2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Hard shifting in a NV-5600

[DLangford]

I replaced the clutch, pressure plate, pilot bearing and had the flywheel done last spring in my truck. Everything was fine until a few months ago when I started to notice difficulty getting into a gear from a complete stop from neutral.

Reading here on the forum it sounded like my clutch slave was most likely the problem.

My neighbor, who is a professional mechanic, came over and looked at the clutch slave, he could see where it was leaking a bit. The clutch master looked fine, no leaks and plenty of fluid.

We decided to replace the slave cylinder. We got one from Napa.

Installation was not easy since there is no bleed valce on the slave making it hard to get all the air out, especially with the way things were tilted in the assembly process. We finally got it bled and I noticed an immediate improvment in ease of shifting. However, one week later when I drove the truck I found I was back to square one.

Could "new" residual air be involved here? Should I have bit the bullet and got the more expensive Mopar fix which is the clutch master and slave connected and pre-bled?

 

[BDaugherty]

Most likely you only did half the job. My opinion is that clutch master and slave cylinders should be replaced together. Every time someone replaces one or the other, it seems like the one that wasn't replaced starts to act shortly after. I recently replaced my clutch hydraulics. I was able to get the whole setup from Dodge for $275. It came as 2 pieces, but was pre-bled. All I did was route it and click it together.



On a side note, I did notice marginally easier shifting after draining and refilling my NV5600 with Amsoil syncromesh trans oil.

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

Either get the complete hydraulics from Mopar #52110495AF, or the heavy duty hydraulics from South Bend Clutch. The latter gives more travel and a light pedal effort. Hard shifting is caused by incomplete release of the clutch. Continued forcing into gear will result in worn and possibly broken synchronizers.

 

[GCroyle]

Dlangford,



Slave cylinders w/o bleed screws are a service option for our trucks and they can be bled easily in spite of not having a bleed screw. The short version of the story involves positioning the new s/c so that any air bubbles can flow up and out while fluid flows down and in. You also use the s/c as a pump to force fluid up and air bubbles out with the fluid. The system can then be blocked with a flat puller and tested for air or solid pedal feel prior to re-installing in the transmission.



If you block the slave cylinder from moving and then push on the pedal lightly, the pedal should feel hard and stop moving with only 1/8' - 3/16" Master Cylinder PUSH ROD travel.

 

[DLangford]

Thanks "B" and Joe,
Your advice is the direction I will take. I was trying to look at it logically before, i. e. why replace the whole works when one thing seems bad, but sometimes that approach does not work.

 

[RolandJ]

Im having same problem with ,my truck getting hard to shift. would the heavy duty hydraulics from SB fix it als odo you know what that puppy costs. thanks

Either get the complete hydraulics from Mopar #52110495AF, or the heavy duty hydraulics from South Bend Clutch. The latter gives more travel and a light pedal effort. Hard shifting is caused by incomplete release of the clutch. Continued forcing into gear will result in worn and possibly broken synchronizers.

 

[DLangford]

South bend sent me an email today, they sell a unit for this, described as "heavy duty complete assembly that is also adjustable, for $325. Part # HYDX1. 5"
It is $50 more than the MOPAR, I wonder if being adjustable would be worth it?

 

[DLangford]

Thanks Gary for the advice. I will print it out when we take another crack at it.

 

[Bob Cochran]

South bend sent me an email today, they sell a unit for this, described as "heavy duty complete assembly that is also adjustable, for $325. Part # HYDX1. 5"

It is $50 more than the MOPAR, I wonder if being adjustable would be worth it?

My hope is the HD from SBC and the extra $50 means never having to replace this again or until I am to old to care!!!

 

[DLangford]

Update on this problem:

I had decided that if my neighbor (mechanic) could not get this to work, I would replace the whole system (slave and clutch master) with the south bend heavy duty unit.

My neighbor came over and this time he had me hold up the black plastic component (chamber) that is attached to the firewall just under the clutch master. I held the nose of this part up after he loosened it a bit, so the residual air that had accumulated in it could be bled out through the master when the slave was pushed on. We did not realize this had happened when we bled the slave cylinder down under the truck the first time.

I noticed an immediate improvement and now the clutch fully releases. I see now where bleeding the system is a two man job.