Auto or Stick

[College Cummins]

I'm in the market for a good first gen, but am kinda unfamiliar with just about everything about them. I got the basics about the intercooled vs. non-intercooled and all, but my main question is, Which transmission should I be on the look out for? I here that the getrag is horrible, but the same with the 727, which I don't plan on getting, but what about a a-518? The truck is gonna mainly be used for long distance highway miles and getting me around town, and an occasional tow. Yes, I do plan on bombing, I can't leave anything well enough alone. I just wanna know what do ya'll think is more reliable for power upgrades, or I guess, the lesser of the two evils, the a-518 or the getrag. Thanks and God Bless, James

 

[NIsaacs]

I have a "91. 5" D-250 with 293,000 miles, w/original 360-Getrag trans and clutch. I bought the truck new so I know the history. I change the oil in it every 36,000 miles with 15/40 Rotella & do not over fill as some recommend. The rear axle is also original, 3. 54 open, I use 85/140, changed at 50,000 mile intervals. Some things I have fixed or changed, are, one pulley on belt tensioner, one complete tensioner, one throwout brg. , one set of brakes, one set of shocks, one oil pressure sender, one intake temp sender, one t-stat, and several voltage regulators. The 1-gen is a good, dependable pickup. Mods are, pump,injecters, turbo housing, 3" stright pipe, mild mods on stock intake, and a set of guages.



"NICK"

 

[1stgen4evr]

Auto or manual will make little difference if you plan to bomb in the future. You will have to spend some money on whatever transmission you have. The concensus is that the auto can be upgraded to handle anything you put on it. There are no upgrades for the Getrag. You will need to change to a stronger transmission if you do much power upgrade.



There are no bad first gens. There are choices that will let you best fit the truck you get to the use you plan. There are plenty of owners who have never had a problem with their Getrag. There are plenty who can tell you a horror story. The result in most cases is relative to their use and not to how Dodge speced the truck. These trucks are being used in every sort of application from serious heavy load/tow to frivilous toy.



I have an automatic and a manual so I can choose to match the trip. I can tell you that I don't like the service that I have gotten from the automatic but it isn't the transmission that is the problem. It is the PCM and TPS.



You will always get better highway mileage with a manual but if your use is mostly around town with an occassional long trip, the automatic will be more desirable.



One possibility is to buy the truck on price and condition and then do whatever you want on the transmission. Or, get more than one. You can own half a dozen for the price of one 04.



My two cents worth.



James

 

[JLEONARD]

I have the Getrag and have had no particular problems with it... other than I am pretty careful how I shift it based on it's "reputation". I change oil once a year and over fill as has been recommended with 5-30 synthetic.

As you can see in my signture the truck is mildly BOMBed and so far the stock clutch and transmission are holding up fine. And I like the daily 22+ mpg

But my next truck will most likely be an automatic... . not because of the Getrag per se, but because I want to stomp and go.

I don't think you should worry too much about which to buy. They both have their issues that must be dealt with.

Good luck hunting.

Jay

 

[dpuckett]

Go for the manual for town or highway driving. In town, the auto will kill your MPGs, and unless you upgrade it (rebuild with performance parts, namely a lower- stalling converter), wont beat a VW Rabbit off the line. The one auto I had ate 3 or 4 TPSs in the 40K I had it- or roughly half the cost of a rebuild of a Getrag. The main problem with the Getrag going out is a combination of people never checking the oil level, and lugging the ever loving snot out of it. My father talked me out of a Getrag first time around, because of how terrible they were- his went out at 70K. But then he is in 5th gear by 40mph with 3. 54s!!! I also doubt his regular changing of the oil, too. Plus, with the 5w30 they recommend, it can burn out on an empty hwy trip. No more slushboxes for me.



If you like controlling the gear it is in, and want better off the line/ get up and go in traffic, get a manual. Just overfill it (though some have had luck with not overfilling) with 5w40, 15w50, et al. Just make sure it is a little heavier than the 5w30, but not a gear oil weight. THough the one I had that had gear oil in it was just a little stiff on a cold morning. Keep the RPMs up a little, and you should be fine.



Daniel

 

[cerberusiam]

I vote auto. Lock-n-launch! Stomp and go!



