While the 68RFE transmission has been a far superior transmission to any of the previous offerings from Dodge, its shortfalls have ultimately reared their ugly heads. On top of this, the 68RFE is heavily computer controlled, which means that when stall rates and other necessary items are upgraded, the factory computer gets which can lead to the immediate demise of what should have been an upgraded transmission. The professionals at ATS have determined how to properly upgrade the 68RFE to ensure its longevity under any circumstances.
ATS started RD in 2007.5 and spent countless man hours and resources re-designing and strengthening the platform. This began with building their Five Star converter for the transmission. It features a billet cover, five square tab lock-up clutches, billet stator, furnace brazed impeller, billet piston and HD bearings - all stalled to the Cummins torque curve. Capable of handling 2500 ft/lbs of torque, this torque converter will handle whatever is thrown at it.
The ATS Stage 2 68RFE Package is designed for stock up to 650 rear wheel horsepower.
STAGE 2 TRANSMISSION DETAILS:
ATS has developed a combined technology utilizing recalibration of the hydraulic circuits inside the transmission, including revamped accumulator rates, reprogramed clutch to clutch apply and release timings, and line pressure rise rate to perfectly match the torque output of the engine. These enhancements, along with other key hydraulic modifications which ATS makes, must be done to ensure the clutch packs have the correct apply and release rates when commanded on or off. As well, the transmission hard parts have many limiting weaknesses which do not allow for increased power levels over stock. Specifically, the light duty shafts and hubs, and the low one-way sprag; these hard part weaknesses must be addressed. Some of the areas that are addressed by ATS to complete the performance transmission upgrade package are listed below, starting at the front of the transmission working towards the back.
Pump Assembly:
The
Torque converter regulator valve has been redesigned to prevent over
pressure and ballooning of the converter, along with regulating minimum
converter charge for proper cooling and lubrication of the transmission
gear set. This redesign also eliminates the common problematic valve and
bore wear that is usually the first cause of high mileage transmission
failure. The main pressure regulator circuit is modified to enable a
broader range of pressure that can be commanded from the TCM. This
allows the pump to lower line pressure when the engine is at low loads
and more responsively raise pressure above stock to react with increased
engine torque and horse power levels.
Rotating Clutch Drum Assembly and Clutch Packs:
Clutch
modifications are generally one of the most impactive and important
items that can be upgraded in any transmission. In the case of the 68RFE
transmission, there is little room for additional clutches, so
modifications must be done to pressure plates, providing increased
clutch surfaces. The clutch packs that are increased surface area listed
below:
- The Under Drive (Forward) clutch pack surface area is increased by 21%, using single sided clutch plates.
- The
Over Drive clutch pack surface area is increased by 17%, also using
single sided clutch plates, this allows for better clutch control when
overdrive is used at higher power levels.
- The 2C clutch pack surface area is increased by 34%, using double sided frictions.
- The 4C clutch pack surface area is increased by 34%, using double sided frictions.
The
weak mechanical low one-way sprag is replaced with a stronger roller
clutch design that used a "cam and roller" system. The factory low sprag
not only has a very weak torque capacity, but it also fails from lack
of proper lubrication. The stronger low roller clutch design used by ATS
prevents the higher mileage failures associated with the sprag-type
clutch. Although the new "cam and roller" low roller clutch design is
much stronger, it still has limitations; the Co-Pilot transmission
controller (only included with Three and Five Year Warranty Options)
contains a direct function to route power around the mechanical clutch
when extreme power levels are sensed.
Valve Body:
The
valve body is considered the nervous system of the transmission; the
valve body is responsible for converting the electrical signals from the
TCM into hydraulic actions. The 68RFE uses a non-synchronous,
clutch-to-clutch design. This means that the shifts from gear to gear
must be timed perfectly, thereby releasing and applying a friction
clutch to achieve a flawless shift. Because of the sensitivity of the
hydraulic circuits, ATS heavily modified many areas of the valve body.
Hydraulic oil flow is ported to certain clutch packs where additional
pressure is needed. The accumulator piston seals have been redesigned to
ensure hydraulic pressure integrity. The accumulator plate is made of
high-grade material to compensate for the additional pressure that the
accumulator pistons and springs exert during heavy power situations.
Also, the ATS 68RFE valve body can be purchased separately and installed
in a stock transmission for increased transmission capacity.
