auto versus 6 speed

[Bertram65]

I wasn't doing that at all. I was basing my statements on the fact that an auto, even the most reliable ones, has more parts than a manual, and costs more to maintain and upgrade. Sure the 48RE is more reliable, but the TC still sucks, and is mushy, not ideal for towing. That said, I will keep mine stock just for the sake of warranty, then it's bye bye to the slushy TC and in with DTT... not really because it will be so reliable, but because it will be FUN to drive and operate the way an automatic transmission should operate from the factory.



Also, regarding your statement about 48RE having fewer problem reports than the NV5600... one reason is because they haven't been in use as long, and the other reason is the overwhelming majority of HEAVY towers prefer and therefore buy the NV5600. Whether this is justified or not, this means that there will probably be more failures just due to the higher percentage of people abusing them.



All in all, I think both transmissions are quite stout, both come with a warranty, and both will serve you well in stock form for the duration of the warranty 99% of the time.

I was not referrring to your comments in particular, in general everyone bashes the auto, and it is all based on the 47RE's problems. As far as the problems autos vs. 6 speeds I am only referring to 3rd gen trucks, the 48RE is in any truck built after 1/1/03 so that is the vast majority of 3rd gen trucks, also the vast majority of 3rd gen trucks have autos not 6 speeds.

 

[hasselbach]

my friend said

Re manual or auto, a friend of mine has an auto and he complains that it downshifts too far when he floorboards it that it actually slows down! He says he has to back off and let it upshift before it will accelerate. He took it to the dealer who said the trans has a computerized memory that has to learn what his driving habits are before it will shift properly.



Gimme a break! No, gimme a 6-speed! I don't need a brake, er, break.

One thing is for sure, there is no shortage of "friends that said" something to support something. Let see, so far this month, I have read posts that said "my friend is getting 700 hp out of his cummins", and 'my friend gets 33 mpg out of his 03' and 'my friends ford runs 11's in the quarter, and tows 40k lbs daily' Oo.



Maybe your friend is pushing on the brake pedal and not the gas?

 

[Bertram65]

Re manual or auto, a friend of mine has an auto and he complains that it downshifts too far when he floorboards it that it actually slows down! He says he has to back off and let it upshift before it will accelerate. He took it to the dealer who said the trans has a computerized memory that has to learn what his driving habits are before it will shift properly.



Gimme a break! No, gimme a 6-speed! I don't need a brake, er, break.

The dealer is an idiot, the 48RE is not adaptive. It does not learn.

 

[DPelletier]

Bertram65,

You make a good point about the 48RE being tainted by people's feelings toward the 47. The 48RE has been holding up well IMO and is certainly stronger than the 47. Despite these facts, you seem to be trying to say that the 48RE has less problems than the NV-5600 and to that I have to strongly disagree. The NV-5600 is simply the strongest, most reliable transmission in any diesel truck. No auto is going to hold up longer than the 6-spd. Just the way it is. And the extra gears are very noticable towing heavy. I'm not bashing the autos as they have some advantages, but strength and longevity aren't among them.



Dave

 

[hasselbach]

I thought the nv5600's had some major input shaft problems a few years ago, no?

 

[EEdmondson]

Get what you like to drive. Personally, I hate automatics. Most people hate sticks. It's all personal preference... BTW, what is it that you guys with autos are grabbing with your right hand?

 

[hasselbach]

Get what you like to drive. Personally, I hate automatics. Most people hate sticks. It's all personal preference... BTW, what is it that you guys with autos are grabbing with your right hand?

I'm usually grabbing my 32 oz. soda that is easier to reach since its closer. Poor guys with the sticks, you have to have really long arms to get to the drink holders. :{

 

[FDavid]

I thought the nv5600's had some major input shaft problems a few years ago, no?

Yes, mostly on bombed trucks but now the input shafts are bigger/stronger on the 03+ 6 speeds



BTW geno's has solved our cupholder problem



#ad

 

[mberry]

Good thing I have long arms then. Anyway, I have the auto now (until tomorrow) and it's really fun and convenient around town and in traffic. The few times I have towed with it, it was definitely not fun.



New truck is a 6 speed. I'll get used to it since I really want to start RVing and I think the 6 speed is better for towing in stock form. I plan on keeping my warranty as long as I can stand it.

 

[Blufrog]

Get what you like to drive. Personally, I hate automatics. Most people hate sticks. It's all personal preference... BTW, what is it that you guys with autos are grabbing with your right hand?

My wife's left... well nevermind!

 

[CChase]

Then I notice, that 6th is . 74 to 1 whereas the auto is . 69 to 1, meaning at 60 miles per hour, the stick is about 250 rpm's higher than the auto.

Actually it's more like 95 RPMs at 60MPH, but don't forget all the time that the converter is unlocked, your engine is turning faster than the transmission input shaft...

Plus you have this goofy pan on the floor for the drink holder, and you lose all the trans tunnel foot space for the center seat.

Definite bonus there for the auto...

if that doesn't work, I'm going to figure out how to adapt an Allison to the Cummins, patent it, and retire when all of you guys buy my adaptor kit.

Actually I'll take a 58RE or Torqueshift that is exhaust brake compatible, then you might sell me an auto... . outside of that, it's a bolt action for me.

