G 56 Trans and towing

[Dean Arthaud]

I wanted to offer advice for the TDR, its members and any who use a manual trans for towing....I bought my truck in Texas outright (new in 2011) and only use it for towing; usually with a gooseneck and gross around 22,000 lbs plus. It is a dually 2wd with 3.73 rears, G56 6speed. I have driven alot of vehicles; to include 18 wheelers and this truck is the best towing machine (both towing, stopping, mileage, you name it; there is no comparison) I have ever had the pleasure of driving.

The transmission as delivered has auto matic trans fluid in it and it whines incessantly with this fluid...and from what I have read on other websites if you want to take it to the dealer every 30-35000 miles for a rebuild leave it as is....

On the other hand if you would like to eliminate or greatly reduce this problem I have the solution.
Knowing a whining trans is not good I went to the internet for a solution...Whala!

If you go to the transmission manufacturers' website you will find that their recommendation is not 10wt trans fluid. (no matter how good it is or expensive) Mercedes Benz recommends that you put Mobil synthetic 50 wt trans fluid for (heavy use I believe is the term) . So I took mine to my fav mechanic raised it up at approx 4,500 miles and drained the thin stuff out and put in the correct fluid...and yes the drain plug did have metal on it!

Now it is almost quiet and I don't have to worry about the trans rebuild every 30,000 miles...I have done more since to the truck; 5 in exhaust, K&N filter, Southbend dual disc clutch, etc. I have to strongly disagree with the gentleman who said the trans, clutch, etc will last just fine in these trucks....They might if you pull 5,000-7,500 lb....but no they are very weak if you want to gross 20,000-30,000 lbs which is what Ram says they will do...My stock clutch was slipping going up hill in 6th gear at 2,000 rpm! I have had brand x with an automatic and guess what it burned up! I take extraordinary care of my vehicles and drive them like the old guy I am; Fast and steady! ha! Hope this helps some of you and keeps your Ram on the road...My truck does 15-18 empty and pulls the above with 9-12 mpg.

Oh and the comments about the K&N filters are not correct either....I run one and my oil is clean for up to 3,000 miles! Try that with any other diesel...the K&N must be combined with an H&S program (mini max)...electronics and engine power is left stock but it keeps the codes from popping up. Now I can run with about anyone and get good mileage with great towing power...best of all worlds...and I rarely have to shift out of 6th gear!

 

[mfurrh55]

I've been towing gross at 26,000 lbs ,i have 126,800 miles on my rig and i have G-56 6 speed with amsoil synthetic auto transmission fluid and the only problem i had was clutch slipping, got rid of the dual mass flywheel and went with the single , but the point is , the transmission has held up just fine with the thin stuff and my trans. is quiet, and i tow 3/4 of the time with it, but good luck with your unit, Monte

 

[Dean Arthaud]

Glad to hear you are having a good experience...I have long heard Amsoil is one of the best producers of synthetics! Point is though the original trans fluid is not the best stuff to have in there...Do you have a way of cooling your trans fluid or do you have a gauge on it? Just curious? And do you tow in hills or mountains where the load and temp rise? Also if you go to the Mercedes website it recommends the Mobil 50wt synthetic trans fluid...Mine whined so bad that I was afraid it was overheating or doing bearing damage or both...and it did it from the start when new.

 

[Killgore]

MobilTrans SHC-DC is the recommended fluid by the manufacturer of the G-56. Contact Fred Easley at EMAC2. K&N is not even an option on this forum. Stay with FleetGuard and stay out of the shop. South Bend Clutch, absolutely; dual mass - forget it.
- Ed

 

[mfurrh55]

Glad to hear you are having a good experience...I have long heard Amsoil is one of the best producers of synthetics! Point is though the original trans fluid is not the best stuff to have in there...Do you have a way of cooling your trans fluid or do you have a gauge on it? Just curious? And do you tow in hills or mountains where the load and temp rise? Also if you go to the Mercedes website it recommends the Mobil 50wt synthetic trans fluid...Mine whined so bad that I was afraid it was overheating or doing bearing damage or both...and it did it from the start when new.

