Serpentine Belt ?

[Wild one]

I hear what you're saying, and with a 4x4 I would consider that a different situation, especially if used off-road a lot. Mine's a two-wheel drive, which is driven mainly around town and easy highway with no towing. However my 13-year-old MH fluid was tested by Blackstone and found to be perfectly fine. They said check back in 20,000 miles. I'm not sure what I'll do at 100,000 with the Ram, I'm just trying to bring up a point that in not all cases does that tranny need to be opened up in my opinion. It's not subject to combustible gases and other contamination like an engine is. It doesn't even have a dipstick, so it's sealed.

You've been swallowing the Koolaide to long if you think it's a sealed unit It's vented to the atmosphere same as every other automatic transmission is,if it wasn't vented to the atmosphere,it'd blow every output shaft seal when it heated up and the fluid expanded and raises the pressure inside the transmission.
So yes it can suck in atmospheric moisture when it cools down,and water and transmission fluid don't mix worth a crap.
Your avatar says you're in California,if you're anywhere near the coast and salt water,you can guess what the fluid is absorbing everytime the transmission cools off and sucks air back in through the vent tube

 

[Wild one]

I hear what you're saying, and with a 4x4 I would consider that a different situation, especially if used off-road a lot. Mine's a two-wheel drive, which is driven mainly around town and easy highway with no towing. However my 13-year-old MH fluid was tested by Blackstone and found to be perfectly fine. They said check back in 20,000 miles. I'm not sure what I'll do at 100,000 with the Ram, I'm just trying to bring up a point that in not all cases does that tranny need to be opened up in my opinion. It's not subject to combustible gases and other contamination like an engine is. It doesn't even have a dipstick, so it's sealed.

My truck has never been off road in it's life,it's a pavement princess that never seen snow,and rain only a couple times in the 10 years i owned the truck,and it still ended up needing a new 8HP70

 

[tap4154]

You've been swallowing the Koolaide to long if you think it's a sealed unit It's vented to the atmosphere same as every other automatic transmission is,if it wasn't vented to the atmosphere,it'd blow every output shaft seal when it heated up and the fluid expanded and raises the pressure inside the transmission.
So yes it can suck in atmospheric moisture when it cools down,and water and transmission fluid don't mix worth a crap.
Your avatar says you're in California,if you're anywhere near the coast and salt water,you can guess what the fluid is absorbing everytime the transmission cools off and sucks air back in through the vent tube

Yes I know it has a vent, but the vent tube goes into the bell housing, so it's somewhat buffered from the outside environment. If you overfill the transmission, it could leak into the bell housing as shown in the picture.

 

[tap4154]

My truck has never been off road in it's life,it's a pavement princess that never seen snow,and rain only a couple times in the 10 years i owned the truck,and it still ended up needing a new 8HP70

I'm very sorry to hear that. Did you ever have it serviced? At what mileage did it fail?

 

[Wild one]

Yes I know it has a vent, but the vent tube goes into the bell housing, so it's somewhat buffered from the outside environment. If you overfill the transmission, it could leak into the bell housing as shown in the picture.

Unless the vent on the 845 is differant then the vent on the 8HP70's,that picture is wrong,the trucks 8HP70 terminates the vent tube up by the intake manifold.With a little digging on google,turns out that picture is wrong,like i thought it was.You gotta quit using ChatGTP it's wrong more often then it's right.


The transmission vent tube for the 845RE 8-speed transmission in a Ram 1500 with the 3.6L Pentastar engine typically routes up to the engine bay area, specifically near the driver-side fuel rail or along the firewall.

Routing Details

• Connection Point: The tube connects to a nipple on the top center of the transmission bell housing.
• Path: It is routed upward, alongside or attached to existing wiring harnesses or the dipstick tube, to a high point in the engine compartment.
• Termination: The open end of the tube typically just sits at this high point, often near the driver's side fuel rail or the firewall area, allowing the transmission to breathe air as the fluid heats and expands, while minimizing the risk of water or debris entering the system. It does not typically connect to another specific component at its end, but rather just "vents" to the atmosphere in a protected location.
• Function: This routing ensures the vent is positioned high enough to prevent fluid from escaping under normal operating conditions and to avoid ingesting water when driving through puddles or performing light off-roading.

If you are reinstalling the tube, ensure it is free of kinks or blockages and secured to prevent it from hanging down where it could be damaged or contaminated.

 

[tap4154]

Unless the vent on the 845 is differant then the vent on the 8HP70's,that picture is wrong,the trucks 8HP70 terminates the vent tube up by the intake manifold.With a little digging on google,turns out that picture is wrong,like i thought it was.You gotta quit using ChatGTP it's wrong more often then it's right.


The transmission vent tube for the 845RE 8-speed transmission in a Ram 1500 with the 3.6L Pentastar engine typically routes up to the engine bay area, specifically near the driver-side fuel rail or along the firewall.