Shafts:
There
are three shafts in the 68RFE that are of some concern. The forward
hub/shaft, Intermediate hub/shaft and the input shaft. The forward
hub/shaft is reinforced to eliminate breakage. The Intermediate
hub/shaft is reinforced to eliminate breakage. The input shaft is
standard equipment on the Stage 2 transmission packages and is made made
from 300M billet material just like ATS' 47RE and 48RE shafts.
Case and Pan:
The
main transmission case does not require a lot of conditioning aside
from a few small hydraulic modifications to allow for proper oil flow.
At higher power levels the transmission case does need to be
strengthened. This is a simple fix that is taken care of with the
included heavy duty transmission pan, which was designed in part to act
as a girdle, thus eliminating flex in the case. The large oversized pan
also provides for an additional five quarts of ATF allowing the
transmission to run cooler.
1 Year/100,000 Mile Warranty Package Details:
Package Includes:
- ATS 68RFE Transmission Assembly
- ATS 68RFE 5 Star Torque Converter
- ATS 68RFE Deep Transmission Pan
- ATS 68RFE Transmission Case Brace
- ATS 68RFE Billet Channel Plate Valve Body Assembly
- ATS 68RFE Billet Pump Assembly w/ Oversized Pump Gears
- ATS 68RFE Billet Input Shaft
3 Year/300000 Mile Warranty Package Details:
Package Includes:
- ATS 68RFE Transmission Assembly
- ATS 68RFE 5 Star Torque Converter
- ATS 68RFE Deep Transmission Pan
- ATS 68RFE Transmission Case Brace
- ATS 68RFE Billet Channel Plate Valve Body Assembly
- ATS 68RFE Billet Pump Assembly w/ Oversized Pump Gears
- ATS 68RFE Billet Input Shaft
- ATS 68RFE Co-Pilot Tow Edition
5 Year/500,000 Mile Warranty Package Details:
Package Includes:
- ATS 68RFE Transmission Assembly
- ATS 68RFE 5 Star Torque Converter
- ATS 68RFE Deep Transmission Pan
- ATS 68RFE Transmission Case Brace
- ATS 68RFE Billet Channel Plate Valve Body Assembly
- ATS 68RFE Billet Pump Assembly w/ Oversized Pump Gears
- ATS 68RFE Billet Input Shaft
- ATS 68RFE Co-Pilot Tow Edition
SHIPPING POLICY - PLEASE READ - Due to the size and weight of transmissions, they cannot be shipped through traditional couriers, such as UPS, FedEx, USPS, etc. and MUST be shipped via truck freight. For this reason, we cannot offer free shipping on transmissions. However, we do offer the option to pay for return shipping up front. If you select this option once your core transmission is ready to be picked up, you just need to give us a call with your original order number and the core tag on the transmission, and we'll take care of the rest. As always, if you have any questions, give us a call or send us an e-mail.
ATS 68RFE Package Stage Comparison
Stage 1 | Stage 2 | Stage 3 | |
---|---|---|---|
Horsepower Rating ⓘ | 500 hp | 650 hp | 800 hp |
ATS 68RFE Transmission | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Five-Star Torque Converter | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Deep Pan Transmission Pan | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Transmission Case Brace | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Billet Pump Assembly | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Billet Channel Plate Valve Body | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Billet Accumulator Pistons | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Upgraded Accumulator Plate | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Billet Input Shaft | ✅ | ✅ | |
Billet HD Overdrive Clutch Drum | ✅ | ||
ATS Co-Pilot Tow Edition | Available* ⓘ | Available* ⓘ | Available* ⓘ |
*ATS Co-Pilot® Transmission Controller included with 3 and 5-year warranties only.
Specifications
- ManufacturerATS Diesel Performance
- MPN309-624-2380 | 309-622-2380 | 309-626-2380 | 309-623-2380 | 309-627-2380 | 309-625-2380
- This transmission kit has 3 different
warranty options to select from. If you select the NO Co-Pilot option,
you will have a 1 year 100,000 mile warranty on the transmission. The
two options with the Co-Pilot will either consist of a 3 year 300,000
mile warranty, or a 5 year 500,000 mile warranty. There is no differance
in transmission build between any of the transmission options, you are
just simply paying for a longer warranty term with the transmission and
addition of the Co-Pilot controller.
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