2001 Cummins Question

[Cummnzpowr]

Hey guys,

Got my old first gen payed off finally {second hand BTW}. I'm thinking about getting a 2001. 5 with a 5-speed,just wondering though, i hear there are better clutches in them, and what exactly is that new 5-speed transmission called anyway?---Another thing, is insurance rates for a 4x4 VS. 4x2 gonna kill me? how bout' different things to go wrong as far as a "warranty" goes and what can i "hide" from the dealer as far as BOMBing mods to the truck? like Psychotti,exhaust,injectors etc... . all this electronic mumble jumble is all new to me {sorta}... thanks. . Greg {hanging out in the first gen forums tooooo long,

 

[TomGolden]

Greg, dude... ... .



Go with all you can get - the ETH/DEE (H. O. / 6 speed) combo!!



That's what I have, love Godzilla to death. I have always been of the very firm belief that God meant man to shift his own gears, and I wish there were even more! 8 would be very nice



Anyway, as to what is easily hidden: injectors, various air filters in stock airbox, although you can easily replace the stock airbox in maybe 5 minutes if you go with Psychotty or the Moparguy BHAF (Big Honking Air Filter), EZ/other fueling boxes also come off easily (some of them are a bit more involved, depending on what types of connections they have). I have the South Bend Con FE clutch, love it so far.



As far as insurance, I have Allstate, which ain't the cheapest out there, but when I asked what difference a 4x4 vs a 4x2 would make, it was basically no difference. Of course, since you're single, under 25, for you it may be more of a difference, and whichever company you go with may make a difference also.



Don't go with an ETC/5 speed, you'll never regret the ETH/6 speed, trust me!!!



Tom

 

[Chipstien]

Auto for me!

If your like me and use your truck as the everyday driver than go with the auto. It's going to be faster and funner due to lack of shifting. IMHO of course! (Less spool up time when you let off the throttle between gears) But if I were to tow heavy loads everyday than I would go w/ the HO 6spd. By all means, don't get the 5spd. IMHO! That extra gear in itself is well worth the extra money and you get more power

 

[tgbol]

Go with the 6 speed. The spacing between 3,4,&5 makes towing alot more pleasant than the 5 speed. The engine doesn't drop out of its torque curve and just wants to keep pulling.

 

[mikel]

I went from a '99 auto to an '01 ETH/DEE and have no complaints at all. I drive in Houston traffic every workday and most weekends, so I have to shift allot but I like my 6-speed. The auto was mildly BOMBed (275's and boost mod, DTT VB) and it was fast enough for me around town. I believe that most of the speed in that truck was due to the auto and not the engine, though. This truck is not as fast around town as the auto, and from stoplight to stoplight it may not be as fast as the 5-speed since there is an extra gear in there, so if hot-rodding around town is your thing then the auto is better suited for that. Out on the freeway from about 50mph on up I believe that this stock truck with only about 700 miles on it is faster than the auto that I used to have. It pulls better in each gear and seems more willing to rev than the '99 did. I have also seen better mileage on my first tank with the '01 than I ever got with the '99. More power and better mileage... go figure.



I have heard guys with the 5-speed say things like "It would be nice to have the 6-speed", but I've never heard anyone with the 6-speed say that they would rather have the 5-speed.



The people at South Bend Clutch are supposed to have the answer to the clutch issue and they are spoken highly of here on the TDR. I put allot of stock in what is said by people that have nothing to gain by offering an opinion.



Can't help with the 4x4 vs. 4x2 question, both of mine have been 4x2. I know myself too well to buy a 35-40k 4x4 because I would drive it places that I have no business driving a 35-40k truck.



You asked about adding power so from my knowledge here goes:



The 01 (and '02 AFAIK) auto has the HY35 turbo which has a 9cm2 (I believe) exhaust housing. You will very quickly run into EGT problems if you add power to this combo and will have to upgrade the turbo. The auto will need attention if you add more power than something like the EZ, VA, or mild injectors like DD1's or 275's.



The '01 (and '02 AFIK) manuals run the HX35 turbo which has a 12cm2 (I believe) and generally does not need to be updated until you add allot more power. The clutch on the 5-speed will hold more power than the one on the 6-speed before slipping.



There are three popular ways to add power to these trucks. They are injectors, electronic boxes, and drugs.

Injectors range from bosch 275's to the fire-nozzles that DD makes for the seriously BOMB infected.

