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Thread: A-604 questions (will be looking for a tranny possible)...

  1. #1
    turbo addict
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    A-604 questions (will be looking for a tranny possible)...

    I made a thread about how i picked up a 97 voyager with the 3.3 liter engine. Not too sure what happened to it exactly yet as i hadnt had time to look it over, but here is what i know so far and what i want to know in the following... as for what i seen, fluid everywhere and it dont move in any gear. When i towed it to my dads, he drove a beater of mine and towed with a chain while i was in the van with the engine on the speedo isnt working yet the wheels were moving so i take it the speedo gear broke as well as whatever else happened. I assume and someone in the other thread said either a diff issue or axle issue.

    Here is what im wondering though: first off anyone have a 604 trans (as thats what is in this) let me know. Secondly is there a better alternative to the 604? or is the 604 typically a good trans? hit me up with any info u got. Thanks guys.

  2. #2
    Moderator Turbo Mopar Staff Vigo's Avatar
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    Re: A-604 questions (will be looking for a tranny possible)...

    well part of the confusion here is that the 97 604 doesnt have a vehicle speed sensor driven off the axle. It extrapolates the speedo reading off the output speed sensor which is actually on the front of the tranny case.

    However, a bad OSS wont cause the car to puke fluid and not move. ITs more likely in this case that the OSS isnt showing rpm because the part it reads isnt actually spinning. You've almost definitely got internal issues and will have to take it apart.

    As for my opinion of 604s.. i love em. Only problem ive seen, other than the normal wear failures and random failures that dont depend on the application, is putting a lot of power (i.e. a stock 3.3 and an empty van has no worries) through 4th gear tends to burn it up if its all stock.

    My parents have a 97 3.3 van that my brother now drives, and the factory 604 went to 20xk before i VOLUNTARILY took it apart to replace clutches and seals. I dont remember having to replace any hard parts at all due to wear, just a solenoid pack. Even that was working fine before i jostled it around. That van is still going fine with 230k on it now.

    I used to work in a trans shop rebuilding trannies and honestly 604's usually didnt fail too dramatically, other than the fact that people would never change the fluid and then overheat them. If you put a cooler on it and keep clean, correct fluid in it, it will pretty much last forever on a stock van.

    As for your van, no telling whats wrong with it until we get more info. not having background info yourself is kinda tough. You pretty much have to take it apart, unless its making any noise or you tell us where its leaking from. Hows the fluid? color and smell?

  3. #3
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    Re: A-604 questions (will be looking for a tranny possible)...

    yea no biggy like i said i gotta look at it still myself. I just wanted to mainly know how the 604 is as a whole. Thanks got the info. What fluid do u recomend so i know. the cooler is a sure thing, heck i figured it had one stock for cryin out loud haha.

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    turbo addict JDAWG's Avatar
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    Re: A-604 questions (will be looking for a tranny possible)...

    I would use ATF4 and it has a cooler, all autos do, your might be in the radiator (sucks) or a small external (lil better) just see where you can put one in front of the radiator, measure it up and buy a universal at any autoparts, a big one shouldnt be more than $50.

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    Re: A-604 questions (will be looking for a tranny possible)...

    yea an aftermarket i would use, and yea i know usually all auto trans have coolers but i thought he was sayin it dont have one, and reading through webistes about my van i also did see someone say it dont. therefore from those 2 things and since i hadnt looked anything over on the van yet i went with what i seen. If it is cooled VIA the radiator, that should be efficient enough i would think. Usually thats fine for auto trannies that arent under high power circumstances.

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    turbo addict JDAWG's Avatar
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    Re: A-604 questions (will be looking for a tranny possible)...

    if you wanna keep it I would just stick an external on it, but you say fluid is everywhere, you sure it didnt all leak out and thats why it wont move. It could have sensor/solenoid pack problems. I think you can still do the key on off thingy with a 97, give it a whirl.

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    Re: A-604 questions (will be looking for a tranny possible)...

    like i said i have no idea what happened to it. I never drove it. My uncle had sold it to me for 200 bucks, he said he was driving and suddenly heard a banging noise and then the tranny wasnt moving in any gear position. when me and my dad went to get it from his job (was a vehicle for the facility my uncle works at) i seen a puddle of trans fluid under it on the ground and constantly dripping still even the whole way we towed it to my dads lol. constant trail the whole time. He said it didnt leak before the noise/where it broke down. I found a site that lists what every code is for this tranny and where the part is and etc. However, it said u can only pull the trans codes with a drb11 tool or something like that. But, im sure a scan tool that checks trans and engine can be used (which i have). However its possible i cant use it on this, idk. So you are saying i can check the codes via the dash cluster by key on key off? I will look into that.

  8. #8
    turbo addict JDAWG's Avatar
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    Re: A-604 questions (will be looking for a tranny possible)...

    try it out, i would put $10 it leaked out the trans solenoid pack gasket

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    Re: A-604 questions (will be looking for a tranny possible)...

    Sure I dont doubt anything your saying i will try it all, i appreicate it man. One thing though what were u sayin try out lol? the code reading thing i have? code check from the dash? or do u mean soemthing else?

