66RFE strange shifts, anybody experienced these symptoms?

[HEMIMANN]

I’m about to do a major service to my drive line. I’ve ordered the remanufactured sonnax valvebody with solenoid pack included. Should be here Monday. Putting Amsoil signature series fluid and oem filters back in.
In addition to replacing those things
I’m also going to install a line pressure booster kit on it. It is plug and play and suppose to help with shifting also made by sonnax. That will be installed before anything else because I want to see if it helps by itself. Also while at it ordered amsoil front and rear differential fluid so I can get that done. Along with transfer case.
Hopefully with all of this it will solve my hard downshifts from 6-5-5-4.

I keep my eye on the Sonnax VB on my Summit Wish List. It just went out of stock. I'm in no hurry as I thought I'd wait until next regular OCI, but seeing it go out of stock is worrying. I saw the line pressure boost kit by Sonnax at their website also. Great idea without having to go through a tuner.

Are you going to do a re-tune?

 

[buckeyexx]

Yeah the sonnax is hard to find right now. I had the local trans shop find me one or actually two of them. The first one I had sent to me was damaged at some point so they found me another one. They did say they are are hard to get. Hopefully the next one will be good to go. Should be here Monday. Summit is where I got the line pressure booster from.
As far as the tune goes I don’t plan to re-tune at this time unless it needs it. Hopefully it will do ok.

 

[HEMIMANN]

Yeah the sonnax is hard to find right now. I had the local trans shop find me one or actually two of them. The first one I had sent to me was damaged at some point so they found me another one. They did say they are are hard to get. Hopefully the next one will be good to go. Should be here Monday. Summit is where I got the line pressure booster from.
As far as the tune goes I don’t plan to re-tune at this time unless it needs it. Hopefully it will do ok.

Could you send a link to the line booster from Summit so I can add to my Wish List? I searched for it but could not find. Only saw it on Sonnax website.

 

[buckeyexx]

Sonnax Transmission Company RFE-LB1 Sonnax Line Pressure Booster Kits | Summit Racing

Free Shipping - Sonnax Line Pressure Booster Kits with qualifying orders of $109. Shop Automatic Transmission Boost Valves at Summit Racing.

www.summitracing.com

 

[buckeyexx]

I’m going to install it before I do anything else just so I feel if it changed the shifts. I think if I do all at once it will be hard to determine which of the things I do helps. If that makes since?

 

[HEMIMANN]

I’m going to install it before I do anything else just so I feel if it changed the shifts. I think if I do all at once it will be hard to determine which of the things I do helps. If that makes since?

Not sure - maybe call Sonnax for advice? Surely they've upgraded a number of RFE tranny's. I worry it won't shift right without higher pressure, because Sonnax puts in tighter pistons. Then again, maybe it just brings shifting back to where it should be before wear set in?

 

[buckeyexx]

Not sure - maybe call Sonnax for advice? Surely they've upgraded a number of RFE tranny's. I worry it won't shift right without higher pressure, because Sonnax puts in tighter pistons. Then again, maybe it just brings shifting back to where it should be before wear set in?

From what I have read it is basically just reinforcing the problem areas and will bring the shifts back to normal. Just as if I was buying an oem but addressing the area it fails with better seals, pistons, and plates. You either hookup a scan tool to do a quick learn process or drive around and let it go through 15-20 up and down shifts. I don’t have the trans tool to do a quick learn so I’m just going to drive it for the relearn process. But I have been wrong before so maybe I will contact them and see what they say.

 

[HEMIMANN]

From what I have read it is basically just reinforcing the problem areas and will bring the shifts back to normal. Just as if I was buying an oem but addressing the area it fails with better seals, pistons, and plates. You either hookup a scan tool to do a quick learn process or drive around and let it go through 15-20 up and down shifts. I don’t have the trans tool to do a quick learn so I’m just going to drive it for the relearn process. But I have been wrong before so maybe I will contact them and see what they say.

You're doing exactly what I was thinking. I got a Pulsar inline tuner on I'm happy with but it doesn't make adjustments, and I don't want to remove it and buy another tuning device to retune the OEM PCM for the upgraded valve body.
These electronics are inordinately complicated.

