Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) 5th gear nut loose-repair w/o removal?

[JAlford]

My 5th gear nut has backed off. Does anyone know if you can tighten the nut w/o removing the trans from the truck? It is a 4x4.

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

Buy a new nut--threads will be stripped on the old one

Get the Miller tool for the nut. You can put the trans in gear and use an engine barring tool so you don't need the Miller tool that fits the output splines.

Remove the lowest bolt of the driver's side pto cover and let trans drain. When you take off the tailhousing, it will drain anyway, but more messy that way. You also want to take off the left pto cover to clean the magnet and the bottom of the trans case because metal from the nut's threads may be there.

Remove transfer case--if 1997 back, there is wiring on the tailhousing of it for the speedometer. There is a vacuum "tree" connector on the top, and linkage on the trans for the transfer case.

Remove the crossmember (support the trans) and transmission tail housing. Now you can spray clean the splines on the main shaft and on fifth gear. Use red high temp loctite on the splines and the nut threads, install the new nut to at least 300 ft lb. You will be doing this again since you haven't replaced the beat up mainshaft with one fully splined under 5th gear.

 

[JAlford]

Joseph - thanks for the info. I guess I should just bite the bullet and do it right. I have the standard transmission fully splined shaft kit already - bought it when I started towing. I need a new clutch anyway, since mine is slipping while towing if I pull hard. Just was hoping to get it running with a "quick fix" until I can afford the downtime.



Does anyone know a good trans shop in the Cincinnati,OH region?



Thanks,

 

[Steve Campbell]

Joe D.

Does a person need a nut wrench (Miller part #6743) or will a standard socket (I don't know the size but my selection goes up to 2 3/4") allow one to torque the new nut in place?

 

[Briar Hopper]

It's not like a regular nut that you can use a socket on. That's why the Miller tool is needed. The new nut has to be tightened to 280-300 ft. lbs. of torque also. We get a lot of these 5th gear repair jobs, some customers want the fully splined mainshaft, others just want the new nut installed. We've seen about 4 or 5 different ways a high horsepower truck can mess up the overdrive section. If I keep my 5 speed instead of yanking it over the winter to install a DTT automatic, I've got a few tricks I'm thinking of trying on the overdrive to eliminate the other problems.