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The 68RFE is the six-speed automatic behind the 6.7 Cummins in 2007.5-and-up Ram 2500 and 3500 trucks. It is a stout transmission, but the torque converter is the weak link when you tow heavy or add tuning. The factory converter runs a single lockup clutch disc, and that disc is the first thing to go once you push cylinder pressure past stock. When it starts to slip, you feel it long before a shop confirms it.
Two things drive the price of fixing it: whether you reuse a stock-style converter or step up to a billet multi-disc unit, and whether you pull the transmission yourself or pay a shop 6 to 9 hours of labor. This page breaks down both so you know what a fair quote looks like.
Symptoms of a Failing 68RFE Torque Converter
Torque Converter Clutch (TCC) Shudder
This is the classic one. Cruising at 40-55 mph under light throttle, you feel a rapid shake, like driving over rumble strips, that lasts a second or two and clears. That is the lockup clutch slipping and grabbing instead of holding solid. On a 68RFE it usually shows up first on light grades or when the converter is warm. Burnt clutch material contaminating the fluid makes it worse over time.
Slipping Under Load
Pulling a trailer up a grade, the tach climbs but road speed does not follow. The converter is unlocking and not re-applying, so power is being lost to fluid coupling and heat instead of driving the truck. Transmission temperature climbs fast when this happens. If you see pan temp jump 30-40 degrees on a hill that never used to bother it, suspect the converter.
Diagnostic Trouble Codes
- P0740 - Torque Converter Clutch circuit malfunction / performance. The PCM commanded lockup and did not see the expected drop in converter slip.
- P2769 - Torque Converter Clutch solenoid circuit low.
- P2770 - Torque Converter Clutch solenoid circuit high.
- P0868 - Line pressure low, which often rides along with a tired converter and worn pump.
A slip code by itself does not always mean the converter is dead. A worn TCC solenoid in the valve body, low line pressure, or contaminated fluid can throw the same code. Scan it, check live converter slip RPM on a scan tool, and rule out the cheap stuff before you drop the transmission. Fresh fluid and a filter sometimes buy a shuddering converter more life, but it is a band-aid once the clutch material is gone.
68RFE Torque Converter Replacement Cost Breakdown (2026)
Here is what the parts and labor actually run in 2026 US dollars. The spread is wide because a stock swap and a built billet converter are very different jobs financially.
| Line Item | DIY Cost | Shop Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Stock-replacement converter | $250 - $450 | $300 - $500 (marked up) |
| Billet triple-disc converter | $600 - $1,100 | $700 - $1,200 (marked up) |
| Transmission fluid + filter | $120 - $180 | $180 - $260 |
| Labor (6-9 hrs) | Your time | $900 - $1,800 |
| Total (stock converter) | $370 - $630 | $1,400 - $2,600 |
| Total (billet converter) | $720 - $1,280 | $1,800 - $3,400 |
Note that most shops will not just swap the converter. If the fluid came out full of clutch material, they will push you toward a rebuild because that debris is already in the valve body and clutch packs. A converter-only job on a transmission that has been slipping for a year is a gamble. Budget for the possibility that you find a bigger problem once it is on the bench.
Compare 68RFE torque converters
Billet vs Stock Converter
Stock-Replacement Converter
A quality stock-style converter (single or upgraded single disc) is the right call for a stock or near-stock truck that tows moderately. It restores factory behavior and is the cheaper part. The downside is that it shares the same weakness as the original: a single clutch disc that will slip again if you add power or work the truck hard.
Billet Multi-Disc Converter
A billet converter uses a machined billet-steel front cover and a multi-disc lockup clutch (usually triple-disc) that dramatically increases the clamping surface. It holds lockup under boost, runs cooler, and is what you want on a tuned 6.7 or a truck that pulls a heavy trailer for a living. Brands like Sun Coast, Goerend, BD Diesel, and Suncoast build well-regarded 68RFE billet converters. Expect to pay $600-$1,100 for the part. On a truck making more than stock power, it pays for itself by not cooking a second stock converter.
Browse billet 68RFE converters
Stall Speed for Towing
Stall speed is the RPM the engine reaches against a locked-up converter at full throttle before the truck moves. On a diesel that makes peak torque low in the rev range, you want a stall speed that keeps the converter coupled where the Cummins is already making torque. A stock 68RFE converter stalls in roughly the 1,600-1,900 RPM range.
For towing, you generally do not want a high-stall converter. A too-loose converter lets RPM flare and builds heat while you drag a trailer. Diesel tow builds usually stay near stock stall or go slightly tighter to keep the truck coupled and cool. High-stall converters belong on gas drag builds, not on a Cummins that tows. When you shop, match the converter's stall rating to your use: near-stock stall for towing, and only step up stall if you are chasing off-the-line launch on a lighter truck.
DIY vs Shop
Replacing a 68RFE converter is not a light job. The transmission comes out of the truck; you cannot get to the converter with the trans in place. That means supporting the engine, unbolting the crossmember, disconnecting the transfer case (4x4), cooler lines, wiring, and the flexplate-to-converter bolts through the starter hole, then lowering a 300-plus-pound assembly on a jack.
- DIY makes sense if: you have a lift or solid jack stands, a transmission jack, and have dropped a transmission before. You save $900-$1,800 in labor.
- Pay a shop if: you do not have the tools or space, or you want a warranty on the work. A good diesel shop will also flush the cooler and check the valve body while it is apart.
Whichever route you go, do not reuse old fluid, and always flush or replace the transmission cooler. Reinstalling a fresh converter and pumping the old cooler's debris back through it is how people end up doing this job twice. A billet converter with contaminated fluid running through it is money thrown away.
Need a transmission jack to drop it safely? See our transmission jack buyer's guide for capacity ratings and the units that actually hold a 350-pound diesel automatic.
Rebuilding the 68RFE? Get the Parts
If the fluid came out dark and full of material, you are into the valve body and clutch packs, not just the converter. Our companion shop gearboxinsider.com stocks 68RFE rebuild kits, billet converters, valve body components, and solenoids. Same-day ship before 2pm Eastern.
Shop Gearbox Insider →FAQ
How much does a 68RFE torque converter replacement cost?
A stock-replacement converter is $250-$450 for the part in 2026; a billet triple-disc is $600-$1,100. Shop labor to drop the transmission runs 6-9 hours at $130-$200/hr, so a full job at a shop is roughly $1,400-$2,600 with a stock converter, more with a billet unit or if a rebuild is needed.
What does code P0740 mean on a 6.7 Cummins?
P0740 is a torque converter clutch circuit / performance code. The PCM commanded lockup and did not see the converter clutch hold as expected. It can be a failing converter clutch, a worn TCC solenoid, low line pressure, or contaminated fluid. Diagnose before assuming the converter is dead.
Can I just flush the fluid to fix the shudder?
Sometimes fresh fluid and a filter quiet a mild shudder for a while, but once the lockup clutch material is worn, a flush only delays the inevitable. If the fluid comes out smelling burnt or full of friction material, the converter is done.
Do I need to replace the transmission cooler too?
You need to flush it at minimum. Debris from a failed converter clutch collects in the cooler and lines. If you install a new converter and do not clean the cooler, that debris circulates right back into the new part.