SunCoast's Dodge series rebuild kits cover all years from 2007.5/2016 (kit part number dependent upon year/parts required). These kits utilize the latest proven friction materials and steel technology from industry leading companies such as Alto and Raybestos. SunCoast works directly with these companies to design and manufacture proprietary exclusive SunCoast product lines, giving the end user uncompromised quality throughout the entire transmission. SunCoast has designed these kits in house to exact specifications for many intents, including but not limited to towing, sled pulling, racing or having a vehicle to get from point A to point B. Along with these kits, SunCoast has a full line of billet single/triple disc torque converters ranging from 1800 stall to approximately 3000 RPM (manufactured in house). In addition the company has multiple Billet input shafts, oversized/stock aluminum drums (M3gaa Drum & JR drum) )SFI approved flex plates, SFI approved transmission jackets, and much more.
The 68RFE pump was the first problematic area that we addressed. Our engineers were able to determine the amount of clamping force needed to make the clutches hold. Unfortunately, the factory configuration is not capable of achieving this. Let's take a quick look at some key issues addressed:
Line Pressure:
The factory pump is not capable of producing enough line pressure, and it somehow bleeds off in all forward gears. SunCoast corrects this by modifying the factory pump to not only allow it to achieve "said" needed line pressure, but keep it from bleeding off as well. All of our 68RFE pumps are vacuum tested to verify that we have absolutely no cross leaks. Additionally, SunCoast has a custom PR valve that is inside the pump that we modify to help us reliably achieve needed line pressure. SunCoast also addresses the issue with the ballooning torque converter by revising the TC circuit and repairing the drain back issues that causes this. SunCoast has also redesigned the spring and recalibrated it for our specific needs. This circuit also receives a redesigned valve. SunCoast has also completely redesigned the separator plate. This separator plate is custom laser cut to ensure precision, accuracy, and of course, consistency. This new separator plate is very different from the factory, and it allows SunCoast to manipulate the oncoming and off-going clutch timing with pinpoint precision. This new SunCoast designed separator plate is also made from a higher grade of aluminum to ensure flexing and deflection do not occur.
Flipping out over the sprag:
The factory Low/Reverse sprag assembly has been a sore spot for many customers after a nasty boosted launch. It has left many of the 68RFE's stranded on the side of the road with a fat taste of disappointment in their mouth. The issue with this factory unit is inherent to the design. The factory unit utilizes a "dogbone" type sprag. The 68RFE Low/Reverse clutch is only on when the output shaft is turning below 150 rpm's. These Low/Reverse clutches then release the load back onto the factory Low/Reverse sprag, which during heavy acceleration, boosted launches, and burnouts will not stand up to such stress. The result will be the loss of first and second gear starts. The phrase "Copied but never caught", has been a phrase we have thrown around for years here, yet again we bring you another example.
When SunCoast first saw this, we knew immediately this would not be acceptable for our torque-hungry clients, and so we went to work. SunCoast knew that the sprag had to be pre-loaded with tension and the old "dogbone" style was not going to work. Hence, our very first design was to switch to an accordian style of spring. This proved to not only provided a sufficient amount of tension to keep the sprag from flipping, but held at the current power levels we were seeing at the time. As with anything we see, we knew it was only a matter of time before we would see the limits being pushed with our new design. Fast forward to 8 years later, and now this design has been copied and almost every retailer is selling their version of this design. The unfortunate aspect of this is that this design has reached its capacity with the power levels being reached in the new 6.7 Cummins, and we are seeing even the new design achieve catastrophic failure. However, we already were aware of this potential failure and have been hard at work with the patent office yet again. In all of our 68RFE units we now include our new Patent-Pending Billet M3GA sprag. This is an all-billet design, not the plastic stuff the competition wants to sell you. SunCoasts all-billet M3GA Sprag also includes a redesigned spring style to ensure the preload is sufficient to alleviate the problems. This new billet design is absolutely unbreakable and currently has a Patent Pending. Plastic or Billet? We will let you decide.
The Valve Body:
The valve body is like the brain of the transmission. It is the single most important item in the transmission. Here at SunCoast, we take a very scientific approach to how we calibrate these units. We start with addressing the accumulator cover plate. It has been shown time and time again that these factory side plates are prone to deflection due to the fact they are made with inferior steel, and a bit thinner than desired. If you start driving line pressure even higher, you will see this issue with deflection become even more prevalent. When this deflection occurs, it often times will cause the screws to loosen, and in some instances even break. SunCoast replaces the factory plate with a thicker, reinforced plate that adds 3 additional holes to allow for additional, stronger mounting screws to keep flex to a minimum. This new accumulator cover plate is standard on all SunCoast 68RFE builds.
