What are the most likely Donor vehicles for the A 500 4 speed automatic?

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My 91 A518/RH46 is a non lock up. Haven't found a A500 non lockup.
A guy on here came up with a relay setup to control the lock up. Can't remember his handle.
 
Is there an economical way to control a RE trans, in a vehicle that did not come factory with the trans?
 
The RE units are everywhere. The yards are full of them. I have a fairly fresh RE44 in my now totaled 97 Dakota.
 
moparmarks said:
Hey Greg. I'm looking for a couple 500 or 518 units. I had a A518 out of my 91 van that a sold to my friend a few years ago for his 70 Cuda vert. Now I wish that I would kept it. That unit was a 2 wire meaning no lock-up converter. I pickup a A500 and an A518 but both are 3-wire using as lock-up converter. I'd rather had the 2-wire units. I found a couple 91 vans in a yard this weekend but one was not an OD the there was an A500 3-wire which I already have so I didn't get it.
Keep checking to pick a part yards for 88-91 vans and 2-wd trucks. You can snag one for under 200.00 with the convertor. They are getting harder to find.
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Why are you so fixated on a non-lockup? locking the convertor means you can use a loose convertor and at the point the convertor locks it doesn't matter.... The convertor stops slipping which wastes fuel and creates heat in the trans... If you don't want it locked don't energize the convertor lock up circuit....

And BTW they only made the A500 as a lockup... So, better gear ratios and a lockup... All the good stuff...
 
Just having to control the lock up is all. Yup a lock up will lower the rpm by around 200-300 rpm. The tranny guys that I've talked to said driving a lock up converter un- locked up on the highway for a while will burn up the converter. Just what I've been told. I'm not a tranny guy.
I have a A500 for my 78 D100 and a A518 with the Ulta BB bell housing and new converter for my 72 Satellite. Both are lock ups. The A500 will be going behind a 360 so I need the conversion flex plate or a A500 lock up converter balanced for my 360. Ya the A500 has a lower first gear which is find by me
Good to know on the A500 only being a lock up.
 
moparmarks said:
Just having to control the lock up is all. Yup a lock up will lower the rpm by around 200-300 rpm. The tranny guys that I've talked to said driving a lock up converter un- locked up on the highway for a while will burn up the converter. Just what I've been told. I'm not a tranny guy.
I have a A500 for my 78 D100 and a A518 with the Ulta BB bell housing and new converter for my 72 Satellite. Both are lock ups. The A500 will be going behind a 360 so I need the conversion flex plate or a A500 lock up converter balanced for my 360. Ya the A500 has a lower first gear which is find by me
Good to know on the A500 only being a lock up.
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I've got the schematic mentioned earlier to automatically control O/D & L/U... Unfortunately it's on my other computer that's mostly died.. Occasionally I can get it to wake up & give me info... I'll try & if successful I'll post what I have...
 
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moparmarks said:
The tranny guys that I've talked to said driving a lock up converter un- locked up on the highway for a while will burn up the converter. Just what I've been told. I'm not a tranny guy.
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That’s not true.
Otherwise everyone that towed with an A500 that followed the manufacturer’s instructions for towing would have burned up their converter.

Manufacturer instructs not towing in lockup.
 
moparmarks said:
A 97 with have an RE unit. Any 5.2 or 5.9 Magnum will have the RE. The later roller LA motors will have the RH unit so 92 or 93 depending if a LA or Magnum is the last year for the RH.
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moparmarks said:
I also found a 93 van but it had a 5.2 Magnum with the RE44
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Sorry, late to the game, but figured I would clarify this just in case it helps someone.

The RE did not start with the Magnum motors. All OBD1 Magnums use the RH, so '95 down. The RE did not start until the OBD2 Magnums which are '96+.

The OBD1 motors use a SBEC which controls OD and LU, but nothing else. The OBD2 motors used the JTEC which controls all the gear changes, not just OD and LU.
 
moparmarks said:
I though that someone was making a PCU control for the RE units.
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sireland67 said:
That would be very nice. Does anybody have a link?
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67Dart273 said:
Only ones I know of are over a grand, which is why I suggested the TransGo mvb kit
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Holley sells a harness for their Terminator X Max PCM.

Holley EFI 558-473 Holley EFI Transmission Control Harness - Chrysler 46RE

If your HEMI swap project is using a Chrysler 46RE Transmission, commonly found in 1996-2003 Dodge Ram - Dakota, or Durango V8 trucks, you can finally control your transmission through the Terminator X MAX ECU. Keep in mind, the 46RE has a mechanically controlled 1-2 and 2-3 shift, meaning you...
www.holley.com www.holley.com

Way over $1000 by the time you buy the controller, and no idea if you could run it without running EFI.

