however. This is certainly a strange scenario.

For what its worth, regardless of what trans it currently has im pretty sure a 46rh is as direct of a swap as you can get and if im not mistaken you could use the same driveshaft. Being a 5.9 tbi you could swap a regular 4bbl carb pretty easy and upgrade the cam for some real nice power gains (fuel efficiency aside of course). Needless to say i love la blocks lol.

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Ram Year
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To get parts, you'll need to know what engine and trans is in it. When you get some pictures of the trans pan and engine intake, we'll get it figured out what you have. To get replacement parts, you'll probably have to give most standard parts stores in the US the wrong year. Before my buddy sold it, he had a 91 Silverado that he blew the engine out of, so he got an engine out of a 95 S10, when he needed engine parts, he told them it was for a 95 S10 despite it being a 91 Silverado.
here are the pics of my engine and trans pan
 

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OP
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Ram Year
1996
Engine
magnun 5.9
Yes im curious to see what trans you have and seeing this makes me think they continued to put la blocks and torqueflites in well after we had mpfi in the states..very strange.

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Here it is, this is what i have under the hood
 

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dudeman2009

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Magnum 360
I might be wrong, but that doesn't look factory at all. Holley makes performance aftermarket parts. I've never seen one of their products used in production of any manufacturer.
 

crazykid1994

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I might be wrong, but that doesn't look factory at all. Holley makes performance aftermarket parts. I've never seen one of their products used in production of any manufacturer.



Holley made the factory throttles for the magnums and possibly earlier. My 97 has a Holley tb from factory. I'm following along as I'm curious about this truck.


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