2006 six speed transmission bearing failing

[LeathersL]

I live in central Kentucky. Where is a good place to have my transmission repaired?

 

[Wayne M.]

Check the TDR advertisers. I think either Standard or Blumenthal is in your general area.

 

[RVTRKN]

Although Standard was very good to me and rebuilt my G56. I recommend blumenthals, they are the official Ram G56 rebuilder as well as the NV5600 rebuilder rep.

 

[LeathersL]

Thank you. I will look these shops up.

 

[Motorhead]

How many miles on your G56? Did you tow a lot? One last question, Did you always run ATF in the trans or did you go to a thicker oil and over fill?

 

[LeathersL]

The truck has 94000 miles and has been treated gently with soft starts. When toeing, it pulls a 25 foot Fleetwood trailer with no slide-outs that is well under the capacity of the truck. It had the original fill of oil until a month ago. It was serviced at a local dealership and refilled with factory specked oil. Severe cold weather is what caused the damage. The truck is housed in a small barn with no heat. I do often use the block heater during the winter but that is of no help to the transmission. I ride a motorcycle year around unless there is ice or snow on the road in which case the truck comes out. It is also sometimes used on Sundays.

 

[RVTRKN]

When you get it fixed, warm it up with trans in 4th and transfer case in Neutral, while your warming up engine. How did the cold destroy the trans, Kentucky is not well known for freezing cold, enough to destroy a G56.

 

[Motorhead]

Running ATF is what helped to destroy your transmission. That transmission was designed for heavier GEAR oil. I tried the Delvac 50 wt in mine and it made it hard shifting in the MILD winters here in Calif. I put Amsoil full synthetic Synchromesh oil with an extra quart. I have 111,000 miles and tow heavy. My trans is dead quiet. I got rid of the ATF right after I bought it new.
I also do what RVTRKN does in the winter. Sure helps because I have the high idle enabled in my truck and a Pacbrake. My truck and trans warms up fast. Get rid of the ATF! Never heard of "Speckled" oil. Sure it's not metal in it?

 

[EricViviano]

@Motorhead I would somewhat disagree. For folks who actually do live where it's cold, I'm talking cold not a little frost on your windshield. I mean zero or below for 4 months. It was -12F here yesterday morning. ATF+4 works in these conditions, as it is a full synthetic 20w oil. There are many many G56 in this area, and most are run bone stock. Zero problems.

Me personally, I fill with ATF+4 to plug then add 1 additional quart of Lucas full synthetic oil stabilizer through the shift tower. I have been doing this for quite some time on many different G56.

As far as warming up the trans, have driven manual trucks in coldest climate in lower 48 for 16 years and never done this. Never had an issue. Warm up the truck yes, start it up and walk away.

 

[Motorhead]

Eric, I understand what you are talking about. Believe it or not, we have been in the LOW 20's at night. I don't even know how Mercedes designed the G56 to run a 50wt. I tried it and it was a ***** to shift in the winter. They obviously didn't intend to run that transmission in Europe. I used my truck early yesterday morning and I put the transfer case in neutral, put the trans in 4th gear, set my HIGH Idle and set my Pacbrake. I came back into the house and gathered my things, got some coffee and when I went back out, the Pacbrake had just shut off because the truck was at operating temp and the cab was warm from the heater. The trans, while not fully warmed up, shifted okay.
With running ATF +4 and the LUCAS oil stabilizer, don't you think that you are thickening the ATF to about the weiight of Synchromesh oil? Just Asking.

 

[RVTRKN]

@Motorhead I would somewhat disagree. For folks who actually do live where it's cold, I'm talking cold not a little frost on your windshield. I mean zero or below for 4 months. It was -12F here yesterday morning. ATF+4 works in these conditions, as it is a full synthetic 20w oil. There are many many G56 in this area, and most are run bone stock. Zero problems.

Me personally, I fill with ATF+4 to plug then add 1 additional quart of Lucas full synthetic oil stabilizer through the shift tower. I have been doing this for quite some time on many different G56.

As far as warming up the trans, have driven manual trucks in coldest climate in lower 48 for 16 years and never done this. Never had an issue. Warm up the truck yes, start it up and walk away.

I warmed up transmission with the transfer case in neutral since the NV5600 in my 04.5. It was a bear to drive cold, at 60* cold.

 

[Ozymandias]

Does it really make a difference for warm up to be in Neutral or in (any) Gear.
To my knowledge in a synchronized Gearbox all Gears turn all the time as soon as the clutch is released.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manual_transmission#Synchronized_transmission

 

[Motorhead]

Ozy, I tried both ways, neutral with the high IDLE and in 4th gear with the transfer case in neutral. The later seemed to help the transmission shift easier. To each his own......

 

[nibroc]

motorhead----that was specked----not speckled

 

[Ozymandias]

Ozy, I tried both ways, neutral with the high IDLE and in 4th gear with the transfer case in neutral. The later seemed to help the transmission shift easier. To each his own......

I was just asking, interesting that it gives different results.

 

[EricViviano]

@Motorhead I would say it's in the realm of 30W with the stabilizer. That stabilizer blends in very well. Adds lubricity and quiets the gear box. It extends oil life as well, my tests with it in motor oil have been impressive.

As @Ozymandias said when you start your truck and then release the clutch the trans is warming itself up.

@RVTRKN I have the amsoil in my NV5600. I have been parking in the shop this hunting season so I can not really accurately report on how that oil does on a cold morning. But soon enough I should have some info on that.

 

[BigPapa]

When toeing, it pulls...

motorhead----that was specked----not speckled

nibroc and LeathersL, that would be SPECCED or SPEC’D, and TOWING, not TOEING.

 

[mfurrh55]

Well I've been running delvac 50 wt. for years now, up in Utah at -17deg, never had a shifting problem , if I lug it in 3rd I hear some rollover noise is all, if yours is hard to shift you have some other problems going on inside transmission, or maybe your hydraulics .

 

[Motorhead]

When I read the original post I am pretty sure I read speckled. Is it a few members duties to do SPELL or WORD correct?
I thought the original poster was using some special oil or noticed metal in the oil. Another reason why I DON'T frequent nor pay dues on the TDR anymore.

 

[EDankievitch]

I’ve had two G56 units. Switched over from +4 atf as soon as I learned about what the unit was designed to use. I ended up running Royal Purple Syncromesh gear lube with no issues. One unit had just over250k on it when I traded it in . That truck saw more than it’s fair share of cold mornings. Start and go as soon as oil pressure was up. So I don’t buy that cold killed your unit.