  10. #10
    Moderator Turbo Mopar Staff Vigo's Avatar
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    Re: A-604 questions (will be looking for a tranny possible)...

    if there was a bang and it stopped moving, something broke, and chances are it broke through the case if it is leaking. The differential area is where most of the dramatic case breaking failures tend to occur.

    I would recommend atf+4 and a big aftermarket external cooler. IF it has a factory external cooler, it will probably be fine. My parents 97 has that cooler. However, they didnt all get it. Some of them have heavy duty cooling or towing packages that get that and others dont. The radiator internal cooler isnt good enough by itself imo.

    It is possible to run older dexron3 style fluid and an additive like the black bottle of lubegard that i forgot the actual name of. I put that in many rebuilt 604s and never had one come back, but for most people who dont get their ATF out of a 55 gallon drum its easy enough to just buy the right fluid off the shelf.

    now in return for all this info you must tell me if i can stick 84 fwd 2.6 internals into an 80 rwd 2.0 block and bolt the 84 head to it and bolt starion manifolds to that!!

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    Re: A-604 questions (will be looking for a tranny possible)...

    what veivle had a 2.6 fwd lol? Far as i know any vehicle that had the 2.6 was rwd, the starquest, challenger with the 2.6, mighty max, etc. Your not going to be able to use anything from the starquest on the 2.0. The only switchover that can be done is the 2.0 wideblock from the 90 or so mighty max which can bolt right into the starquest using 2 same side starquest engine mounts, and bolts right to the starquest tranny. As far as the 2.0 and 2.6 they both used totally different sohc heads. Even the foreign starions that were equipped with the 2.0 is a different 2.0 then ur used to seeing and that had a sohc head too where that wasnt compatible with the 2.6 in the starquests. The 2.6 had a different stroke and piston size than any of the 2.0's. but im curious what front wheel drive 2.6 your speaking of? fill me in what u meant there. and thanks for all the info you and everyone else gave me.

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    turbo addict JDAWG's Avatar
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    Re: A-604 questions (will be looking for a tranny possible)...

    caravan, some K cars

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    Re: A-604 questions (will be looking for a tranny possible)...

    OHHHH thats right!!!! I knew they were in caravans too DUUUUH lol. Afterall the caravan 2.6 has a nonjet head that we use as an upgrade for the SQ lol. Plus the mechanical valvtrain setup and longer valves. Wow and too boot i had an old k car with the 2.6 WTF am i thinking. I guess i got side tracked as i was thinking you were talking about a truck for some reason.

  14. #14
    Moderator Turbo Mopar Staff Vigo's Avatar
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    Re: A-604 questions (will be looking for a tranny possible)...

    well i sorta am. i have an 80 model mitsu truck with the 2.0. its one of the early years that still had a timing chain so it LOOKS just like a 2.6, which is why i wondered if it can have the 2.6 internals swapped in just like we could do with 2.2/2.5...

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    Re: A-604 questions (will be looking for a tranny possible)...

    ohhh ok i know what 2.0 ur talking about, I beleive its the one i mentioned that was in the euro/jap starions right hand drive, as i doubt they made a one-off 2.0 for those starions when they already had 2 version and a 3rd by 89 lol. However they all have different heads then the 2.6 so in turn different mani's. The bolt patterns are different. As far as internals, im not sure if THAT starion 2.0 had the same rod length and piston size as the 2.6 but the other 2.0's werre all different.

  16. #16
    Moderator Turbo Mopar Staff Vigo's Avatar
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    Re: A-604 questions (will be looking for a tranny possible)...

    Alright, thanks. Good luck with the transmission and let us know when you find out where its leaking because that could be a major clue.

  17. #17
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    Re: A-604 questions (will be looking for a tranny possible)...

    wow forgot to update this lol.... so i too ka good look, didnt see anything busted or axles out of place, etc. but i see where fluid was leaking and the trans is empty and the thing is burnt out, it even smokes from the dipstick tube lol. So what i think happened is, it had a leak, and wasnt apparently noticed. got too low and took its toll. anyway im on the hunt for a good trans. Its being a PITA to find one though lol.

  18. #18
    Moderator Turbo Mopar Staff Vigo's Avatar
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    Re: A-604 questions (will be looking for a tranny possible)...

    yeh a 604 is one of those trannies where trying to find a 'good' used one is hard because to most sellers 'good' means they are willing to warranty it and since the 604 is a unit that breaks fairly often (compared to, say, a cherokee aw4) they jack the used prices to cover their own --- on the warranty or dont sell them as 'known good' at all because they dont want that coming back to them.

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    Re: A-604 questions (will be looking for a tranny possible)...

    Up in this neck of the woods, due to winter and salt, there are usually a number of 96-00 vans for sale cheap that are rotted out. Possibly the easiest way to acquire a 604, then you can test drive it too.

  20. #20
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    Re: A-604 questions (will be looking for a tranny possible)...

    If you're real adventurous, find a TCM from a '97 Stratus, they used the same transmission, but had the autostick feature available. You could possibly rig up some paddle shifters in your van. :P

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