8 speed swap

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

emjohn4

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 25, 2012
Posts
1,149
Reaction score
667
Ram Year
2012
Engine
Hemi 5.7
Check out my pics.

I used the 145 version.
 

Attachments

  • PXL_20220207_193914389.jpg
    PXL_20220207_193914389.jpg
    93.5 KB · Views: 41

Wild one

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 17, 2016
Posts
13,718
Reaction score
23,373
Ram Year
14 Sport
Engine
5.7
Check out my pics.

I used the 145 version.
I'm tempted to swap out the factory transmission thermostat on my wifes 8 speed Challenger to the 145 version,as it does get a little warmer then i like on back to back 1/4 mile passes,and doesn't cool down very fast on the return road
 

smoothee

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2012
Posts
1,321
Reaction score
684
Location
St. John's, NL
Ram Year
2011
Engine
Hemi 5.7
I'm waiting for Khris/CrazyKid's report on the 145 version.
Yeah I was chatting to him about it. I didn't want to tap my trans housing so ended up grabbing an oem heater/thermostat assembly and going to gut it like yourself and Khris (and few others now) have done
 

ECONORAM

Junior Member
Joined
Jan 30, 2022
Posts
10
Reaction score
21
Location
Oklahoma City, OK, United States, Earth
Ram Year
2007
Engine
4.7 Magnum
Okay, I think I am following most of the discussion. However, I am not clear on the HP tuner stuff. Is HP tuner required regardless of vehicle for this swap? Or is it only to flip the ECU tranny setting in 13s and 14s? And when you want to get some tranny tuning done? Doesn't the SGA harness connect to the plugs from the 545RFE, and keep it from tripping codes? I ask 'cuz I have an 07, and I'm not concerned about tranny tuning. The 8-speed programming can't be worse than 545RFE's.
The SGA harness supports both the ZF trannies and the Dodge licensed ones? I was told previously it would only work with 8HP70s, not the 870REs.
If I go this route, couldn't I get the tranny and driveshaft from a quad cab Ram and save some searching and headache? I ask 'cuz I'm still debating on a Challenger TR-6060...
 

ECONORAM

Junior Member
Joined
Jan 30, 2022
Posts
10
Reaction score
21
Location
Oklahoma City, OK, United States, Earth
Ram Year
2007
Engine
4.7 Magnum
For those keeping score at home, I sent a message to SGA last night, asking about either tranny, and would I need a tuning device to install, in addition to the SGA harness? He wrote back that either tranny (870RE or 8HP70) would work (he has not seen one that didn't), and I would only need HPTuners if I wanted to change the shift points for the transmission. He said that could be needed, as there were no 4.7Ls produced with an 8HP70. He recommended I get a tranny from a RAM 1500, which is what I was thinking.
 

HemiLonestar

Senior Member
Military
Joined
Jun 1, 2012
Posts
5,991
Reaction score
2,952
Location
MD
Ram Year
2016
Engine
5.7 hemi
For those keeping score at home, I sent a message to SGA last night, asking about either tranny, and would I need a tuning device to install, in addition to the SGA harness? He wrote back that either tranny (870RE or 8HP70) would work (he has not seen one that didn't), and I would only need HPTuners if I wanted to change the shift points for the transmission. He said that could be needed, as there were no 4.7Ls produced with an 8HP70. He recommended I get a tranny from a RAM 1500, which is what I was thinking.
Hey a familiar face (name?). As long as you don't want the ability manually shift each gear, then a Ram trans is fine. I'm going to go with a car version so I can manually shift when I feel like it. Also a 392 calibration will work perfectly behind the 6.1 that will be in front of it lol.
 

Wild one

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 17, 2016
Posts
13,718
Reaction score
23,373
Ram Year
14 Sport
Engine
5.7
I totally want paddle shifters. ;)
I'm not a fan of the tiptronic paddles in the cars Ian,i prefer the paddles i had in my truck.I used the trucks paddles,but i never use them in either of the wifes last 2 Challengers.If it was me,i'd set it up so the transmission shifts at the rpm you want it to shift at with your foot buried into it,which means tune the transmission,it's better then the paddles causing you to bounce off the limiter when they don't shift on time
 

DILLIGAF

Senior Member
Military
Joined
May 28, 2016
Posts
4,216
Reaction score
7,551
Location
Canada
Ram Year
2012
Engine
5.7
Lucky for me, Im trying to buy my dads 3500 Cummins 6 speed ;). Only 135 000 Km to boot. 20170316_123633_HDR.jpg
 

