auto to stick can it be done

[CraneGuy]

I've got a 05 dodge 3500 with a 48re

Im looking for someone to walk me though

A nv5600 swap or a shop that has done it already

Thanks Travis

 

[Mikey-KE7LBB]

68RFE is OUT! NV5600 is IN!!! - Dodge Cummins Diesel Forum



https://www.turbodieselregister.com...on-1994-1998/207121-convert-auto-6-speed.html



I'm sure there are hundreds more on here and other forums, but these two stood out after doing a search for "NV5600+swap"



It can be done!!

 

[CraneGuy]

My only problem is the computer I've talked
To a lot of people no one knows how to reprogram
The brain box or should I buy a new pickup
With a six speed in it already ?

 

[Mikey-KE7LBB]

You could also look for an ECM from a junk yard or have a dealer flash the one that you have to "tell" the computer that it has a manual trans and to forget that it ever had an auto. Just a thought... Maybe someone that has done it before will chime in.

 

[HBarlow]

The cheapest and most practical way to change your truck from automatic to manual six speed is to sell or trade your current truck and buy what you want.

The conversion can be done but will cost you thousands of dollars unless you can do it all yourselfe.

 

[Nyoest]

Travis why do you want to get rid of the auto? A well built auto is a very nice thing.



By the time you buy a good six speed $2,500 - 4,000 good clutch and pp $1500-2000 and have it installed clutch r&r is about 8 hours, apply your local shop rate plus the conversion time you could have your auto trans built to the hilt. And not have a butchered truck.



If your going to do a conversion correctly you need a new dash panel, cup holders no worky with stick. You also need a steering column to get rid of the gear selector along with a new gauge pod, no need for a gear indicator. Not sure what kind of mounts/cross member set up you might need, the older trucks you could just move the original member back a little. And whatever it gonna take electrically to not set DTCs all the time.



Not saying it can't or shouldn't be done, just do it properly.

 

[rMetzger]

Ditto the "it's a pain" comments! I love my truck, and that's why I did it. Couldn't part with it, but, couldn't stand the slush box any more.

If there's no emotional attachment to the truck in question, trade it.

Swaps like this gained a huge PITA factor when computers invaded our vehicles.

 

[Prairie Dog]

I'd like to go the other way and put in a 68RFE but I know it's nearly impossible because of the computer and plus, I'm too cheap.

 

[Mark31]

CraneGuy, I also have a pretty low opinion of the stock 48re and especially the torque converter. My buddy has a "perked up" 3500 srw lb (255k miles) with a Goerend transmission. There is nothing not to love---the right torque converter, the right shift, the right lockup, the right feel, etc. I think it has been in for 100K. He just put Carli ball joints and lockout hubs on it, and says he wouldn't swap "Snowball" for a new one. Before you make your decision, at least drive a truck with a built transmission.

 

[CraneGuy]

I've got a sun coast converter and a valve body

I'm not talking bad about them but when I gross

24500 lbs with my truck it short shifts even with a

Load behind it I have to drive it with the shifter or

It can't get out of its own way like I said I'm not trying

to start drama it just doesn't pull any good

 

[HBarlow]

Like many TDR members I had a full towing rebuild DTT in an '06 Ram 3500 w/48RE that I towed commercially with. It worked great and held up well to the daily abuse. Not as good as my Aisin six speed but it was durable and did not slip.

 

[JohnBoy5]

I have a Goerend auto and would not trade it for a stick. i hated it stock one but this thing is aweome on the track great for pulling with abd its tough. i am putting down close to 500hp and 1000 ftlbs and pull a gooseneck that can get up to about 25k easy. mountains = no problem beating a surubrus wrx = no problem taking down a mustang = no problem. infact i cant think of anything bad to say about it. get a Goerend you will love it!

 

[Mark31]

I've got a sun coast converter and a valve body

I'm not talking bad about them but when I gross

24500 lbs with my truck it short shifts even with a

Load behind it I have to drive it with the shifter or

It can't get out of its own way like I said I'm not trying

to start drama it just doesn't pull any good

Have you given Suncoast a chance help you work through your problems?

 

[CraneGuy]

I have not called sun coast yet can they make it hold
A gear until I get off the throttle ?

 

[cerberusiam]

I have not called sun coast yet can they make it hold

A gear until I get off the throttle ?

You already have that ability, manually shift it.



You signature doesn't show any info about the truck or mods. It is tough to tell exactly what you have and what could be the problem. Give us a little more info about mods both to the trans and engine.



At 24k you should have no problem with a good tight TC and trans getting things rolling nor holding gears. What gears do you feel it short shifts and where do you feel the biggest problem is?



The jump to OD is going to be an issue whether its a manual or auto, thats just the way these transmissions are. The typical shift\lock scenario in an 05 can be problematic but there are ways to mitigate it and drive around the problem.



If you want to hold the gears longer then a shift enhancer on the higher settings stretches those shift points. Modifying the TTVA motor setup will also help with that. The lack of an OD lockout can be annoying towing heavy and slow. BD's OD lockout works great to give an 05 even better options and control than the 06+ trucks.



You have a solid setup that is quite adequate for the weight you are towing and probably just need a little tuning. Depending on what you think is short shifting a programmer will make that problem go away also if you understand how they work.



I have towed +23k coast to coast with my 05 and had no problems starting off or maintaining a decent speed while still getting up to 12 mpg at times.

 

[AlaskanCummins]

The cheapest and most practical way to change your truck from automatic to manual six speed is to sell or trade your current truck and buy what you want.



The conversion can be done but will cost you thousands of dollars unless you can do it all yourselfe.

I can always count on you Harvey to be the wet blanket. :-laf

 

[HBarlow]

I live in the real world. I've never found dreaming of impractical and impossible projects very helpful.

 

[AlaskanCummins]

I live in the real world. I've never found dreaming of impractical and impossible projects very helpful.

Imagine if Rudolph Diesel thought the same thing... .

 

[HBarlow]

I was a teenager hotrodder with a driver's license and a Model A Ford at age 14. We scoured junkyards for parts and taught ourselves auto mechanics as we went along replacing broken transmissions and snapped axles in the driveway. We exchanged engines from almost anything into anything else using a children's swing set. I know, or knew, all about swapping parts and making do with what we had.

We now live in an age where automotive components are all computer controlled. It is naive to think someone can swap manual and automatic transmissions in late model Dodge Ram platforms without running into computer control issues and stupid or cruel to advise someone who asks if it can be done that it can without extensive money and engineering.

Rudolph Diesel grew up in an age where little had been invented and the only barriers to creation were natural genius and inventiveness. He was a genius, a driven man, inventive and creative.

Have you done that swap as the OP inquired about or do you just want to run your mouth because I advised him correctly?

 

[rscurtis]

I would have to agree. I built two diesel trucks before you could buy them- a '74 International with a 3-53, and a '77 Blazer with a 5 cylinder Deutz. The second worked out very well and was very economical, espescially with the 55MPH speed limit of the day. I had it finished about the time the first 6. 2's hit the streets.



Today, however, there is no incentive to do this, as what you can buy is far better than what you can build. Same thing with the conversion to stick from automatic. If you couldn't buy a Ram with a stick shift, then this is your only choice. But since you can, why re-invent the wheel and then end up with an altered vehicle that will have compromised resale value?