Routing Details

• Connection Point: The tube connects to a nipple on the top center of the transmission bell housing.
• Path: It is routed upward, alongside or attached to existing wiring harnesses or the dipstick tube, to a high point in the engine compartment.
• Termination: The open end of the tube typically just sits at this high point, often near the driver's side fuel rail or the firewall area, allowing the transmission to breathe air as the fluid heats and expands, while minimizing the risk of water or debris entering the system. It does not typically connect to another specific component at its end, but rather just "vents" to the atmosphere in a protected location.
• Function: This routing ensures the vent is positioned high enough to prevent fluid from escaping under normal operating conditions and to avoid ingesting water when driving through puddles or performing light off-roading.

If you are reinstalling the tube, ensure it is free of kinks or blockages and secured to prevent it from hanging down where it could be damaged or contaminated.

It's still, as they said, in a protected area. I prefer that the vent terminates high inside the engine compartment, rather than to the bell housing, as on the other transmission. In fact now that you point that out, I remember reading that several years ago.

 

[Wild one]

It's still, as they said, in a protected area. I prefer that the vent terminates high inside the engine compartment, rather than to the bell housing, as on the other transmission. In fact now that you point that out, I remember reading that several years ago.

You better go look at your truck closer before you keep on commenting,the damn hose lays out in the open right beside the intake manifold,and just how clean does the outside of the intake manifold stay on the average truck. Man i'm really getting tired of your opinions with no real knowledge base to back it up,go crawl around your truck and start finding these things,before you go to chatgtp and come across looking a bit off the wall,btw google works better.

 

[Marshall]

Definitely keep the old belt if it looks serviceable at all, maybe under the seat or wherever cause U JUST NEVA KNOW.

For years I always kept a spare belt in the many trucks and some cars in case it needed a belt, in all that time, I can't remember ever having to use one.
Yrs ago it was simple, look at the belt and toss one on when it started to look used.
Timing belts where a bit different.

Royalty Auto service post had a blurb about checking belts and he had some plastic gauges to check the wear on the ribs of these.
He got them at trade shows and was bragging how good they where. I have never seen them, nor looked for them.
Same idea as the older v belt, if it wears down so it's riding at the bottom of the groove, need a new one, as it will slip and wear the pully out.

His theory was that is it has no wear on ribs and back not frayed, it's good.

 

[Curmudgeon]

For years I always kept a spare belt in the many trucks and some cars in case it needed a belt, in 70 + yrs of doing that ,I can't reamber ever having to use one.

Yeah, but that's because you already HAD one.

I haven't had a flat tire in 30 years in any of my vehicles. The company from which I retired would not put spares in any of the company owned vehicles. I was told it was because they wanted their people to call road assist and not attempt it themselves. Inherently dangerous or something.

I had 2 flat tires in one year.
Coincidence?
I think not.

 

[Marshall]

Yeah, but that's because you already HAD one.

I haven't had a flat tire in 30 years in any of my vehicles. The company from which I retired would not put spares in any of the company owned vehicles. I was told it was because they wanted their people to call road assist and not attempt it themselves. Inherently dangerous or something.

I had 2 flat tires in one year.
Coincidence?
I think not.

That's the way it is suppose to work, like having a good spare tire, but have a flat one or no spare, vg chance you will get a flat.
Where I was , if you needed road assist, min 2 hr during the day, at night????? never? I never tried it.
My 16 yr granddaughter changed a tire on the road for a middle aged lady one time .
The lady had no clue what to do, did not know where the spare was .
I can understand that as most never have to do it. I did one in on my 1995, last time I had a flat. Sorry it was not a belt.

 

[Curmudgeon]

Oh no, road assist on a company vehicle was awesome. I was on the clock until I was returned to my reporting location, where my personal vehicle was parked.
A simple flat tire could become 6 hours of overtime, easy money. Boring though, so I put the seat back and took a nap.

 

[Dean2]

I don't replace stuff that is still working fine. The idler and belt tensioner on my 1996 are original, so 30 years old and have 167,000 miles on them. The Serpentine belt I change at the first sign of a crack. It has had one belt change, and the current one has been on there 15 years and is still perfect. I can still change a belt no problem, but if I didn't want to, I have a great independent shop that would happily do it for me. I suggest that if the dealer isn't doing what you ask, you find a good Indy too.

 

[turkeybird56]

For years I always kept a spare belt in the many trucks and some cars in case it needed a belt, in all that time, I can't remember ever having to use one.
Yrs ago it was simple, look at the belt and toss one on when it started to look used.
Timing belts where a bit different.