ECONORAM

Junior Member
Joined
Jan 30, 2022
Posts
10
Reaction score
21
Location
Oklahoma City, OK, United States, Earth
Ram Year
2007
Engine
4.7 Magnum
Hey a familiar face (name?). As long as you don't want the ability manually shift each gear, then a Ram trans is fine. I'm going to go with a car version so I can manually shift when I feel like it. Also a 392 calibration will work perfectly behind the 6.1 that will be in front of it lol.
My name is Dave, but I've used ECONORAM since I wrote a business plan for a course back in 2009. That was to be the name of the business. I do find it very odd, that the name ECONORAM got trademarked that year. (Things that make you go Hmmm.). Anyhow, I'd like paddle shifters, but the last thing I need is another project, and I've noticed I don't use the manual mode when I drive the wife's Cherokee.
I figure I'll get a pickup version from a local yard, drive it for a while and see if i want to change the shift points or not. I cannot see how it can be worse than a 545RFE though. Should be sweet with my mildly modded 4.7.
This will be a far sight less work than installing a 5-speed manual, as I see it. And it has better ratios. And more of them!!
 

t0ymach1n3

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 16, 2021
Posts
219
Reaction score
175
Location
Dallas, TX
Ram Year
2014
Engine
5.7L???
My personal update:

So i'm getting closer to pulling the trigger on this. I'm going to grab the engine/trans harness along with the matching ECM Friday. The rest of the parts are pretty easy to get ahold of. What I can't get past is making the manual shifting from the steering wheel work with the swap. I haven't found any information that would lead me to believe that this isn't possible past the harness going to the steering wheel not being the one to allow it. I'm not looking at paddle shifters but I need/want the ability to do so without going the route of the car trans and all that jazz.

Anyone ever find any clarification on that being possible by chance?
 

HemiLonestar

Senior Member
Military
Joined
Jun 1, 2012
Posts
5,991
Reaction score
2,952
Location
MD
Ram Year
2016
Engine
5.7 hemi
My personal update:

So i'm getting closer to pulling the trigger on this. I'm going to grab the engine/trans harness along with the matching ECM Friday. The rest of the parts are pretty easy to get ahold of. What I can't get past is making the manual shifting from the steering wheel work with the swap. I haven't found any information that would lead me to believe that this isn't possible past the harness going to the steering wheel not being the one to allow it. I'm not looking at paddle shifters but I need/want the ability to do so without going the route of the car trans and all that jazz.

Anyone ever find any clarification on that being possible by chance?
According to SGA it's directly related to which trans you have. ZF TCM is integrated into the valve body internally. Truck calibration doesn't have provision for manual gear shifting; look at factory equipped ZF Ram, all you see is the dial. That's it. The only ZF equipped Ram that I know of that comes with paddle shifters and the ability to manually change gears is the TRX and that's because it uses the same 8HP95 that the Trackhawk uses. So......if you swap in an 8HP95 for 4WD/AWD (which I'm assuming you don't have) then you could. Otherwise? Car trans lol, unless Russell figures out some more magic. He's got it now with the early 4th gens where it's pretty much a bolt in.
 

emjohn4

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 25, 2012
Posts
1,149
Reaction score
667
Ram Year
2012
Engine
Hemi 5.7
I thought the 2013+ trucks with the 8HP70 had the buttons to manually shift on the steering wheel, above the cruise buttons?
 

t0ymach1n3

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 16, 2021
Posts
219
Reaction score
175
Location
Dallas, TX
Ram Year
2014
Engine
5.7L???
According to SGA it's directly related to which trans you have. ZF TCM is integrated into the valve body internally. Truck calibration doesn't have provision for manual gear shifting; look at factory equipped ZF Ram, all you see is the dial. That's it. The only ZF equipped Ram that I know of that comes with paddle shifters and the ability to manually change gears is the TRX and that's because it uses the same 8HP95 that the Trackhawk uses. So......if you swap in an 8HP95 for 4WD/AWD (which I'm assuming you don't have) then you could. Otherwise? Car trans lol, unless Russell figures out some more magic. He's got it now with the early 4th gens where it's pretty much a bolt in.
As much as I would love to have the paddle shifters, I am actually looking at the + and - buttons on the steering wheel and getting those to work. I'm dead set on making as many of these upgrades on OEM parts that would have come with the truck. Going for the "If you don't run the VIN, you'd never know it wasn't bought like this" look. If that makes sense lol

I am working on removing the column shifter, swap to a dial shifter and add the steering wheel manual shifting buttons to the steering wheel.
 
Top