44RE Overhaul Kit 2004

If you typed "44RE overhaul kit" because your 2004 Grand Cherokee with the 4.0L six now flares between gears, or a Dakota with the small-case automatic has started to hunt for overdrive, this is the box that goes on the bench. The name undersells it. A normal overhaul kit is only the rubber and paper: seals, gaskets, O-rings and sealing rings. This package adds the friction kit and the steel kit as well, so it is really a master-level set: one overhaul kit, 29 friction plates and 18 steel plates, as shown in the photo. It is new and ships from the USA.

What an overhaul kit does in a 42RE/44RE

The 42RE and 44RE are the small-case members of Chrysler's A500 family. The main case holds two multi-plate clutches (front and rear), two bands (kickdown and low-reverse) and a roller clutch for first. A separate overdrive unit sits behind it with a direct clutch and an overdrive clutch. Every one of those clutches is applied by a rubber-sealed piston, and every circuit between the pump, the valve body and the pistons is sealed by rings and gaskets. When those seals harden after 20 years of heat, apply pressure leaks off, the plates slip, and the slipping cooks the friction material. That is why a rebuild replaces both at once. The factory service manual counts 4 front clutch discs, 4 rear, 3 overdrive and 6 direct, about 17 frictions per unit. The 29 in this box cover the different stack-ups used across the A500 years, so you will have spares.

Symptoms that point to a soft-parts rebuild

• Engine flares on the 1-2 or 2-3 upshift once the fluid is warm
• Fourth gear arrives late, slips, or falls back to third on a light grade
• Slow to engage Drive or Reverse after sitting overnight, a classic sign of hardened piston and pump seals
• Dark fluid with a burnt smell and a fuzzy layer of friction material on the pan magnet
• Fluid weeping from the front pump area or the rear output seal

How to confirm it before you buy

Check the fluid level hot first, then drop the pan. A little dark sludge is normal at this age; chunks of lining, metal flakes or bits of a broken band strut tell you the unit has to come apart. A line pressure gauge separates worn clutches from a pressure problem: if pressure is low in every range, look at the pump, filter and valve body before you buy clutches. Our RE-series slipping guide walks through that order of checks, and the 42RE shares the same hydraulic layout.

Fitment for 2004 builds

This listing is the 2004 entry of the kit, which is built for the 1998-2004 A500 group (40RH, 42RH, 42RE, 44RE) and is pictured as a Grand Cherokee 94-04 kit. The fitment list also names the Dodge Dakota 1989-2003, but read that carefully: a Dakota with the 5.9L used the large-case 46RE, and the 4.7L V8 in both the Dakota and the Grand Cherokee used an electronically shifted transmission, so neither takes this kit. It is for the small-case unit behind the six-cylinder engines. Match the tag on the left side of the case, compare a seal or two with the photo, or send us your year and VIN and we will check it. Everything else for this transmission is on our 42RE/44RE parts page.

Install notes

• Lay the old frictions out by clutch and match each new pack by count and thickness; the extras are expected.
• Soak every friction in ATF+4 before assembly, and replace any steel that is blued or warped with a new one from the kit.
• Set front clutch clearance to the factory 0.067-0.134 in. with the selective snap ring.
• The kit does not list a filter, bands or bushings. Buy a filter, and inspect the kickdown band, the strut and the pump bushing while the case is empty.
• Adjust the kickdown band to 72 in-lb and back it off 3-5/8 turns. The low-reverse band backs off 4 turns from 72 in-lb.

A 2004 unit uses the rectangular governor pressure sensor, so a 2000-on 44RE solenoid kit is the matching electrical refresh. If you want a filter, bushings and a new front band in the same box, the 2000-up master kit with band is the more complete option. For what a shop would charge to do the same job, see our rebuild cost breakdown.

Is this an overhaul kit or a master kit?

It is listed as an overhaul kit, but it includes the overhaul gasket and seal set plus 29 friction plates and 18 steel plates, which is what most shops call a master kit. A filter, bands and bushings are not included.

Will it fit my 2004 Grand Cherokee?

It fits the 4.0L six with the small-case 42RE/44RE. The 4.7L V8 used a different electronically shifted transmission and does not take this kit. Check the case tag or send us your VIN.

Why are there more frictions than my transmission uses?

The kit covers several A500 versions with different pack heights. A typical small-case unit uses about 17 frictions (4 front, 4 rear, 3 overdrive, 6 direct), so match each pack to your old one.

What should I buy with it?

A new filter, a pump bushing if the old one is worn, and a kickdown band if it is glazed. On a 2004, the governor pressure solenoid and sensor are worth replacing during the rebuild.

What fluid goes back in?

ATF+4. Check the level on the dipstick hot, in Park with the engine running.

• 46RE Slipping: Causes and Fix
• 46RE Rebuild Cost and What Drives It
• 46RE Gear Ratios and Specs
• 46RE Identification Guide