That converter number is probably RL051146AB, which IS the correct converter for a 5.7L truck (except the RT models). So I think you got the right one.

The Torque Converter Clutch (TCC) is a clutch inside the converter, which (when locked) eliminates any slippage within the converter (it connects the converter front cover [driven by the engine] directly to the trans input shaft). This improves your fuel economy. Unfortunately, it also transmits torsional vibrations from the engine to the driveline, so you'll hear more drones and low hums when your TCC is engaged. There is a damper (connected to the TCC), but it can't remove all the vibrations.

In MDS mode (where there are more torsional vibrations from the engine, since it's only running on 4 cylinders instead of 8), we partially engage the TCC, but don't fully lock it up. We let it slip at perhaps 30 RPM, which helps to reduce the vibrations transmitted to the driveline. If you tap the trans into ERS mode ("5"), MDS is disabled, and then the TCC will fully lock (at high enough speeds).

So the goal (of the TCC) is to obtain the best fuel economy. The downside is that it transmits more of the engine vibrations into the driveline.

 

That converter number is probably RL051146AB, which IS the correct converter for a 5.7L truck (except the RT models). So I think you got the right one.

The Torque Converter Clutch (TCC) is a clutch inside the converter, which (when locked) eliminates any slippage within the converter (it connects the converter front cover [driven by the engine] directly to the trans input shaft). This improves your fuel economy. Unfortunately, it also transmits torsional vibrations from the engine to the driveline, so you'll hear more drones and low hums when your TCC is engaged. There is a damper (connected to the TCC), but it can't remove all the vibrations.

In MDS mode (where there are more torsional vibrations from the engine, since it's only running on 4 cylinders instead of 8), we partially engage the TCC, but don't fully lock it up. We let it slip at perhaps 30 RPM, which helps to reduce the vibrations transmitted to the driveline. If you tap the trans into ERS mode ("5"), MDS is disabled, and then the TCC will fully lock (at high enough speeds).

So the goal (of the TCC) is to obtain the best fuel economy. The downside is that it transmits more of the engine vibrations into the driveline.

I confirmed on the work order and with the dealer that the converter they installed was R8051146AB. What application is this converter for?
The vibrations that I'm experiencing since the converter was relaced are not the typical torsional vibrations that these trucks get in moving to MDS. I would describe them like driving on a section of grooved pavement for a few seconds at 100 km/hr, it shakes the whole truck.

 

Hey Wilky70, I hope you see this reply and can give me some good news of what happended with your truck. I am glad I found this thread cause I am in the same exact boat as you!

I had the famous torque converter rattle on my 2010 and after 2 attemps of trying to get it replaced I finally found a dealer that heard the noise and I dropped off the truck last week to have the converter replaced under the Star Case# S1121000005. I was so happy this was finally being taken care of and couldn't wait to get my truck back.

Well after a long week with them having the truck to replace the torque converter, I am now having the same exact issue as you. The rattle of the old converter is so far gone, but I now have this shutter and vibration exactly how you describe. At its worst, the vibration in the truck is like driving over the ribs on the shoulder of a highway. I also looked at my receipt and yep you guessed it, I have the same part number listed next to the new converter, R8051146AB. After finally finding someone to get this issue fixed and then having it take a week with a service dept that is open 24hrs a day, to say that I am pissed and frustrated is an understatment.

Please tell me that you/dealer have since figured out what the shutter and vibration was and have had it successfully fixed? To have the dealer turn around and now say that this is normal and is the MDS and to just shut off the MDS if I want it to go away and there is nothing else they can do is UNACCEPTABLE! The truck never did this before it went in last week and there has got to be something now wrong!

Please give me some good news wilky70! Also if there is anyone else with any knowledge or opinions on these issues please feel free to reply!

 

subscribed............

 

Thanks for the reply RamRzr,

So it was the R8051146AB torque converter causing the shudder and vibration and the RL051146AB one fixed it? I wasn't sure if it was this converter or the trans but the more I think about it, it probably is the converter like you described as I feel like it happens at time when the converter is trying to unlock.

I am going to print this thread out and take it with me to show the dealer this R8051146AB converter has caused similar issues with others. thanks again

 

"get a programmer to turn off mds"

Is he going to give you the secret code to bust into your computer too?