This one is new to me. Claims to fully control an RE, but needs VSS and TPS

E-Trans Control

www.e-transcontrol.com www.e-transcontrol.com

This one looks like a clone? Or maybe they are both clones?

etranscontrol.com

TCM-440 Kit - E-TransControl, LLC

46RE Manual, 47RE Manual shift, 42RE full manual, 46RE controller
etranscontrol.com etranscontrol.com

I remember finding another one years ago that was listed for the 47/48RE (diesel) but sure seems like it would work for a 42/46RE.
 
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I'll second 96 as the changeover year.

IIRC PATC sells controllers but the RE controller is EXPENSIVE.
 
DionR said:
Sorry, late to the game, but figured I would clarify this just in case it helps someone.

The RE did not start with the Magnum motors. All OBD1 Magnums use the RH, so '95 down. The RE did not start until the OBD2 Magnums which are '96+.

The OBD1 motors use a SBEC which controls OD and LU, but nothing else. The OBD2 motors used the JTEC which controls all the gear changes, not just OD and LU.
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I thought so too but why did this 93 have an RE?
 
moparmarks said:
I thought so too but why did this 93 have an RE?
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How do you know it was an RE?

If it was, best guess is someone was doing or did an OBD2 swap on it. There simply isn’t anything to control it otherwise, the SBEC has absolutely nothing beyond OD and LU. Or they were running a full manual VB.
 
TrailBeast said:
That’s not true.
Otherwise everyone that towed with an A500 that followed the manufacturer’s instructions for towing would have burned up their converter.

Manufacturer instructs not towing in lockup.
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That makes sense. I always towed in OD myself.
DionR said:
How do you know it was an RE?

If it was, best guess is someone was doing or did an OBD2 swap on it. There simply isn’t anything to control it otherwise, the SBEC has absolutely nothing beyond OD and LU. Or they were running a full manual VB.
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Had the big multi-pin connecter, not the 2 or 3 pin and no mech K/D. Looked to be a pretty stock plain jane van. I have a few RE's and a couple RH's so I do know the difference. I'm always looking for RH 2-pins. Getting really hard to find. Keep finding 3- pins.
 
That day in two yards I found a 91 van with a 727, a 91 van with a A500 3-pin and that 93 with the RE. Was really wanting an A518 2-pin. My 91 B300 van had a A518 2-pin.
DionR what is the difference between an A500 and a RH44? Same with the A518 and RH46? Is the A518 a 2-pin and the RH46 a 3-pin?
 
I tow with OD/LU but I manually engage the switch when at a stable RPM, and disengage when decelerating.

177,000 miles and trans never serviced.
 
moparmarks said:
DionR what is the difference between an A500 and a RH44? Same with the A518 and RH46? Is the A518 a 2-pin and the RH46 a 3-pin?
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Name only. They changed the nomenclature about '91(?) to better indicate what the transmission was.

4 - number of forward gears
2 - torque capacity
R - Rear wheel drive
H - Hydraulic control

Based on that, makes sense that an 46RH matches up with the A518 since the "6" indicates a greater torque capacity over a 42RH which is an A500. There is also a 47R_ and 48R_, not sure if they are "E" only nor if they bolt to a 5.9 since (I think) they are diesel only.

The "E" means they changed to an electronic governor control. Functionally, it removed the weights (governor) in the tail housing and the PCM monitors hydraulic pressure in the governor circuit and controls a solenoid to cause the pressure to rise as required.

BTW, I've gone looking to find out if there is a 43RH/43RE or 44RH/44RE, but never found anything conclusive. Maybe it is a Grand Cherokee trans? Not sure. Either way, I thing the generally excepted nomenclature is 42RH or 42RE.

Not sure on the 2 pin and 3 pin thing. I wouldn't be surprised if a 46RH is always a 3 pin, but an A518 could be either. But that is only based on the idea that by '91 when the nomenclature changed maybe they always had LU? No idea.
 
This post by @gdonovan has some interesting documentation.

www.forabodiesonly.com

42RH / A-500 in a Duster with pictures.

Take a look at a TH400 style setup, usually on the gas pedal.
www.forabodiesonly.com www.forabodiesonly.com

And he makes the point that to say an A500 and 42RH are the same transmission is bunk.

Functionally they are the same in that the case is the same size, they have the same gear ratios and number of gears, but the parts inside have been changed so that a later trans is maybe the better one to grab.
 
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