 

[thejeepdude]

Then last week I was towing 4 horses (about 11K loaded with trailer) and hated the auto's strange habits such as absolutely no engine braking, and mushy Torque converter feel. Going down a long grade in 3rd, once the engine gets below 1800, it completely disengages and you have no engine braking.

Is that with the tow/haul button engaged? It's my understanding that this will lock the TC in 3rd, therefore no mushy feel. And if you shift to 2nd while tow/haul is on and you're under 50mph, it will stay locked and shift to 2nd. This should provide pretty good engine braking, and with the TC locked it's basically the same as a manual trans in that regard, aside from different ratios.

 

[DPelletier]

Hasselbach,

No there were no major input shaft problems (compared to say the magnitude of 47RE failures). The input shaft was revised and all 2001 and up NV-5600's have the larger shaft. I'm not trying to get into an auto vs. manual argument because each have thier place and each have thier advantages but to suggest the 48RE is stronger or will last longer than a NV-5600 is a HUGE stretch of the imagination. Buy what you will.





Dave

 

[djbobo]

If I read your question correctly you were not asking for a preference between stock auto's and manuals. It was between a ATS auto & a stock 6 speed - right?

I would take a full ATS auto over a stock 6 speed. You would be getting a trannie capable of handling almost twice the power of a stock manual trannie-But you would be out not only the cost of the upgrade (about 4k) but also the factory warrenty would be voided. Soooooo personally facing those facts traded my 3 gen auto for a 3 gen 6 speed. It worked out that for the cost of upgrading to an full ATS made it a wash in the loss of trading for the manual & was able to keep the factory warrenty to boot.

If cost & warrenty are not an issue then I would get the ATS with the controller & why not throw in a exhaust brake while your at it then you will have, in my opinion, the closest you can get to haveing the best of both worlds



dj

 

[JRMora]

Since everyone is sharing opinions, I'll add mine, too.



I have owned and towed with auto and manual transmission diesels. Never more than 10k, but it shouldn't negate my opinion, anyway.



I currently bought a 6-speed. We are trailerless at the moment, but are looking at 14k fifth wheels. For me, 6 speed made more sense (than a 4 speed auto). We had a four speed Ford auto (another story, another time). Prior to that was "old blue" a five speed Dodge. I was never happy pulling with only four gears. In the Ford (a definitely more peaky engine) it seemed to always be out of the power-band. We lived in Colorado at the time so we weren't towing in the flats. The cummins has a much flatter powerband, but I still want the most ratios I can get to keep the engine in the "sweet spot".



I think the new ford Torque-shift and the Allision are smart having 5 speeds (especially for those engines), and I hope Dodge does come out with a HD 5 speed transmission.



That being said, I use this truck as a daily driver (25,000 miles per year), dealing with rush hour traffic, and I can say, 1. ) you get used to the shift pattern, 2. ) the transmission does get easier with age to shift, 3. ) I like 1st gear for launching heavy loads (no gas - just let the clutch out and things get rolling), and 4. ) I think that manual transmissions just look and sound cool in trucks.







The real reason I like my 6 speed? See argument #4!



Buy what you a comfortable with every day. Bomb what you need. Hang on and have fun.



BTW, I have to pry my truck away from my wife on a constant basis. She likes the manual, too.



Juan

 

[GFritsch]

Love my six speed. It makes driving the truck more of a personal exprience. If I had to commute in the truck in heavy traffic I might reconsider.

 

[DPelletier]

dj,

How do you know an ATS modded 48RE could take "twice the power of a stock manual transmission"? As far as I know there haven't been enough NV-5600 power related failures to determine any upper limit.



Dave

 

[sarj]

Just another opinion

First... I have gotten lazy. I admit it. I am OK with it. I have moved on. I still have my VW, but I like my 48RE and would buy another. I'm only towing 5000, and it isn't all that often.



Second... I can only think of one good reason for myself to get 6 speed, and that's if I spent a lot more time climbing rocks... but that wasn't what I got the truck for, but I'd take a stick everytime if I was running washes at night in the desert like the good ol' days.



Third... my woman really likes not having the 6 speed, and she's never driven it



Last... thanks for all this intelligent conversation... it's the best thread I've read all month, and I'm startin' to think what I might get done as soon as I get a few thousand miles behind me.



sarj

 

[SGBARRACUDA]

I don't know why people say the auto is a weaker than the stick. I had 235k on my 95 original auto trans when I sold it last week! In its like I towed a 35' 5th wheel, 28" Carriage w/ a slide,I pulled a 32' cargo trailer for the local high school marching band for 6 yrs to sports events and compititions and once to NY city so they could march in the Macy's thanksgiving parade. Inbetween all this I also used it to pull my SG Barracuda arround the state. I thinks its personel driving habbits and PM that determine auto longevity!

 

[DPelletier]

People say the auto is weaker than the stick because it is. Come on people, I am the first person who will admit the advantages of an automatic transmission, but you don't really think that there are more 6 spds out there failing than 48re's or even 47's do you?



If you say " the auto is easier in traffic", I'll be the first to agree. If you say " it's easier for my wife to drive", yep. "easier to back up my trailer", OK. " I like to talk on my cell phone/slurp coffee/eat McBurgers wilst driving", you betcha, BUT "because it'll last longer than an NV-5600", Sorry I don't think so.



Dave