G56 Update

[AH64ID]

Sounds like the syncro's are going.

It doesn't feel that way either, just like a different transmission.

I wonder if there were other changes besides ratios from AD to AE?

 

[Regcabguy]

I am not sure I would call it precise over the NV5600, more of a hesitation feeling. It still doesn't feel the same as my dads 06, which I just drove last month for about a week. I need to ask him what fluid is in it.

Mine shifts without hesitation just like the four NV5600's I've driven. It is a bit stiff first thing in the morning though. Quite stiff in the winter,even here.

 

[AH64ID]

Mine shifts without hesitation just like the four NV5600's I've driven. It is a bit stiff first thing in the morning though. Quite stiff in the winter,even here.

Every G56 I have driven is not as smooth as my NV5600, but I have been told by several I have the best shifting NV5600 they have driven.

 

[RVTRKN]

My NV5600 was allways stiff in the morning to me, but my brother who I sold it to, says he has no issues in the morning. I guess it's driver thing, but my G56 when new, was much better than NV5600. But I'll take a cast iron case NV5600 over the weak G56 any time no mater how it shifts

 

[lpennock]

I am not sure I would call it precise over the NV5600, more of a hesitation feeling. It still doesn't feel the same as my dads 06, which I just drove last month for about a week. I need to ask him what fluid is in it.

I noticed on my G56 when I went to the Dual Disc the shifting got a bit harder or as you say more notchy. Switching to SynTrans50 didn't make much difference but adding the extra quart made shifting smoother. I would guess that the DD has just enough extra drive when disengaged to make it appear to the transmission as the clutch isn't all the way in. Adding the extra quart allowed things to sync up better and made it shift a lot better. I had a friend drive it over the weekend that commented it is was much better shifting these days compared to the last time he drove it.

 

[Newsa]

Yeah, I'm okay with gambling... I'd rather have the best fluid in the gearbox for the long haul from the beginning, as I want my trans to last much longer than any factory warranty. For those that care more about warranties than I do, Red Line's MTL is red (and MT-90) and I'd be surprised if anyone would say or even think it was not ATF unless they analyzed it. Neither MTL or MT-90 appear or feel particularly thick, especially the slightly lighter MTL.

I didn't realize redline MT-90 was red in color.

I bought 2 gallons of it 2 months ago. I was sticking with ATF due to warranty. But am going to switch to Redline MT-90 next month.

If I had realized MT-90 is red in color, would have switched sooner. Then, I will just check the fluid level annually and leave it in there, adding when needed for 4+ years

 

[Dl5treez]

I didn't realize redline MT-90 was red in color.

I bought 2 gallons of it 2 months ago. I was sticking with ATF due to warranty. But am going to switch to Redline MT-90 next month.

If I had realized MT-90 is red in color, would have switched sooner. Then, I will just check the fluid level annually and leave it in there, adding when needed for 4+ years

Yessir! Red Line oils are all (pretty much) tinted red, and Royal Purple is (pretty much) tinted slighly purple.

Valvoline Premium Blue was a one time going to be tinted blue but they hesitated with 2 stroke oil being very similar......at any rate, RL is good stuff!

 

[Newsa]

Go Manual While You Still Can

As a ’14 2500 owner, I’d like it if my transmission was beefed-up, seems unlikely they have two, very similar versions of the G56 transmission?

The one turbo-diesel pickup I purchased with an auto trans was my probably my biggest automotive mistake ever... It was 1995 2500, and the chronically leaking transmission cooling lines and several other problems in the first nine months prompted Chrysler to buy-back the truck. This was after a '93 first-gen with a Getrag 5-speed that hadn't given me problems, but it wasn't old/abused enough yet. Had I ordered a manual in the '95 I would have received the cast iron-cased—heavy-duty but not problem free—NV4500, which was a relatively new and unproven design at the time.

The returned 1995 2500 fiasco lead to a positive a year later, with the ordering of a '96 F-350 with the ZF S5-47, the first year with the lower first gear behind a diesel, a welcome surprise for starting loads and off-highway crawling when it arrived. The ZF S5 was/is an aluminum-cased gearbox, and also known to run hot... so much so that the 6-speeds in later trucks included a cooler. I towed fairly heavy, mostly in overdrive because with 4.10:1 gears I needed it for reasonable rpm, including charging up hills, gross-combined-weight of about 16k. I had a temp gauge on the ZF and would see high temps 220-240+ depending on the load and conditions.

Early on I replaced the often burnt/oxidized smelling ATF oil with proper manual transmission oil, MTL from Red Line, which I also ran in the transfer-case. The transmission shifted so much better with good oil that allowed the synchronizers to work. That ZF only held about 3.5 quarts so I changed it at 10k intervals and had zero problems with the trans, just the dual mass flywheel (replaced with single-mass) around 90,000 miles. The truck had 133k on it when sold to a friend.

Now I'm the owner of a '14 Tradesman with a G56, and I just recently changed the gearbox oil from the ATF junk to Red Line MT-90. I'm looking forward to many, mostly trouble-free miles, confident the proper oil will help, and am prepared to change the clutch/flywheel after many thousands of miles if/when needed or desirable. The G56/Cummins combo is nice to drive, the shape and position of the stick is better in this 2500 than in the F-350.

Regarding power... In May I was only casually thinking about buying a new truck (but bought one in June) and at an event was talking with the owner of a Jeep modifying business that hauls a few jeeps on one trailer to gatherings like the Easter Jeep Safari (heavy!) with G56 trucks. He is a manual transmission fan, has a few G56 Cummins trucks and obviously uses them hard. His comment about the lower power rating was that "they don't drive like it". I'm still impressed with the amount of torque and HP my low-powered, 3.42:1-geared truck (I thought the gears would be too tall) offers if/when I want to stomp-on-it. There seems to be less toque-management. I don't baby it, when I want all-of-it, I'll floor-it, and I'm still impressed with how this stock G56 moves.

Magnetic drain plug on ATF.

See picture:

Switching to Redline MT-90, today.