4th Gen RAM G56 Swap?

[Gixxerdon]

Fellow Rammers,

OK, here’s a summary of my G56 Swap.

This is how I did it.

I have a 2012 Laramie Mega-cab, so it comes with a center console.

I am currently working on a design to retain my console and have the shifter come out through where the big storage tray is.

Interior Disassembly:
Remove the upper and lower steering wheel plastics.
Three torx screws hold these together.
Remove the bottom plastic panel that the OBD2/hood latch are on
Remove the automatic shifter, three torx screws.
Remove the shifter cable and the big plastic retainer from the metal bracket.
Push the shifter cable through the firewall. I removed the rubber plug to re-install.
Remove the clutch hydraulic plastic cap. Two nuts need to be removed and push it out.
Cut the carpet right below where the center of your dashboard meets the carpet.
You are looking for a pre-stamped square. Once you find the square, cut around it to expose small pre-stamped divots, there are 6 that you will use 2 on both sides and two on the bottom.
It was easier for me to cut the metal from the bottom, less stuff to mess up with the grinder.

Exterior Disassembly:
Drain your transmission and cooler lines.
Remove the front and rear drive shafts.
Unplug your transfer case and transmission plugs.
Remove the transmission dipstick (10mm bolt)
Support your transmission and TC with a trans jack or two floor jacks.
Remove your crossmember.
Remove the 8 bellhousing bolts.
*I chose to drop the trans and TC together; you can separate them if you want*
Remove the flywheel and spacer.
If you look on the heat shielding right behind where your transmission bellhousing would be,
You will see some precut squares. Remove the one that’s closest to the engine and you will see the pre-stamped square from up above. Cut enough of the heat shielding away to expose the 6 divots mentioned above.
I used the lower rubber boot as a ghetto template. It's not flat and it's kind of bulky, but it will show which divots will be used. I used a sharpie to mark the divots.
After I had the divots marked, I outlined a bigger square about 3/8 of an inch to the inside edge of the divots.
I soaked some microfiber towels with water to protect the heat shielding from the grinder’s sparks.
Cut your shifter hole and deburr as need.

Exterior Assembly:
Install your clutch. I went with the incredibly heavy dual disk SB3250.
*I chose to re-use my 68RFE adapter plate*
Remover your shifter from the G56 and ensure its in neutral, this will help when stabbing the trans.
Install your G56. Highly recommend you use a trans jack and some 2x4’s. The G56 is NOT a floor jack friendly trans!
When stabbing your trans, you can spin the rear output shaft to help the front input shaft line up with your clutch.
Install the TC, I used a floor jack.
While your trans and TC are supported with jacks, you can install the G56 transmission mount and your crossmember.
Install your drive shafts. My rear bolted right up. My front was too short. Your front needs to 36 inches.
Install your clutch hydraulics on the trans.

Interior Assembly:
Install your clutch pedal.
Install your clutch hydraulics by attaching them to the firewall.
Attach your hydraulics to the pedal.
Add your trans fluid to the trans through the top. I added 7 quarts.
Install your shifter, without the stick attached. I used some silicone to seal it to the trans.
Place the lower and upper shift boots on.
Install the shifter stick and knob.

Electrical Assembly:
On your main trans plug find the yellow wire with the dark blue tracer. If you chose to have your neutral safety switch installed, run this to the clutch hydraulics wire and ground out the other hydraulics wire. If you choose to not have the safety switch, just ground out the yellow wire.
Reverse lights and backup cam, I will update this in a few days when I complete mine.

Tuning:
*I have a MM3 from DRD*
Contact MM3 and request a manual trans recovery file. You will need this the flash your ECM to manual trans. This will make your PRND disappear.
I contacted DRD and got tunes for the G56 (i.e. gear ratio, tire size, mods, etc.)
Install the recovery file from MM3.
Install the ECM tuning from DRD.
Start your truck and celebrate! Everything worked with mine (cruise control, 4hi, 4low)

*My Install Notes*
After researching this swap for a few months, I thought it would be fairly easy. It was for the most part, but it didn’t go quietly. Trying to stab the trans was a major PITA. The top of the trans bellhousing kept hitting the floor of the truck. I ended up having to jack the front of the engine up with 2x4’s under the harmonic balancer. We attempted to stab the trans and TC at the same time, it didn’t work, and I will never get those 3 hours back. That G56 is not a jack friendly trans. Install them separate. When I was installing the clutch pedal there was a black electrical box that was in the way. The space under there is already limited, so I had to remove two tiny black screws and loosen a third to get the pin in. The clutch hydraulics on the firewall was kind of difficult too, it was not wanting to line up. When it came to programming my micro SD card broke in half. How I will never know, all I know is I can problem solve under pressure, LOL. Got the SD Card issue fixed, and everything was good to go. All in all, I probably lost a few years of life with the headaches, but it was all worth it in the end.

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