PROTECT THAT RAM

as 260 psi (56% more holding power than stock), which will allow that otherwise stock transmission to handle much more power before clutch slippage occurs. BD Diesel feels confident that a healthy and fresh 68RFE could support 400-450 hp safely with the Protect68 installed. What changes are they making? The separator plate inside the valve body is a laser-cut sheet of steel sandwiched between the two halves of the valve body. This helps direct fluid where it needs to go, through small orifices and channels. The kit introduces the use of gaskets between the valve body halves and the separator plate. These new gaskets will help seal the not-soflat surfaces and limit cross-leakage. In testing, in stock form they saw 5 psi of leakage running 160psi line pressure, but with the new gaskets they were allowed 260 psi with only 3 psi of leakage. To go along with the mechanical changes and modifications to the valve body itself, BD Diesel supplies a pressure control module to deliver up to 250 psi of apply pressure when needed. The box piggybacks into the MAP sensor and transmission harness, so that line pressure can be controlled dynamically based of turbo boost and engine load. You only get the extra line pressure when you need it. This kit can be installed in 2-3 hours’ time. Be prepared to create a mess and work with some pretty intricate pieces. It’s not a task for a rookie mechanic, but a seasoned weekend warrior should be able to tackle it with the illustrated instructions included.

 The early valve bodies used a pretty standard aluminum casting machined to not-so-exact specifications. It was found that the soft aluminum castings could see abnormal wear, causing leakage and premature failure modes. To correct some of that, the later model trucks started getting an anodized coating. Be prepared to make a mess—there’s going to be transmission fluid coming from every nook and cranny of this valve body. Be sure to use lint-free rags and pay attention to what bolts you’re removing and how it’ll all go back together. BD Diesel supplies great instructions to walk you through it step by step.

 To improve on the factory valve body performance, BD Diesel aims to change the flow paths of some of the fluid at specific times, so a new hole needs to be drilled. Using a sharp center punch, you’ll want to pre-tap the center of this port before drilling through. It needs to be done with precise execution.

 Once the two halves of the valve body are separated and the stock separator plate is set aside, you can see just how “smart” the inside of the valve body has to be. Each of those channels will send fluid pressure to different areas and solenoids.