Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) How come 5th is so hard to get into on NV5600

[BigDan]

When i'm at the drags its so freaking hard to shift into 5th gear. Once im launched my foot doen't come off the gas pedel until i have to gingerly shift it into 5th. In doing so I have a slower et and loose a lot of my boost. Does anybody else have this problem , or a solution.



Thanks





__________________

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

As has been pointed out many times - these ain't sports car trannies - and the 6-speed in a Dodge is NOT the same as one in a vette!



What they ARE, is a heavy duty TRUCK transmission, with lots of BIG and HEAVY gears and a geartrain that needs and deserves to be treated with care and respect if we expect them to reward us with a long and reliable lifespan! Expecting all that rotating heavy mass to instantly STOP to allow rapid gear changes is asking for something the transmission was not intended OR designed for!



You'll get instant speed shifting from a NV-5600 about the same time you can teach a pig to sing or fly...



The geartrain and main/spur shaft arrangement actually does quite well considering, and the syncros try their derndest to permit REASONABLY quick shifts - but it is NOT a transmission for efficient dragracing, and for MY money, in a serious work truck, I'll take strength and durability over quarter mile times ANY day!



Hell - if *I* wanted a dragracer, I woulda simply kept my vette and Camaro SS - but THEY sure wouldn't be much good towing 10,000 lbs up a steep mountain grade...

 

[nickleinonen]

i don't have any problems geting into 5th on my 04, although i don't shift with the foot on the floor [i like road/street racing more than drag racing]

 

[BWillard]

You definately have to shift mine slow. I babied mine since I put it in and it started grinding into 6th last week. I have to let it go completely down to an idle before I can shift into 6th now

 

[ThrottleJockey]

Man oh man, I put Amsoil 75w 90 gear oil in with 20% Lucas Oil Stabilizer in my 6 speed.



Geez you can shift this thing with one finger! Smoothed WAY out with just an oil change!



Fluid that came out looked pretty good, too. So did the magnet.

 

[SMorneau]

Mine will grind a little when giving it my fastest shift, which isn't all that fast with a 5600. I have never had a grind going into any other gear.



After my wife went to Muncie last year she said, out of the blue, "I thought you were just trying to be cool blipping the throttle when downshifting but I noticed everyone else does it too. " I assured her I was "really cool" and the 6 speed wouldn't downshift very well without bringing the revs up. I think she believed half of what I told her anyway.



She hasn't driven the truck since I had the six speed put in and I don't know if I want her to. It doesn't shift nice and easy like the 4500 that she was used to. Maybe someday I'll get her out on the township roads and get her used to it. She is actually very good with manuals.

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

"Geez you can shift this thing with one finger! Smoothed WAY out with just an oil change!"



This isn't about how SMOOTH it will shift - it's about how FAST it will shift!

 

[BigDan]

Yeah its always been a ***** to get into 5th under throttle so I dont think fluid will change much but i will since it it just hit 40K. Does the short shifter help at all.



Thanks

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

I've seen mixed reviews on the short shifter - some say it has helped THEIR situation - other say it made shifting worse - probably has to do with varying trannies and how well the installation was done.

 

[Rman]

I have no experience with this particular trans and shift kits, but all the others I've ever tried did not perform that well... . yeah the shifting was short, but hell it was like a 100lb weight was on the shifter, very stiff.



Like Gary said, this trans is definitely not meant for drag racing in any way. Try the lube change, but the recommended oil is the same weight as 5W-30... . 75-90 is not the way to go. . however as much damage that may be done already from draggin (it sounds like your synchro is toast) try it and maybe you can get another 20k out of the transmission. Sounds to me like a rebuild is imminent.

 

[Tomscreek]

Geez, maybe it's because the engineers that developed the transmission didn't put a high priority on it's speed shifting, drag strip capabilities. Why anyone would want to abuse their equipment in this fashion baffles me. To each his own I guess.

 

[Rman]

Tomscreek, it's called FUN... you should see what I do to my $6k dirtbike

 

[Fred Swanson]

I can safely report that the short shifter helped overall shifting. 5th used to be a pain to get into shifting fast, but now I can hit it everytime. With the shorter throw, it makes the shift quicker, too.

This is the same under normal and foot to the floor driving all the way up to redline, or a little higher.

This is with a Con FE clutch, not stock.