:4-dontknow:

 

My truck had the drone/rattle/frisbee across the ground sound since day 1. Never affected drivability, no vibration, just the noise which drove me crazy. Since I hit 34k miles, I brought it in to the dealer before my warranty was up. They did the software update and gave it back to me. Nope. Brought it back a couple of days later, gave them the Star Case #, and they replaced the TC. Everything was right with the world. Or so I thought. 1 day later I 'm on the highway and all of a sudden there's this shudder. I thought I had drifted over to the rumble strips. But it happened again in the center lane. After a while I realized it would do it right around 1800 rpm/65 mph between load/no load. I figured it was a bad TC or install, but then I noticed it didn't do it if MDS was off, although without MDS there was a (milder) shudder at low speeds.
I could kick myself for bringing it in in the first place. The original TC was a little noisy but ran fine. This is not a little vibration, its a full-bore shuddering vibration, just like driving over those stay-awake rumble strips at LOW SPEED!
I said to my wife before I first brought the truck in, I hope I'm not making a mistake.......

 

CRAP, I got the same thing. First TC had the drone/Frisbee sound then that got replaced next had a whistle whenever the truck was in Park or Neutral, ended up being a tranny pump, allegedly, but the TC was replaced as well. Now i have the rumble strip issue. Just got new tires ordered because I thought that may have been it but rumble strip sound just stayed. So Monday I'll be knocking at the Dealers door with this thread in hand!! Thanks for the heads up on this.

 

I'll be interested in what they say.

 

Anyone get any good news?

 

2 TC's, second was remanufactured unit. fixed the frisbee rattle. Then had the heavy shudder. Also had 3-4 resets/updates due to gettingstuck in 4th gear limp mode. The last time the dealer said they installed a new valve body. Seems fine now.

I do get the ever so slight gringing feeling in the accelerator pedal at about the same speeds (25-35 mph) that others have reported, but not enought to go ripping the thing apart again. 8500 mi, 2011, new last Aug.

 

Well, I have only had my truck back for 2 weeks and was gonna wait a little longer to respond but here it goes. Truck went back in 3.5 weeks ago for the second time to replace the TC. The same re-manufactured TC was ordered again and this time they said they were told by the Dodge engineers to replace the front trans pump and do a trans service too. After being at the dealer for 7 days, I got it back about 2 weeks ago. So far it is definitly driving better then the first time I had the TC replaced. I think in these 2 weeks I have had it back I might have felt a quick vibration a few times but nothing like the first replacement. Not enough to bring it back for a 3rd time yet. I would get a bad vibration 2 or 3 times a day before. I am not 100% convinced yet the problem is totally gone, gonna give it more time, but it is better. Sometimes I feel like I am babying the truck some now cause I don't want to have to go through this problem again! I just wish I could feel confident in these parts they are using, but I don't. Oh well, It is better the second time around but the jury is still out as I want to put more miles on it.

 

Thanks for the replies. I'm bringing mine back in next week. I hope I don't get the "everythings fine" line because they couldn't reproduce it on their quick test drive.

 

Subscribed. My Ram is doing this EXACT thing, and the converter was replaced under warranty with the re-manned one. 28k miles today, repair was done at 26,500.

This will be one of those things that is VERY hard to pin down, because mine does not do it consistently at all.

 

I sent an email to the Service Director for my dealership. He is the guy that helped me initially. If anyone wants details as to what I wrote, PM me. I prefer to keep it off the boards as my dealer has been totally phenomenal with all of my service/repair needs and there is no reason to put them on blast over this. I don't honestly think this is the truck's fault, or the dealer's. Its a flaw that needs to be solved at a level much higher than that.

As far as those of you concerned with re-manned converters vs new, I got the re-manned converter as well and I am having the issue. First converter I just had the noise. They replaced it, the noise went away, now I have the shudder. After about 1k miles the noise came back as well. So now I have the shudder and noise. I will give the dealer a chance to rectify before I decide where to go from here.

 

Got a call from Steve, the service manager. He asked if I wanted them to send a tow truck to get the Ram, I said no, I can drive it there and take you for a spin, so you can see what its doing.

We were on the ride not even 5 minutes, he said "I wish you would have brought this in sooner, this is definitely not right. Let me put my best tech on it and we will see what we come up with. Meanwhile, we will put you in a rental" (free).

10 minutes later I am in a '13 Dodge Caravan on my way home. I get a call from the Service Director, Eric. He apologized for the inconvenience and told me if they could not figure it out this time, they will put me in an Identical 2013 for zero additional cost.

