AM53
Good Morning:
The top power steering hose has a swivel inside the metal connector. That swivel is made from a plastic "Teflon-Like" material that eventually falls apart and leaks. I took the leaking hoses into an Industrial Hose Shop and had them make new hoses (good for double the pressure the power steering pump is capable of) using the factory fittings.
I first tried the braided "Lifetime" hoses but couldn't get those to stop leaking (not during my Lifetime anyway
), and didn't like the feel of the steering afterwards. Those hoses were a smaller diameter and couldn't provide the same volume to and from the PS pump so the steering feel changed in a way I didn't like. A quick transient with the wheel back and forth caused a sort of snag (NO THANKS); and yes, the air was all out of the system.
The check-valve in the tranny cooler line can suffer a similar fate as that check-valve reacts to transmission fluid (nice going RAM guys).
Anyway the check-valve is supposed to prevent "drain-back" to the convertor which can leave the valve body short on fluid. After the vehicle has sat for a while and is started and the shifter moved from Park to Reverse or Drive, it can take "a while" for things to fill with fluid and the vehicle to actually start moving. The Check-Valve in the cooler line was (and did for the most part) prevent that delay.
Without any kind of Check-Valve in the cooler line (which I think is a good thing), a small modification is made to the valve body of the 48RE that performs the same function as the check valve.
So, talk to your transmission shop. IF they are familiar with the 48RE they should know what the modification is and what it does. Just ask them what they do to prevent drain-back and if they look at you like you have a third eye, tell them you are late for an appointment and drive to the next transmission shop. :>O
As far as a high-stall convertor goes, personally, I prefer an actual performance convertor over a modified (large and heavy) factory unit that is more suited to use in front of a diesel.
Uniformly bending fins over on a Turbine and Pump in what amounts to a giant Blender (your Convertor) is easier said than done and the unit will still lack a performance Stator, Thrust Bearing and Overdrive Lockup.
There are several shift-kits available. They all work about the same (with the 1-2 shift being the harshest under wide open throttle). The idea is to increase line-pressure and delay the time the transmission is in (2) gears at once. This is supposed to provide a smooth shift but in a performance application, you want it to happen fast to delay transmission friction material's wear and tear.
It would be a good idea to remind them to get the shift-kit for the 48RE (Viper engine) and NOT for the old truck V-10. They are NOT the same kit and it will create problems for you/them.
There, some Sunday Morning ramblings on a Tuesday.
Ronnie