I wanted to share upgrades I’ve done to my 2018 Ram 3500 that make for a bulletproof 68rfe transmission. These upgrades are not terribly expensive, but well worth the investment to make these transmissions shift better, makes them solid, and makes them live.
Dodge made these 68rfe transmissions and the Aisen transmissions good, but they went cheap in the valve body’s, and that’s always the failure of these transmissions. So by going with a good quality zero flex valve body, like pictured below, it makes these transmissions, basically bulletproof!
RevMax is the brand I went with, and it is the most proven one I’ve found. There are other good ones out there, but it was RevMax for me and my Ram 3500.
As you can see in the pictures, this valve body is thick billet aluminum that will take the heat and stress without warping and allowing fluid to leak past, like the stock ones do. The pictures above are under my Ram 3500 looking up at the bottom of the transmission. The pictures below are after I installed the new RevMax deep oil pan.
This next picture is an absolute must on these 68rfe transmissions, as well as the Aisen to keep them cool. The factory line block looks like this one below, but it has a thermostat inside that is known for sticking and burning up the transmission. The RevMax block of mine below, is called the bypass block and it does not have a thermostat. So, the fluid goes straight through for better flow and no restrictions at all, which keeps these transmissions so much cooler.
If you have any questions about these parts, or the install, then reach out to me and I will help you out. If you want a better, more solid shifting 68rfe transmission, then this post and parts shown here, are for you.
Here is a really good step by step video of how to install a RevMax 68rfe high performance/HD Zero valve body in a 2018 Ram 3500. Check it out here on YouTube <~~. After filling with new ATF4 fluid and allowing to completely warm up and recheck to make sure it’s full, then I will use my Auto Agent programmer to do a quick relearn on the transmission, then it will be time to go for a test drive. The relearn allows the trucks computer to reset all of the clutches, just as if it were a new transmission.
One last thing, make sure you choose someone besides USPS to get your parts to you, or you may be waiting for a while. USPS is not reliable at all, and is always many days late!
Always do your best,
-Mike Pilcher
P.S. So several days after this post I’ve had time to drive my Ram 3500 and I wanted to share the results of this RevMax upgrade.
RevMax 68rfe Upgrade
My transmission shifts the best it ever has. It feels solid and no big shift hesitations like before. With the tune I have in my truck, it has the TCM tune, which is for the transmission, and has more line pressure (170#) to be exact. I’ve added a screen shot below of my current tune, which is the one I like the best, of all I’ve used thus far. This is shift on the fly tune (SOTF). I’ve also used the single tunes, which are very good tunes, but I prefer the SOTF because I can adjust my levels by the turn of a knob.
This next screen shot below is loaded and in cruise control with 89 to 90 degrees outdoors. You can see how much torque I’m making on this particular pull, engine RPM, MPH, you can see the boost it’s making at that pull, the transmission temp, and engine temp. This tune works very well, and it’s efficient. This load was around 8000#, not counting my truck, and I averaged 13.9 mpg. After I unhooked from this load and came back empty, my mileage went up to average 24.2 for the trip home.
Hit me up with any questions you may have. These tunes are the best I’ve ever used, and this company will modify if you want something (Custom) like I’ve asked for. You will see the word (Custom) in my tune. I always run mine on level 3, and I have 1 thru 5 on my tune knob. On level 3, my truck is very clean and does not blow black smoke, unless I’m loaded and really mash on it hard, and I mean really hard. See the screenshot of the different knob settings and horsepower of each.
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