Anyone seen the toothfairy? I've lost some teeth... :(

[ENafziger]

Well, I found the source of the the vibration that started in 6th gear. I pulled the drain plug, and here's what I saw. I was able to dig two more teeth out of the bottom of the transmission.

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The FilterMag and Geno's trans filter kit were effective at catching all of the small metallic particles... so much so, that there was not even any metal noticeable in the fluid that I drained.

The transmission has 103,000 on it, and I've been running Amsoil ATF for nearly all of its life. I've never drag raced. I sled-pulled once (4-Lo 4th gear). I always double-clutch and shift slow. I've been at the ~650 hp level for the past 60k miles, and have used the truck like a truck.

This happened only a few thousand miles after we returned from our 10k mile Alaska honeymoon grossing 20,300 lbs. When pulling heavy, I always kept rpm over 1700 when at half throttle, and always over 2000 when at full throttle.

It looks like the truck is going to be down till fall or so until funds become available

Doing things over again, I think I would've installed Mike's G56 girdle, ran Gorilla juice, and kept rpms over 2200 when towing... ALWAYS!

--Eric

 

[GCroyle]

Ouch, them teeth need more than Ora-gel (sp?) or even JB weld to make em feel better.



Good luck.

 

[Slow Six]

That's what happened to my NV5600 a couple of years ago. After that and a rear diff failure the "chip" was removed and has stayed removed. The drive train is designed for stock power levels and if we go beyond these levels things will break. For me it was an expensive lesson. I only had a small power increase compared to what you have. It is not only our trucks but the same applies even to the class 8 trucks. I've heard of truckers getting engines turned up only to have a transmission failure later or even farms tractors having a meltdown after unauthorized power increases. It appears you tried to keep RPMs up but you were still applying way more torque to those gears than what they were designed for. It has been said on here many times, you pay to play.

 

[ENafziger]

It has been said on here many times, you pay to play.

Yup, I agree... but in my case, it's not really play, it's work. Dad's truck (1995 Dodge 3500 4x4 Cummins) just barely cuts the mustard. Last Monday he came back from a 550 mile trip hauling a tractor and bush hog back, and it was pitiful. More than a handful of hills on I-75 through Kentucky had him down to 2nd gear and 15 mph... and that is NOT a safe speed to be traveling on the interstate!

The added power and spoolup from my mods really help. Towing with ~400 hp is nice, and is really all you need, and all I ever used... . in fact, it's about all you CAN tow with for an extended time, as oil cooling and engine cooling cannot keep up.

--Eric

 

[cerberusiam]

Towing with ~400 hp is nice, and is really all you need, and all I ever used... . in fact, it's about all you CAN tow with for an extended time, as oil cooling and engine cooling cannot keep up.

Yes it is and one way or another its gonna cost to keep doing it, either in trans repairs or upgrades.



I am sure the 37" tires probably contributed more than anything. That is the major problem with the G56, the TQ raise havoc with gears eventually.

 

[HOBrian]

Yes it is and one way or another its gonna cost to keep doing it, either in trans repairs or upgrades.



I am sure the 37" tires probably contributed more than anything. That is the major problem with the G56, the TQ raise havoc with gears eventually.

Is it the gears that are not strong enough or is it the case that is weak causing this?

 

[cerberusiam]

Ultimately, the case is the problem. The amount of deflection under load is what cause the damage to the gears and bearings. That is what the cradles are meant to address.

 

[ENafziger]

Ultimately, the case is the problem. The amount of deflection under load is what cause the damage to the gears and bearings. That is what the cradles are meant to address. <!-- google_ad_section_end --> <!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

I talked with Mike earlier today.

I agree that's alot of the problem. It seems as if the rate of separation between the main shaft and counter shaft is approximately 0. 001" per 50 fl-lb torsional force applied. i. e. 1000 ft-lbs of torque actually allows the shafts to move 0. 020" or more!!! Proper line contact in the helical mesh is lost, and localized tooth loading approaches infinity as the shafts flex further and further apart. A case stiffener such as the Torq Shield helps considerably.

Another problem is with the ATF specified by Dodge. The chemistry of automatic transmission fluid is completely different from a gear oil, in that ATF provides no cushion between gears. It looks like I'm going to go with GL-6 Gorilla Juice, which retains excellent film strength and a healthy dose of extreme pressure lubricant additive; furthermore, it's designed to be run in high speed helical gear sets.

For those of you (like me) who thought that running a synthetic ATF was good enough protection for the G56, I warn you. If you tow frequently, it seems like it's pretty common to lose 3rd, 4th, 6th gear, or the input shaft bearing right at the 100k mile mark. This is especially true for those running a solid flywheel (as opposed to the OEM DMF). Oh, and gear failure is being seen in trucks from stock power as well.

--Eric

 

[Ross]

What is this "gorilla juice" and where can I get it? I have the SB clutch and single flywheel, and tow at 30K (combined) constantly. So far, no transmission problems, but sounds like they're inevitable. If the "juice" will prolong the damage, I'm all over it.

 

[ENafziger]

What is this "gorilla juice" and where can I get it?

Scroll down a little here: Transmission

As far as I know, all the prices on the site include free shipping!

--Eric