Tuned correctly and driven sanely (hah!!) mine will get 20 to 22 on the hiway and 17 to 18 around town. It will do 12 to 16 towing 5 to 10k. The manual will get better mileage overall and the Getrag will handle a good share of power when it is driven appropriately and maintained. Stop and go driving with a manual just sucks. Its either shift all the time or lug and wind it out. The auto can be built into a fairly bullet proof unit and the addition of a good lockup converter will enhance mileage and driveability. We know the auto can built to take a fair amount of power. I shudder to think of what the Getrag would do with 900 ft/lbs TQ very often. Maintenance is more with an auto to keep it in top shape and there are more parts to buy. I think the auto is a lot easier on the drive lines and diffs due to the slippage and it does a better job of isolating the engine harmonics.



A lot will depend on your needs and personal preferences. I would prefer the auto but would not hesitate to buy a manual if a good deal presented itself. If you don't like the getrag or kill it you can upgrade to an NV4500 and have a real good unit.



Good luck on your search.

 

[WashingtonFLHTRider]

I drive truck for a living. The last thing I want to do is shift in my pick up. Had I purchased a truck for full time towing (like a hot shot or RV transporter), the manual would have been my choice.

I am partial to the automatics and the 727 line of transmissions. They have held up to alot of abuse by me over the years. The 518 is nothing more than a 727 with OD. These can be built to take alot of power. I used to work in a trany shop owned by a very good friend. It does not hurt that he is a Mopar man tried & true!

For my use the automatic is the only way to go. Most of the time I drive the truck empty or with very light loads. Plan to haul a 30' camp trailer with my bike in the back. However that is a couple years down the road. And will be used for trips of 50 to 250 miles.

The best advice I can make for anyone who buys one of these trucks with an automatic. Plenty of cooling, install a temp guage, have some line pressure & shift improvements done. The tighter converter helps in the smile department also.

If you don't already know someone in the trany business, these people are great to have as friends. Not just any bozzo can build them for a living and survive. Most are very smart & can save you a TON of money if they like you! If you find a good trany guy that is honest and knows his stuff. Send all your friends to him. Make sure they mention that you sent them in. Any shop owner worth his salt will take care of you for doing this. Maybe not with cash, but with a heck of a sweet deal when you need some work done.

 

[College Cummins]

Thanks for the replies fellas, I appreciate any advice ya'll can give. I think that I'm leaning toward the manual, what can I say, I like to row my own, but the stomp and go vision does sound appealing. Keep 'em coming, James

 

[royster]

how much bombing?

college cummins,



when i was in your position - buying a 1st gen for the first time - i didn't know jack. the only reason i ended up with an auto was because it was the nicest one around. all the trucks for sale with sticks were junk. so, i went with what was out there and i like it! normally, i am not an auto guy. all my life, my trucks or cars have been sticks (unless it was just a beater that i didn't care about). almost all of my driving is on the highway, so the auto is just fine... sit back and relax! sure the sticks are fun, and i miss it sometimes. so what? most folks i know with bombed 1st gens have autos, typically handled by dtt. mind you, i live in the land of pdr and dtt, so there are more of us around.





anyway, i know it may be a hard question to answer, but think about how much power you might realistically want down the road.



here's my two cents...



if you're going to keep it stock or mild bombing, then an a518 or getrag... your choice. you may experience problems with either, or maybe not.



if you are going to moderate bombing, then an a518 with new torque convertor, valve body, fluid pan, etc. or swap out the getrag for a newer NV 5 or 6 speed and beefy clutch. both options will hurt your wallet big time.



if you're going all out, then an automatic is the way to go since you can beef it up to take anything. and, since your going all out, no need to watch the bank account. :-laf



again, just my two cents. it's all i have left!



cheers,



roy

 

[Stomp]

The Getrag can be reliable. I am on my second one. The first one went out due to poor maintnance. It handles 419/1000 just on #2 and when I get frisky 520/1245 with the switches fliped. I do that about every other day or so. So it can hanlde it. How long will it last???? Who knows. It shifts fine and has no whines/grinds. It is in the shop right now as we speek getting twins put on it. So I will have even more hp, on another note if I buy another one it will have an automatic in it. I would love to just stomp on it and go. Either way you cant go wrong.



Stomp