Have questions/need some answers from the experts!
 

Ok so i have a 97 Ram rcsb with the 5.9L and auto trans, my questions are these.
1-It seems as if the trans has 5 gears instead of 4,if i go over 45mph it feels like it catches another gear,is this correct or a torque converter issue?
2-The build sheet says 3.55 rear gear but at 80 on the freeway im only doing about 2300 rpm,not too sure it this is correct(as far as the ratio)?
3-And finally i recently picked up a 440cid out of an old dodge motorhome to rebuild for the ram,will be mild just small cam,intake,carb etc,but i am not sure what to do as far as a transmission,can i still use the one i have with an adaptor kit or will i need something like a 727 or 902 trans, i want over drive for the highway but want that launch from the stoplight too.

Can anyone help with this?

1. You have a 4 speed, the little extra at the end is converter lockup.
2. Tall gear, sounds close (depending on how big your tires are). There are online calculators that can help you figure that out easily.
3. First make sure it's a 440 and not one of the weirdo 413's. Some of those motorhome engines can't be easily adapted to normal vehicle use. A big block case 727 will bolt to it, but no OD unless you get like a Gear Vendors unit to bolt to the back of it. An A518 has built in OD and will probably live behind a MILD 440 (don't go nuts) but you will need an adapter for it. Do you have the 46RE now (if you know)? I can't remember when they started using that trans. If you intend to keep those gears, the 440 should be cool with that (mine used light'em up with 2.76's under a '74 Monaco). If making the 440 work correctly in that body is too much of a hassle/undertaking (alot of electronics to get around), a 360 (or a 408 stroker) will love a set of 4.56's. Good luck!

the old dodge V8's had three bellhousing patterns one for small blocks, one for B-blocks and one for the RB-blocks. you'll want a matched transmission for your 440 and like HemiLonestar said, be wary of motorhome/industrial engines as some of them were a little different and could easily lead to frustration. honestly the best idea for your truck if you want more power would be to build the engine in it or get a donor engine, stroke it, cam it, put some good heads on it and run that and find something else to put your 440 in because i see it being a real headache to make it work in your newer truck. that said, if you have time to make a project out of it then it would be sweet to see a healthy 440 in a '97 :D

Concur with all except for the bold part above. All big blocks, whether it was B (350-361-383-400), RB (383-413-426W-440) or 426 hemi had the same big block bolt pattern. Transmission internals were different depending on application but you could mix and match.