I've been towing heavy from utah to texas 5 mountain passes, no i don't have any gauges or coolers, I do have the mobil 50 wt. synthetic, just haven't gotten around to changing it yet, need to do that when i get time, i bought 2 gals. of it, but i'm going to go with one gal. of mobil 50 wt. and 3 quarts of amsoil 30 wt. synthetic mixed, so it will shift better in colder temps, heard it doesn't like to shift very good in cold weather with just the 50 wt. oil in it, Monte

 

[Dean Arthaud]

K & N is not an option? Not sure what you are referring to....it is the best filter out there....bar none....Fleetguard oil filters are good; on that I would agree...my mileage went up 1-2 mpg when I changed to the K&N...I know I read the stuff on Geno's on the K&N...after I had changed filters...and I bet my oil and filtering is as good or better than any paper filter you can put in there...the dealers' don't want to see you go to K&N because they want to sell you more filters....I have bought my last one...Imagine a diesel engine that has clear oil at 3,000 miles; mine does and I am not in the shop either

 

[Dean Arthaud]

Monte, I put in a little over 7 quarts and have no problem in cold weather...Have driven it in 5 degrees and it was a little slow for a minute or two but after going through the gears a couple of times; no problem...was wondering how hot these transmissions are getting...sounds to me like your setup is a good test

 

[Killgore]

Believe the folks at Genos and most of the informed folks on here. They have many years of experience backed up by research. Robert and the staff at Genos have always given me good advice, even when it cost them business.
- Ed

 

[mfurrh55]

RVTRKN used the mobil 50 wt. and said he had a lot of color in his oil from the synchros after using it for a short while, said it was eating up his synchros, so he went with the mix like i'm gonna try

 

[mfurrh55]

Just be careful when you take your truck in for warranty work, they'll void it because of the K&N , i've seen them do it here in Tx, at the dealer, Take it out before you have any warranty work done, be on the safe side, Monte

 

[Killgore]

Monte, I'm well pleased with the MobilTrans SHC-DC, and I have rolled her up on her side to add the additional recommended amount. I think everybody would agree though that the ATF-4 is just too thin.
- Ed

 

[mfurrh55]

Monte, I'm well pleased with the MobilTrans SHC-DC, and I have rolled her up on her side to add the additional recommended amount. I think everybody would agree though that the ATF-4 is just too thin.
- Ed

Yeah, i agree, just haven't gotten around to changing it yet, did you put 7 or 8 quarts in it, I've just had good luck with it so far 126,800 miles aint bad for the thin stuff though, Monte

 

[Killgore]

Monte, I'm running 7 quarts. I don't know the maintenance history on this truck but I'm at 212,000. I called Fred on the phone at EMAC2 and we had over an hour's conversation after which I made the switch. I also went on ahead and put in the SBC G56-OKHD even though I wasn't having any issues and I have been well pleased with it. I'm trying to gear up for a trip up the AlCan to Alaska next year.
- Ed

 

[Dean Arthaud]

Well Ed i guess we will just have to disagree....I have a K&N in almost everything I own...and it has never been a problem...the sensitivity of the electronics and the statements on Geno's have not proven correct in my opinion...the paper filter is very restrictive and hurts power and mileage...I have towed when temps were over 99 and the pyro/exhaust was over 1100 and boost at about 27 lb with no shutdown or computer derrate of the engine...again I do have the H&S minimax which I think is very good but have not turned the wick up a bit. I find sometimes old wives tales die hard....and this is IMHO one of them. Get a K&N and save money on fuel, air filters and in the long run your truck will last longer and you will be glad you did.

 

[mfurrh55]

Monte, I'm running 7 quarts. I don't know the maintenance history on this truck but I'm at 212,000. I called Fred on the phone at EMAC2 and we had over an hour's conversation after which I made the switch. I also went on ahead and put in the SBC G56-OKHD even though I wasn't having any issues and I have been well pleased with it. I'm trying to gear up for a trip up the AlCan to Alaska next year.
- Ed

Great i did the Alcan in 1981, was a heck of a trip, probably alot has changed since then though, i really enjoyed it , maybe one of these years i'll do it again

 

[Dean Arthaud]

I bought my truck in Texas but live in Mo. The place here advertises K&N and states that it is against Federal Law for any manufacturer to void your warranty for using a K&N filter. However I will talk to cummins about it...this has got me to thinking...I have a cummins shop here and a Ram dealer...new one; seems like they change quite often.

 

[Kirwin]

K & N is not an option? Not sure what you are referring to....it is the best filter out there....bar none....Fleetguard oil filters are good; on that I would agree...my mileage went up 1-2 mpg when I changed to the K&N...I know I read the stuff on Geno's on the K&N...after I had changed filters...and I bet my oil and filtering is as good or better than any paper filter you can put in there...the dealers' don't want to see you go to K&N because they want to sell you more filters....I have bought my last one...Imagine a diesel engine that has clear oil at 3,000 miles; mine does and I am not in the shop either

First of all Dean welcome to the TDR!

