How much fluid after Vavle Body Upgrade

[Jovac]

I have a 2020 2500 with the Cummins. Did a valve body swap and fluid/filter change. Also replaced the pan with a deep pan. Everything seems okay with it but I can’t seem to get the fluid up to the right level on the dip stick. At operating temp, it looks like it comes about midway between cold high and hot low. I am concerned because it’s taken 13 quarts so far. I keep adding in small increments but need a sanity check that I’m not overfilling it. Anyone have any insight whether this sounds right?

Seems to be shifting correctly and running at same temps it always has. About 168.

 

[joesstripclub]

I'm no expert on cummins trans, but google says: "The 68RFE transmission, a 6-speed automatic found in some Dodge Ram trucks, has a total dry fill capacity of 17.5 quarts (16.5 liters), but only about 6.6 quarts will drain when changing the pan and filters. "

I'd start with 7 quarts plus whatever capacity was added with your deep pan and see where you expect to be. If you were shifting well I wouldn't think you'd have been more than a quart low from the factory fill.

Everyone complains about the 8 speeds not having a dipstick, but I know when the fluid runs out of the fill hole that its full.

 

[Jovac]

Thanks. That’s what I read too. I did let it drain for a couple of hours while I worked with the valve body. It’s kind of my own fault as I should have measured how much fluid drained out. Anyhow, I started around 7 qts and things did not shift well at all and have been slowly adding trying to get the level to reflect properly on the dipstick. It’s now about midway between low and high when I’m at operating temps. I’m just not sure if I can trust the dipstick or should go by the operation. It is shifting smoothly and not seeing any unusual heat or anything. Guess I’m just wondering if I should add more to bring it up to where it should be or just leave it. Ugh. Of all the things I thought might be challenging with this project, getting the fluid fill right wasn’t one of them. Thanks for your help.

 

[Sean J Blackburn]

My 2 cents, add trans fluid in small increments to a transmission at normal operating temperature until the dipstick shows between low and high for the hot reading. In my experience, my truck with the 545rfe (different trans than yours) will shift normally and not run at a different temperature when it is low by a quart.

How do I know this? Many years ago the dealership did a pan drop and filter change and somehow filled it a quart low. I ran it like this until the next service a year later when I was advised by the same dealer it was a quart low but no leak anywhere. Should have checked but didn't, lesson learned. Since then I do it myself! That was 90k miles ago so seems to have done no lasting damage.

Also, you can get a fluid extractor pretty inexpensively on Amazon. Makes it real easy to suck out a pint or a quart or whatever if you do overfill it when filling the trans. Takes some of the difficulty out of getting the level perfect because if you overfill you don't have to drop the pan to fix it.

 

[Jovac]

Thank you. This is essentially what I wound up doing. Adding a quarter quart at a time. It was just that it was taking so much more than I expected that it was scaring me. But eventually I got it to the point right between low and high on the hot side. Took 14 quarts. But I did add a deep pan and let it drain for hours while I worked on the valve body. I just was starting to disturb t the dip stick as I added more and more fluid. All worked out though.

Thanks for the sanity check though. I appreciate it.