48RE Clutch Module 2006, new and ready to install. Fits the 48RE. Ships fast from the USA.
This listing is filed as a 48RE clutch module for 2006, but the part in the photo is not a hard part from inside the transmission. It is an ATS Diesel Co-Pilot, the dash-mounted torque converter and exhaust brake controller, and the label on the case reads Dodge Early 06. It is built for the 2006 Ram 2500 and 3500 with the 5.9L Cummins and the 48RE automatic, and it is aimed at owners who are tired of the factory computer unlocking the converter every time the truck pulls hard, who want lockup at a speed they choose, or who run an exhaust brake and want the converter to stay locked on the downhill so the brake actually works.
On the 48RE the PCM decides when the converter clutch applies by switching the TCC solenoid in the solenoid pack on the valve body. Transmission Digest's technical editor points out that on this unit the TCC solenoid is fed by forward clutch oil rather than by second gear oil as on the older 46RE and 47RE, so lockup is available in any forward gear once the computer commands it. The Co-Pilot is wired into that command wire. The factory circuit is cut at the PCM, and the controller sits between the PCM and the solenoid, using throttle position, MAP sensor boost and the transmission range signal to decide when to let lockup happen.
According to the ATS installation manual, the driver sets the lockup speed in miles per hour with the up and down arrows on the face, and a green light shows when the converter is locked. The unit will not lock the converter until the engine is making enough boost, which stops the lugging and bogging that early factory lockup can cause. At full load it holds the converter clutch applied where the factory programming would usually release it to protect the input and output shafts.
If the converter never locks at all, or lockup shudders, the controller is not the fix. That points to the TCC solenoid, its circuit, the converter clutch itself or a worn valve body, and those should be diagnosed first. Our 48RE shift solenoid symptoms guide walks through testing the overdrive and TCC solenoids.
ATS is blunt in its own manual. The Co-Pilot works on a stock transmission, but ATS recommends it for trucks that already have a heavy-duty transmission and converter, because the factory shafts are prone to breaking and a stock converter clutch will fail if it is held applied under high load. The factory releases lockup under those conditions on purpose. If your 48RE is stock and already slipping or flaring, read our 48RE Cummins failure points guide before adding more lockup load.
The unit pictured is the early-2006 version for the Ram 2500 and 3500 with the 5.9L Cummins and 48RE. ATS catalogs the early-2006 kit as 601-900-2308 and sells a different version for 2006.5 to 2007 trucks, so the build date matters. Check the door jamb label or send us your year and VIN before ordering and we will confirm which version your truck needs. Browse the rest of the 48RE parts collection for 2003 to 2007 Cummins trucks.
Run ATF+4 only; Chrysler warns that other fluids can cause poor shifts and converter shudder. A truck that will be held in lockup under load also needs good line pressure, so a tired pump is worth replacing with a remanufactured 48RE pump at the same time as a rebuild.
| Fits | 48RE 2006 |
| Part type | Clutch Module |
| Condition | New |
| Brand | OEM |
| Ships | From the USA |
| Warranty | 1-year |
Doing this repair right usually means replacing these at the same time. Same transmission, ships together.
No. Despite the listing name, the part pictured is an ATS Co-Pilot, an electronic controller that mounts on the dash and wires into the torque converter clutch circuit. Nothing inside the transmission is replaced.
The unit shown is labeled for early-2006 trucks. ATS sells a separate version for 2006.5 to 2007 Ram 5.9L Cummins trucks. Send us your year and VIN and we will confirm which one matches your build date before you order.
It will work, but ATS recommends it for trucks with a heavy-duty transmission and converter. Holding the stock converter clutch locked under high load can wear it out, and the factory input and output shafts are known to break when pushed hard.
No. The exhaust brake wire is optional. Without one, the Co-Pilot still controls lockup speed and the automatic overdrive cancel from a stop if switch 2 is on.
Unplug the Co-Pilot harness and jumper its blue and yellow terminals. That restores the factory TCC circuit so you can tell whether the problem is the controller, the wiring taps, or the transmission itself.