Royalty Auto service post had a blurb about checking belts and he had some plastic gauges to check the wear on the ribs of these.
He got them at trade shows and was bragging how good they where. I have never seen them, nor looked for them.
Same idea as the older v belt, if it wears down so it's riding at the bottom of the groove, need a new one, as it will slip and wear the pully out.

His theory was that is it has no wear on ribs and back not frayed, it's good.

Called Murphy's Law. Better to be prepared than not. Which is why when I travel I carry a Lithium jump box, small tool box, carry my 3 ton bottle jack and also breaker bar and 6 Point 22MM socket. Just running local, not so much, just have breaker bar and 22MM perm in truck. But each to their own. I just do wat works for me.
(Serp Belt) not worried only 28K on truck.

 

[tap4154]

You better go look at your truck closer before you keep on commenting,the damn hose lays out in the open right beside the intake manifold,and just how clean does the outside of the intake manifold stay on the average truck. Man i'm really getting tired of your opinions with no real knowledge base to back it up,go crawl around your truck and start finding these things,before you go to chatgtp and come across looking a bit off the wall,btw google works better.

I don't use Chat GPT or any AI. It's all garbage. The picture of the breather tube going to the bell housing was from a Jaguar forum.

I found where the breather tube terminates, just under the cover, above the oil filter cap. It's just a rubber hose with a 90 degree barb fitting on it, pointing downward. If one wanted to, you could add some 3/8" hose and put a breather cap filter on it, or even some kind of motorcycle gas filter would probably work.

I still not never got an answer at what mileage your transmission failed, and if you ever did maintenance on it.

 

[Dusty]

I noticed that in the 1970 Dodge/Plymouth service manual the term "fill for life" occurs, perhaps for the first time. The 1962 Dodge/Fargo service manuals state a periodic transmission maintenance which includes changing the filter and refilling with new ATF.

In Group 0, Lubrication section, later truck manuals (1968-1983) contained the following statement: "It is important that the transmissions be given periodic adjustment, the fluid maintained at the prescribed level, and as required drained and refilled." This statement merely supports whatever the owners manual states for exact maintenance intervals based on engine and truck class (yes, I know these were different transmissions).

The 1970 Chrysler car service manuals state, "For vehicles operated under normal service conditions, the transmission fluid and filter will provide satisfactory lubrication and protection to the transmission. Therefore, periodic fluid changes are not required." There was an exception for 426 Hemi cars and anytime ATF was added to the factory fill which then required fluid/filter changes every 36,000 miles.

This is roughly the starting point of the belief ATF and transmissions would last forever, but this occurred in an era where the average vehicle life was <> 100,000 miles.

By 1977-78 the Chrysler car manuals categorized between normal service and "severe duty" with severe duty being described as taxi, police, commercial delivery, or operation in extremely hot and dusty environments, or used for towing. Using the same A727, trucks continued to require 36,000 mile fluid/filter changes (D100 - 400).

Newer truck manuals using the ZF transmissions usually state a difference between normal and severe duty. But this does not imply that in normal service the fluid can not become contaminated or that certain driving conditions won't produce excessive wear and clutch sediment. Of all the fluids found in todays cars and trucks, it seems that only when discussing transmission fluids is it assumed by some that the fluid never degrades or needs to be changed.

Regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Laramie Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33-gallon fuel tank, 18” wheels. Build Date: 3 June 2018. Now at 143398 miles.

 

[Wild one]

I don't use Chat GPT or any AI. It's all garbage. The picture of the breather tube going to the bell housing was from a Jaguar forum.

I found where the breather tube terminates, just under the cover, above the oil filter cap. It's just a rubber hose with a 90 degree barb fitting on it, pointing downward. If one wanted to, you could add some 3/8" hose and put a breather cap filter on it, or even some kind of motorcycle gas filter would probably work.

I still not never got an answer at what mileage your transmission failed, and if you ever did maintenance on it.

Truck had a little over 50,000 clics on it and was 4 years old,and up till i sold it,got yearly fluid swaps after i put a brand new transmission in it. I was one of the first guys to invest in the PPE pan way back in 18,also put one on the wifes 6.4 Challenger when it was a year old back in 2020 and it also got the fluid swapped a couple times.
I thought about putting a filter on the end of the breather tube on both,never got around to it though,before i sold both vehicles.Both never seen a gravel road or snow,and very little rain in the time i owned them.The car was the wifes daily driver during the summer,but the truck hardly ever got drove except on week-ends,it had just under 80,000 clics/50,000 miles on it when i sold it,and the wifes 2019 Challenger had 28,000 clics/17,000 miles on it.Sold both for alot more then i paid for them brand new As they were both toys that were easy to sell,as the Challenger was Dodges rare 1320 version,and the truck was a pretty little shortbox .The truck also spent most of it's life missing the front diff/front driveshaft and CV's,as i pulled them out when it was basically brand new,so it didn't even have the added weight of pulling around a front diff and cv's.
Looks like i finally got you off your a$$ and go look at your truck,from now on,you should do that before you start fishing up pictures that aren't revelent to a Mopar vehicle

