2013-2018 Ram 6.7L Cummins Valve Bodies

About 2013-2018 Ram 6.7L Cummins Valve Bodies

The factory valve body on the 2013-2018 Ram 6.7L Cummins trucks are the source of a ton of different transmission issues, especially on Ram models equipped with 68RFE transmissions. The 68RFE valve body has more than a few flaws from the factory that can lead to problems on bone-stock trucks that solely drive on the street, but things get even worse when you tow heavy, add more power to your Ram, throw on big tires, or really rip your truck around in the dirt. The good news is that there's more than a few aftermarket valve body options for your tough Ram truck that can help you and your 2013-2018 Ram 6.7L Cummins win back reliable operation, even with some serious power-adders.

Common problems with 2013-2018 Ram 6.7L 68RFE Valve Bodies

The stock valve body inside the 68RFE transmission of your 2013-2018 Ram 6.7L Cummins has more than a few core design flaws that when paired with tough truck applications and increased power levels causes a ton of problems for your Ram and its transmission. But what exactly are these problems and how do aftermarket valve bodies fix it?

68RFE Valve Body Cross-Leaks

One of the most common problems with the OEM 68RFE valve bodies is cross-leaks. Cross-leaks are fluid leaks that occur either between the two halves of the valve body or between individual worm tracks. While some level of leaks is normal, the 68RFE valve body suffers from cross-leaks more than the average bear which can cause low line pressures which can lead to weird shifting behavior, poor clutch engagement, a lack of lubrication for critical transmission components, and other possible issues. Cross-leaks are generally cause by two issues: 1). The two halves of the valve body are rarely even completely flat and 2). The stock separator plate is just a laser-cut piece of steel. Most aftermarket 68RFE valve bodies solve the issue by using bonded separator plates. Bonded separator plates include a layer of sealing material covering the internal steel to provide a more positive seal. We here at Tier One take it to the next level with both our 2007.5-2018 Ram 6.7L Cummins 68RFE High-Pressure Valve Body and our 2007.5-2018 Ram 6.7L Cummins 68RFE High-Pressure Billet Valve Body by both using a bonded separator plate and by flat-sanding both halves of the valve body to ensure its flat to minimize the chance of cross-leaks as much as possible.

While flat sanding and/or adding a bonded separator plate can help prevent leaks on Ram trucks running at stock power or even with pretty aggressive tuning, you could still see cross-leaks and pressure loss due to the factory channel plate flexing when put under extreme levels of load. If your Ram is rocking pretty substantial power, then jumping up to a billet 68RFE valve body or using a billet channel plate is a great idea. Billet channel plates are made out of CNC-machined billet aluminum which is far stronger and more rigid than the cast aluminum channel plate, making it less susceptible to flexing when under load.

68RFE Accumulator Piston Leaks & Issues

The accumulator pistons that sit inside your Ram's 68RFE valve body are another common source of issues for the 68RFE transmissions, and despite their size, they can cause some pretty big problems for your truck. By far the biggest point of failure of the stock accumulator pistons is their construction. The stock accumulator pistons are made out of plastic and have to deal with a lot of load and shock, which can lead to them warping and cracking over time and allowing leaks. A secondary issue is the fact that the OEM accumulator pistons only have two sets of seals which can fail and lead to leaks and pressure losses. Nearly all aftermarket 68RFE valve bodies come standard with billet accumulator pistons to fix the issue. These accumulator pistons are CNC-machined out of billet aluminum which is far stronger than the stock plastic pistons, and most billet accumulator pistons feature redundant seals that further help reduce the chances of leaks.

68RFE Solenoid Issues

A big source of strange shifting problems in the 68RFE transmission is due to the OEM Solenoid Shift Valve (SSV), as well as the electronic solenoid packs themselves. The SSV, and problems associated with it are a main cause of the dreaded P0871 code that's the bane of Ram 6.7L Cummins owners. The SSV is made of harder and coarser material than the cast aluminum channel it sits in. This causes it to hollow out the bore it sits in as it functions, which then causes leaks and pressure loss over time. Another issue comes down to chemistry. The factory SSV has a high nickel content which can interact with the cast aluminum bore and cause galvanic corrosion. The only real solution to both problems is to drill out the bore and install a larger SSV that's ground smoother and made out of revised materials to avoid galvanic corrosion and bore wear.

The electronically-controlled solenoids in the OEM solenoid pack can be a source of problems, though the majority of supposed solenoid issues have a lot more to do with SSV. That being said, many aftermarket valve bodies come with new OEM solenoids that are then extensively tested to ensure they're working properly. Swapping the stock solenoid pack is a great way to ensure reliability after a valve body install, and if you have your truck's valve body out anyway, you might as well get a new set of solenoids in there.