The electronic boxes like the Edge EZ and VA offer modest power increases and can be removed without leaving any evidence that they were there. The boxes like the PE Comp, TST Power Max, et al will require that wires be molested in such a way that evidence will be left behind and can be spotted by DC techs if they look for it.

The drugs are propane and I believe Nitrous but I could be mistaken about the nitrous. I have no real knowledge about the drugs, so someone who knows better than me will have to address this for you.



Hope this helps,

Mike

 

[LStewart]

I personally know of several and had a bad 6-speed October of last year; I think they are junk and shift like crap. The high output motor does seem to run better.



For longevity I would definantly go with the 5-speed. GM has been using them since 92' & Dodge since 94'; there are thousands of them around and easily rebuildable and will take lots of abuse, and shift very smooth.



The 6-speed seems to be a new thing that didn't work out to well; lots of posts about grinding going into gear, early replacements & poor shift quality on this board; the main and only problem I know of with the 5-speed is the 5th gear nut but that's pretty easy and cheap to fix if it does ever go out; most people just avoid pulling very heavy in 5th. I have had two 5-speeds, my brother has also had two and all have been worked very hard with no problems; the clutches are also good performers to.

 

[Bob Wagner]

I love my 91% VB & TC from www.dieseltrans.com





This combo is unbeatable for the auto crowd

 

[TORQUS MAXIMUS]

Hey Greg, what's up bud. I would go with the auto and 4. 10 gears. Regular cab too if you want to hot rod around. I know you like to hot rod it heh heh heh. I say auto because there's no boost drop off during shifts. A little something to consider. If you must have a manual, then I say go with the 5 speed. I know some people will say I'm wrong but this is just my opinion. Lot of people will say get the 6 speed because of the closer spaced gear ratios over the five speed. If your bombed, you'll have so much more torque that it would be irrelevant. You will also have one less gear to shift. I've read posts people saying stoplight to stoplight racing, the 5 speed was faster shifting through the gears making the 5speed truck quicker than the 6 speed. One less gear of boost drop off to boot. I talk about racing because I know how you like to run your truck heh heh heh. If you cant go with auto then I say definately 5 speed. As far as 4x4 or 4x2 that's personal preference. If it's not important, then go 4x2 and save $3,000 and put it towards bombing. It's a $4,000 savings if you go 5 speed over the auto. Also, as far as bombing is concerned, like Tom said, go with injectors, Air filters,and fueling box. They can be easily taken off when you need to take your truck in for service. Specifically, I'd go with diesel dynamics stealth injectors. I believe they have cummins parts numbers on them so they look like stock injectors. You wont have to remove those at all. Fueling box wise go with power edge-ez, connects and disconnects in about a minute. Anyways, hope this helps buddy. Sorry for the long post.

 

[THancock]

From the things I've read the 6sp/HO has a stronger clutch than the 5 has, and the five has also had problems with input shaft bearings. My friend told me he had heard the same thing just about a month before his went out. Then he knew for sure. He had 98k on the truck when it did and warranty covered it. He was very thankful and lucky too. Ya get that extra HP and torque with that 6 also. I'm like the rest here, I never heard anyone with a 6 wish they had a 5, but have heard the other way 'round.

As far a insurance goes, I have Farmers and there is no difference as far as 2x and 4x goes. Good luck with whatever your choice is.

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

As far as 4x4 vs 4x2, I would go with 2wd unless you really thought you needed 4wd.



My first Dodge/Cummins was a '98. 5 QuadCab 4x4 which was a great truck. After going all winter and barely using 4x4, and hearing the 4x2s seemed to get a solid 2mpg better, I decided to take my chances on a 4x2 when I got my new truck. I also liked the idea of having less weight and lower center of gravity. I am happy with going 2wd and would do it again. I like the way it drives and handles and it flies down the highway with a lot less effort than my '98. I can cruise at a decent clip (75-78mph) and still turn in 22mpg.



As far as snow we barely get any, but I did trek up into the mountains to go snowboarding several times last winter. I always carried chains but never had to pull them out. My stock, pathetic Michelin A/S tires got me up the snowy highways just fine. In fact I was almost surprised at how well it did in the snow. Definitely order the limited slip if you go 2wd.



Vaughn

 

[speedracer]

If you're into hotrodding, I suppose the auto is the way to go(assuming you're willing to buck up for the DTT tc/vb combo). I'm real happy with my 6sp/HO, no problems at all so far(only 23,000 miles).

 

[dabubba]

ETH way to go- greg the way you like to go-- 6spd with all the boxes ======= mondo smoke remember napa??????????