Mark Hofmann wrote to Roy Witt:

 RW>> Don't forget your mechanic's coveralls...

 MH> Those would be my ripped old jeans and old shirt.  And did I get
 MH> messy! The weather wasn't exactly nice.  Foggy, damp and in the low
 MH> 40s. Everything was wet.

Of course. Otherwise you wouldn't remember the joy in working on cars in
winter. 8^)

 RW>> If you have to remove the valve body, be careful how you handle it.
 RW>> There are (in GM trans) rubber balls that act like valves that can't
 RW>> be lost or moved without affecting the way the trans operates. Just
 RW>> a heads up, in case you decide to tackle it without the exact
 RW>> process in hand.

 MH> Thanks for the tip.  The "solenoid pack" on the 45RFE transmission
 MH> for the 4.7 4x4 Durango is on the top of the value body.  You can see
 MH> the connector facing upwards when looking at the transmission.  It is
 MH> screwed on the top of the value body.

I found a cut-a-way view of the 45RFE here:

http://www.allpar.com/mopar/transmissions/545RFE.html

Looks to me like the connector is behind where the valve body would be,
just like it is in a 700R4/4L60E GM trans. What was very interesting to
note was that a dual internal filter system (one which was a primary
filter for transmission sump, the other for the fluid cooler return
system) is present. Plus, I can see what looks like an external filter up
front. Changing all three filters and all of the fluid you can get out of
the trans might be something to consider before you have it rebuilt.

I once let the engine in my 72 Cheyenne idle with the AC on while Dove
hunting in the desert. It was 110F outside. That incident tended to
overheat the trans, which burnt up the fluid. With burnt fluid, the
clutches refused to engage 3rd (TH350 trans), kicking in and out of gear.
I changed out the fluid and the trans returned to normal, but the life of
the clutches was shortened a bit. The trans fluid change got me over the
mountains and back to San Diego. About six months later I had the trans
exchanged for a rebuilt.

 MH> I have been having second thoughts about the repair.  Mainly because
 MH> I'm not 100% sure that my repair will fix the issue.  There is a good
 MH> chance, but not 100%.  It still could be the torque converter itself.
 MH> Spending $200 for a new solenoid pack, plus filters, trans fluid,
 MH> gasket, time spent, etc vs. an entire overhaul with two year
 MH> warranty.  Not to mention the possibility of me screwing it up.

With 155k miles on it, you might be right. If you plan on keeping it for
another 100k...

 MH> Speaking of repairs - I managed to replace the pressure line and
 MH> return line on the power steering this weekend...almost.  I was on
 MH> the last part - removing the clamp & hose from the resevoir on the
 MH> pump.

 MH> Then there was a snap..  Damn plastic resevoir end broke off.  No
 MH> problem, right - just get a new resevoir.  There are not to be found
 MH> - and different in the 4.7L than the hemis.

Plastic! I've seen plastic resevoirs on Jeep (and now GM) cooling systems,
but never plastic on much else that contains essential fluids to keep a
vehicle on the road.

 MH> So I decided to order a new pump with pulley and resevoir from
 MH> AutoZone online.  There were the only ones that had the part, but it
 MH> was special order.  Looks like I will be finishing the repair next
 MH> weekend in my garage with the portable heater on.  Will also replace
 MH> the serpentine belt while I'm at it.

Put the vehicle and the heater in the garage the night before ... it's
easier to work on room-temperature cars than ice cold cars.

 MH> It doesn't even there.  I also noticed that the "loud noise" that my
 MH> wife was complaining about the last time she drove it was not the
 MH> power steering pump being low on fluid (which is normally the issue),
 MH> but was a broken CV axle.

LOL! Just like a woman...

 MH> Totally snapped in half.  The inner side of the axle is missing
 MH> completely and the outer is still in the hub with no boot.  Grease
 MH> all over the place.

Too bad you don't live in San Diego. There used to be a guy in the south
bay area that wore a scuba diver's wet suit and used a power washer to
clean the bottom of cars while they were on a lift.  He probably got EPA'd
out of business by now.

 MH> I ordered a CV axle as well, and will attempt that repair at the same
 MH> time. I have done wheel bearings before, so it is similar to that.
 MH> Just have to make sure the "C" clamp is seated on the inner.  Will
 MH> try to install without removing the wheel bearing, but the install
 MH> calls for doing that. Either way - I have air tools now to make my
 MH> job easier.

I think the procedure is a little more involved than just removing the
wheel beering. You'll probably have to remove the lower control arm too
or at least lower it by removing the lower ball joint.

         R\%/itt


--- GoldED+/W32 1.1.5-31012
 * Origin: Texas Lone-Star - Texan, American, USAian  (1:387/22)