K & N is a filter that exhibits great high flow characteristics. Its greatest weakness is that it doesn't hold the dirt in the filter until you clean it. As more dirt is introduced during engine operation, the oil on the gauze soaks into the dirt slowly removing the "sticky" oil's ability to hold more dirt. Since the gauze passageways are very large it doesn't provide a physical barrier to hold the particles, but relies on the sticky oil on the gauze to serve that function. This results in the dirt on the gauze slowly migrating through filter medium and this dirt ends up in the engine's air stream. The dirty air impinges on the turbocharger blades that are spinning at >100,000 RPM. Its like sandblasting your engine's internals. You truck doesn't run wide open all the time, which is the only time it needs max air flow, in a diesel there is always excess oxygen present in the combustion chamber, thus restriction in the air filter is not what limits your fuel mileage or power. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but these facts have been proven. There is independent test data that shows that even at greater than stock power levels, the stock air filter in a minor restriction in the engines air stream. Us old salts on the TDR look at facts and real world cases that show that Cummins's engines that are dusted out (the term for an engine that has excessive wear resulting form dirt in the intake air stream) due to air filtration not meeting Cummins's standards will be denied warranty coverage. As I said above everyone is entitled to their opinion. Many here would not put a K & N air filter in their lawn mower (which by the way has a significantly better gauze filter than a K & N) let alone their $60,000 Cummins's powered Ram. My $0.02. Ken Irwin

 

[cerberusiam]

the paper filter is very restrictive and hurts power and mileage...I have towed when temps were over 99 and the pyro/exhaust was over 1100 and boost at about 27 lb with no shutdown or computer derrate of the engine...again I do have the H&S minimax which I think is very good but have not turned the wick up a bit. I find sometimes old wives tales die hard....and this is IMHO one of them. Get a K&N and save money on fuel, air filters and in the long run your truck will last longer and you will be glad you did.

The paper filter is not the restriction, the box is. The wives tales are that K&N filters are the best on the market. That has been proven completely false by actually sampling the oil instea dof looking at it and saying good enough. It can be loaded with solicate and still look cleaner than it is. As far as killing the power more than one of us are dynoing these trucks to 500 HP with\without a FL filter in a modified air box and see no difference. Your boost is far below what most of us run in hard pulls and those EGT's. Try seeing what those filters do when it is pulling 37 lbs of boost frequently.

Yes, some these generally accepted things die hard until hard data proves them bogus.

Somewhat depends on what filter is being used but the typical thing is to put an oiled filter in and think it is good. Could not be further from the truth. Oiled filters do not perform well in forced induction engines that require high air flow. They let dirt right thru the oil film whne the boost goes up, no way around it no way to dispute it. Dry filter is the best you will get for keeping the fine silicates out of the engine. You can put an olied filter in a 2 stroke dirt bike but never in a turbocharged diesel engine unless you really don't want to keep it.

Driving area will make a difference also. It is pretty easy to get away with sub standard filters in wet areas. You would not do that in the west where fine dust is the norm and rainfall is sparse. The southwest will eat and engine in a hurry with a bad filter. If you really want the best for your truck you will pay attention to what is posted on Genos Garage not some marketing spin. There is some 25 years of experience behind those gems of knowledge, wives tales are the domain for the other forums. You may think you have discovered something but it is likely it has been tried, debunked, and discarded several times over.

 

[RVTRKN]

The G56 has an inherent problem that many fixes has been attempted, and that is the Aluminum case can stretch when it gets hot. One fix is to add a girdle. http://puredieselpower.com/dodge-products/05-g56-6-speed-manual-transmission-tork-shield-girdle.html Then there is the trans coolers. http://www.genosgarage.com/TRANS-COOL-G56-TRANSMISSION-05-14/productinfo/TRANSCOOL_2/#.UwgbqXnoYy4 The MB oil recommended is the Mobil trans SHC DC oil, but I didn't like the gold color after only 1000 miles so I went to a tested oil concoction by TDR member CKelley1 who has a fleet of G56's. I'm currently investigating adding the Auto trans cooler that the CTD radiator has already molded the attaching points for the auto cooler, but the radiator is used in the G56 equipped trucks as well. I lost a couple of General tires (Junk ) on my way to Vegas and now have to spend the money I was planing to spend on the experiment, on 6ea Michelin LTX M/S 2 tires. ($1500.00) :{

My buddy with a 2nd gen 24 valve CTD uses K&N filters and swears by them, but the 6.7 OEM air filter is a lot less restrictive than the older 5.9 filter by having more filtering surface and as expensive as the engines cost, I'll stay with the OEM filter.


BTW, the G56 syncro's cost a grand a pop.

 

[Gonzo 1066]

I switched away from the oil-gauze filters after having a bit of oil and coating of light dust in my cooler. This had to find its way into the engine, any small dust will damage the rings-pistons and cylinder walls. Went to a donaldson dry filter and those issues went away.. To each his own, figure if I see a potential issue that may cause my engines damage I wont use that product.