 

[buckeyexx]

You're doing exactly what I was thinking. I got a Pulsar inline tuner on I'm happy with but it doesn't make adjustments, and I don't want to remove it and buy another tuning device to retune the OEM PCM for the upgraded valve body.
These electronics are inordinately complicated.

Yeah I'm just looking to get this thing back to normal shifting or maybe smoothing out the shifts. It doesn’t slip or shutter or anything like that but needs a little refinement. Just has the hard downshifts in the top two overdrive gears that I don’t like. All I have performance wise is a throttle controller and a solo performance muffler. I have thought about the pulsar tuner but never pulled the trigger.

 

[HEMIMANN]

Yeah I'm just looking to get this thing back to normal shifting or maybe smoothing out the shifts. It doesn’t slip or shutter or anything like that but needs a little refinement. Just has the hard downshifts in the top two overdrive gears that I don’t like. All I have performance wise is a throttle controller and a solo performance muffler. I have thought about the pulsar tuner but never pulled the trigger.

Then you can tune and / or re-learn, if you want. If you don't, please post how it goes. I won't get to this for a year or so. Oh, and thanks for the Summit link.....saved to my wish list!

 

[buckeyexx]

Then you can tune and / or re-learn, if you want. If you don't, please post how it goes. I won't get to this for a year or so. Oh, and thanks for the Summit link.....saved to my wish list!

Your welcome! Will do an update.

 

[ScubaSteve178]

For what it is worth, at 1:43am CST, RockAuto has one more CHR146 in stock according to the product page after I just placed an order for mine.

SONNAX CHR146 Valve Body | RockAuto

RockAuto ships auto parts and body parts from over 300 manufacturers to customers' doors worldwide, all at warehouse prices. Easy to use parts catalog.

www.rockauto.com

 

[GsRAM]

What was the price on rockauto?

 

[buckeyexx]

What was the price on rockauto?

Im curious as well. I ended up getting mine for 700 bucks out the door from what ever it takes local to me. Apparently they can negotiate pricing because I got 3 different quotes from them. All from 3 different sales people. Only had one in stock and they ranged from 700 bucks all the way up to 1150 bucks. Yes for the same valvebody it was crazy they could do that. I know it sells for cheaper other places but it is never in stock so I jumped on it while I could

 

[BLUEDERANGO]

Just food for thought,, there was a recall on the solenoid packs on these trucks, not sure of the years covered bur it would be wise to check.
I received a "notice" and had mine replaced, no issues at all to this date,

 

[HEMIMANN]

On Summit it was $540 for the VB and $69 for the pressure increase module. Before they ran out, that is.

 

[HEMIMANN]

Just food for thought,, there was a recall on the solenoid packs on these trucks, not sure of the years covered bur it would be wise to check.
I received a "notice" and had mine replaced, no issues at all to this date,

All RFE"s prior to 2017 - I checked and mine wasn't covered.

 

[buckeyexx]

On Summit it was $540 for the VB and $69 for the pressure increase module. Before they ran out, that is.

Yeah summit was cheaper and I would have went that route if they were in stock. Most places state unsure when it will be available again.

Just food for thought,, there was a recall on the solenoid packs on these trucks, not sure of the years covered bur it would be wise to check.
I received a "notice" and had mine replaced, no issues at all to this date,

I was not aware of this recall. I have a 2015 but bought used so not sure if it was already done. The valvebody I got has it with it so hopefully it takes care of the problem.

 

[HEMIMANN]

Yeah summit was cheaper and I would have went that route if they were in stock. Most places state unsure when it will be available again.

I was not aware of this recall. I have a 2015 but bought used so not sure if it was already done. The valvebody I got has it with it so hopefully it takes care of the problem.

Threads have members indicating the fix also failed, so forget about that and just go with Sonnax complete kit.

 

[buckeyexx]

Threads have members indicating the fix also failed, so forget about that and just go with Sonnax complete kit.

As deep as I am into this valvebody project it’s safe to say I’m not turning back now. Lol. But I agree i don’t think they know the issue and it failed.