Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) 5 th gear

[DannyGriffin]

Have a 1997 --5 speed. The 5th gear keeps going out. It will just quit going down the road. The Transmission shop has repaired 5 times already and claims there is no real repair for this. . HELP... It has 241,000 miles

 

[SRath]

You need to find a better shop. And, at this point, you probably need to go to Quad4x4.com and educate yourself. Home

Whether you choose their parts or not, they have very good information on what the problem is and how to fix it once and for all.

 

[DannyGriffin]

GREAT SITE!!!!!! ANSWERED ALL MY QUESTIONS. Thanks a million-So this is a major problem-Looks like dodge needs to do a recall

 

[GAmes]

Do a search about the fifth gear nut backing off. Plenty of reading. Recalls are for safety issues, besides Dodge hasn't installed a 5 speed for years. They did come out with a rinky dink fix, not worth your time.

 

[SRath]

When my 5th gear went, I had already begun the process of gathering parts for an NV5600 swap, but it was being delayed because I want to go one step farther and put an NP205 t-case behind it.



Meanwhile, I needed my truck fixed. So I took it to a real good local shop where they did the whole repair for $300 including labor and parts. He said it was a good thing I was planning on doing the upgrade and confessed he didn't think the fix would last on the 5-speed. That was 3 years ago and it's still working fine.



(hey, I know, I'm a little slow on my conversion , but I do finally have the adapter kit for the ford NP205 to the NV5600. I just need to save a few more empty aluminum cans to afford the super-slick twin-stick custom cable shifter for the t-case and I'll have everything I need. Besides, I think I'm breaking new ground here unless someone else already has a 2nd gen 12-valve cummins/NV5600/NP205 setup that I haven't read about. If so, I'm all ears!)

 

[Missouri Mule]

Fully splined shaft is supposed to do the trick. Check out Standard Transmission and Gear co. Standard Transmissions & Parts: Tremec - Borg Warner - New Venture - Getrag, Cummins, 4 speed transmission, 5 speed transmission, 6 speed transmission

 

[ata]

There is only one fix that works for the fifth gear nut. Go to FifthGearRepair.com They have a retainer that is cone shaped that has four ears that go into the nut slots and the inner part of the cone is 29 spline. But the bad part is it only works on the 4X4's because the transfer case coupler holds it in place on the NV4500 out put shaft. There is no way that the nut can turn. It is spendy $145 with free shipping.

 

[SRath]

Do a search about the fifth gear nut backing off. Plenty of reading. Recalls are for safety issues, besides Dodge hasn't installed a 5 speed for years. They did come out with a rinky dink fix, not worth your time.

Recalls? What needs recalled? These trucks are perfection! Well, except for the KDP, 5th gear nut, lousy p. brake design, trucks burning to the ground from the headlight switch, headlights so dim a bic lighter puts them to shame, brake lines made from the cheapest pre-rusted tin available, trackbars that don't last 10k miles, unit hubs that would be iffy in a 1/2 ton, ball joints instead of kingpins, inverted Y steering when a much beefier T design is available, dashboards made of biodegradable (as you drive) plastic, etc, etc.



But these things only affect about 99. 99% of dodge trucks, so no recall is necessary.



The only thing dodge really did right on these trucks was not try to build their own axles, diesel engine, manual transmission, or t-case for them. even then, they forced their suppliers to cheapen some of those components for them, such as the in-name-only dana 60 front axle.

 

[surfbeetle]

I believe its in how you drive it, 202,000 miles on my original fifth gear nut with no repairs. I never lug it and only use fifth at 2,000 rpms or over.

 

[SRath]

Can someone sprinkle some salt or Lucky Charms around here please?

Boy, did you just jinx yourself or what... ?!! A pubescent pinnochio couldn't knock enough wood to undo what you just did...



You may as well go out and start taking the driveshafts and t-case off the back of that transmission right now... better hurry...



Man, that was so bad and blatant that I may need to purge my harddrive to avoid the spillover bad luck... just what I need right now...

 

[surfbeetle]

Too funny... But if you go back and look at old post regarding the nv4500, harmonic vibrations caused by the diesel engine below 2000 rpm were always thought to be the cause of the fifth gear failures. The nv4500 behind the chevy gassers had a very low failure rate in comparison. So I drive it accordingly. If I can be in 4th instead of lugging in 5th, then I am in 4th. I try to only use 5th where it would be running at 2,000 rpm or higher. I run only Royal Purple in it. My current fifth wheel is 11,000 lbs and I never lug it in fifth when towing. Also, this is not the first time that I have posted on TDR about my high mileage trans. Go ahead and purge your hard drive, make sure you do a secure wipe on the hard drive and the bad juju should be gone before you reinstall your OS. LOL!!

 

[SRath]

I could never get away with any statement like that. The vengeful and omnipresent Mr. Murphy would hammer me mercilessly with his Law.



But I'll bet you're right about the diesel harmonics being the cause. I always wondered why the chevys didn't share our misery.



Hmmm, now I'm wondering if the guys who switched to Fluidamprs early on have experienced the same rate of 5th gear failure as those of us with stock dampers. . ??? That would be some interesting stats to try to gather.

 

[Missouri Mule]

I have 241,000 and coutning on my 5th gear nut (knock on wood) but I don't pull heavy and I don't go below 45 mph with it and thats coasting to a stop, usually shifting into 5th at 50 mph and over. I have a stock damper.

 

[surfbeetle]

Hmmm, now I'm wondering if the guys who switched to Fluidamprs early on have experienced the same rate of 5th gear failure as those of us with stock dampers. . ??? That would be some interesting stats to try to gather.

That would definitely interesting to see. I have the factory dampener. Wouldn't it be something if something so simple solved the problem?