Let's hope they can't fix it...them '13's are SAWEET!

 

Oops! I just started a thread on this same problem before I found search.
But my 2010 is doing this shudder now and I am really ticked off...don't know what to do....it's going in tomorrow while still under warranty but I don't want a truck that I have to worry about all the time. Damn! I had such good luck with my '04

 

Update from me. Dealer did the driveability update, seemed to solve the problem they said. I got on the interstate and gave it till I got back to the base (about 10 miles). It CONSISTENTLY made the shudder happen at highway speeds whenever the throttle was released and pressed again. I turned around and went right back to the Dealer. Talked to Steve (Service Manager) and he and the tech came for a ride.

The tech felt it immediately and when we returned to the dealer, he emailed STAR and Chrysler. Tech apologized for not understanding what the complaint was on the Work order, they did not mention a shudder initially, only a nudging sensation. And he would recommend replacement of the converter a second time based off the test drive. Steve called me this morning and told me they placed a NEW torque converter (not re-manned) on order and will call me when the part comes in. This will be converter number 3.

For those with the noise who want their converter replaced because its annoying, I would recommend living with the noise...LOL what a hassle. At least my dealer is being fantastic about it, that makes the whole exprience much easier to live with.

Also, for those wondering, 2 converters, 3 rental cars, and several hours of diagnosis has all been free of charge so far.

 

Well, my Dodge is getting a new torque converter on weds....fingers crossed.
First I was told that they have never heard of this, then it was "well, it's only happened in a small # of trucks".

 

Well, I got the new converter installed on Thursday, service manager dropped the truck off at my house, truck sat all weekend and when I drove it to the job today the damn thing still shudders. They said they got it about 90% fixed and the converter just needs to break in. I figure its about 30% better and as for the break in, I can understand that but the truck has the exact same problem that I took it in for, so how is breaking it in going to make it go away. I'm starting to HATE this truck. Huge regret!

 

ODD look at your work order paperwork...can you tell us what part numbr wan on the converter they pu in? im betting it was remanned.

 

Ok folks, good news all around. First, I got a call at around 130pm today saying that my Ram was ready.

My service manager assured me that he drove it himself at highway speeds and the problem was indeed fixed. I took the rental back to enterprise, got a ride up to Tacoma Dodge, and had a chat with Steve M, my service manager. While we were talking, Steve got an email from STAR:

Dealerships are wasting too much labor time and money replacing converters on 2009 and up Ram 1500's. We are issuing a mandate that all service departments order Part # RL051146AB instead of Part #R8051146AB when replacing converters on any Ram 1500 made between 1 September 2008 and 1 September 2011. The re-manufactured converters have an internal flaw that occurs in the rebuilding process. As such it is mandatory that all converters that are replaced in the year range specified be replaced with all-new parts using the part numbers provided. Any model year 2012 and higher Ram 1500's have a different converter and therefore should be unaffected.

This is to ensure the satisfaction of the customer, the quality of our products and the reputation of dealer service departments. It just works out better all around for everyone. We are working very closely with the powers-that-be right now to issue a TSB regarding this matter, So be sure to look for it in the coming weeks. Thank you.


Sincerely,

Mike XXXXXXX
-Director Dealer/Service Relations.

So, there you have it folks.

For what its worth, after a 40 mile drive tonight, my truck is fit as a fiddle. It now drives like it cost $42,000.

 

Ok folks, good news all around. First, I got a call at around 130pm today saying that my Ram was ready.

My service manager assured me that he drove it himself at highway speeds and the problem was indeed fixed. I took the rental back to enterprise, got a ride up to Tacoma Dodge, and had a chat with Steve M, my service manager. While we were talking, Steve got an email from STAR:




So, there you have it folks.

For what its worth, after a 40 mile drive tonight, my truck is fit as a fiddle. It now drives like it cost $42,000.

Armyofone
It has been a week now and I would like an update on your truck. They put one of the remans in mine at 10k and mine was no different than before. You also speak of hwy speeds, did it not do it at low rpm city driving?

 

Thanks ArmyofOne, that is great news as I have been putting it off simply because I hated the idea of them tearing into my tranny only to have it turn out the same or worse. I look forward to the TSB.. You the man...

 

We found the problem with my tranny.
.Turns out I got water in it when I rescued a Ford.
Lesson learned.....let the Ford sink

 

so would the consensus be that if you just have the drone, live with it?

 

Until (if?) they issue a TSB, I would say yes.