 

[tap4154]

Truck had a little over 50,000 clics on it and was 4 years old,and up till i sold it,got yearly fluid swaps after i put a brand new transmission in it. I was one of the first guys to invest in the PPE pan way back in 18,also put one on the wifes 6.4 Challenger when it was a year old back in 2020 and it also got the fluid swapped a couple times.
I thought about putting a filter on the end of the breather tube on both,never got around to it though,before i sold both vehicles.Both never seen a gravel road or snow,and very little rain in the time i owned them.The car was the wifes daily driver during the summer,but the truck hardly ever got drove except on week-ends,it had just under 80,000 clics/50,000 miles on it when i sold it,and the wifes 2019 Challenger had 28,000 clics/17,000 miles on it.Sold both for alot more then i paid for them brand new As they were both toys that were easy to sell,as the Challenger was Dodges rare 1320 version,and the truck was a pretty little shortbox .The truck also spent most of it's life missing the front diff/front driveshaft and CV's,as i pulled them out when it was basically brand new,so it didn't even have the added weight of pulling around a front diff and cv's.
Looks like i finally got you off your a$$ and go look at your truck,from now on,you should do that before you start fishing up pictures that aren't revelent to a Mopar vehicle

Still not sure about your answer. You say it had 50,000 clics, whatever that is, I assume miles, and is that when the transmission failed? Were you doing fluid changes before the transmission failed? By the way I'm 71 years old and still go out and install built-in ovens and over range microwaves, in fact I did two last Saturday, so getting off my a$$ is a daily venture. My truck is not a pavement princess, it's actually a work truck, though I use it for personal driving as well.

 

[Wild one]

Still not sure about your answer. You say it had 50,000 clics, whatever that is, I assume miles, and is that when the transmission failed? Were you doing fluid changes before the transmission failed? By the way I'm 71 years old and still go out and install built-in ovens and over range microwaves, in fact I did two last Saturday, so getting off my a$$ is a daily venture. My truck is not a pavement princess, it's actually a work truck, though I use it for personal driving as well.

Clics is short for Kilometers dude,you hang around long enough,you'll finally figure that out,but at 71 you might take awhile ,as you don't seem very quick on the uptake You should have been able to figure that out from what i posted,if you were a little quicker on the uptake,as i posted both alittle bit farther into the post
It didn't start getting yearly fluid changes till after i had to put a brand new transmission in it,as i figured it's a hell'va lot easier and cheaper to service the transmission then it is to install a new one.
I could care less whether you change fluid or service your transmission or not,but don't think the fluid doesn't degrade in it,because you're not abusing the transmission,hence why ZF reconmends changing it every 8 years whether or not you're at the milege reconmendations,the additives do deplete with just age

 

[turkeybird56]

Still not sure about your answer. You say it had 50,000 clics, whatever that is, I assume miles, and is that when the transmission failed? Were you doing fluid changes before the transmission failed? By the way I'm 71 years old and still go out and install built-in ovens and over range microwaves, in fact I did two last Saturday, so getting off my a$$ is a daily venture. My truck is not a pavement princess, it's actually a work truck, though I use it for personal driving as well.

Clicks, Kilometers. Wild is in Canada. 50,000K === 31,069 miles. U multiply K's by .621, but I was in Europe for 10 years and a quick way was to just multiply by "6" get you in the ballpark.

Convert kph to mph

Instant free online tool for kilometer/hour to mile/hour conversion or vice versa. The kilometer/hour [km/h] to mile/hour [mi/h] conversion table and conversion steps are also listed. Also, explore tools to convert kilometer/hour or mile/hour to other speed units or learn more about speed...

www.unitconverters.net

 

[tap4154]

Clics is short for Kilometers dude,you hang around long enough,you'll finally figure that out,but at 71 you might take awhile ,as you don't seem very quick on the uptake You should have been able to figure that out from what i posted,if you were a little quicker on the uptake,as i posted both alittle bit farther into the post
It didn't start getting yearly fluid changes till after i had to put a brand new transmission in it,as i figured it's a hell'va lot easier and cheaper to service the transmission then it is to install a new one.
I could care less whether you change fluid or service your transmission or not,but don't think the fluid doesn't degrade in it,because you're not abusing the transmission,hence why ZF reconmends changing it every 8 years whether or not you're at the milege reconmendations,the additives do deplete with just age

So I may old and be slow on the uptake, but it seems to me that if your tranny failed at only 50K kilometers (aka 31K miles) you got a lemon. Then you blamed the fluid instead of the lemon tranny, and after getting the new tranny, began unnecessarily doing annual ATF changes.

They say trannies are like a box of chocolates, and sometimes you get one with a bug in it...