My NV5600...how much I hate it!

[macdaddy]

Piece Of Mind

Man I get tired of hearig all of the 56 Honey bashing.



Seems all the complaints (At Least Allot) come from people that dont use the factory fill. I have 56K on the 05 and I just love knowing that sweet love is under there working its little hart out.



I havnt had any issues at all. Changing the fluid was a breeze including cleaning the little magenet, and resealing the PTO's was a breeze.



The harsh shifts last only for about the first 10 minutes.



Mac

 

[steved]

Man I get tired of hearig all of the 56 Honey bashing.



Seems all the complaints (At Least Allot) come from people that dont use the factory fill. I have 56K on the 05 and I just love knowing that sweet love is under there working its little hart out.



Mac

I've not ran the factory fluid, but I'm not paying $19/quart for it either...



Does your 05 have a 5600 or a G56? Two different trans, and hard to tell from your comment which you have...

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

I've not ran the factory fluid, but I'm not paying $19/quart for it either...



Does your 05 have a 5600 or a G56? Two different trans, and hard to tell from your comment which you have...

His sig lists a NV-5600...

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

I been looking really hard at the motorcycle lifts myself for a trans jack. . as I wanted a low cradle big truck style jack and they are $$$$$$ but a atv / mototcyle jack looks decent. . I assume they went high enough to remove the trans. . how high did the truck have to be to get trans in and out under the chassis on the jack and cradle? any pics. . ? I hope to do my G56 1gen swap this spring. .

thanks

Deo

I only lifted the front of my truck, about 10 inches as I recall - plenty of room with my particular motorcycle hoist to remove the 5600 and roll it to the rear of the truck for easy access to the flywheel - and the wooden cradle I fabricated made the transmission quite secure for moving around.

I have since loaned it out to another local Dodge owner for the work he did on a 4500 transmission 5th gear issue - he also had excellent results.

 

[MCummings]

I just got my 5600 back from Blumenthal mfg. I'm still trying to decide what to put in it. I was very, very happy with how teh Amsoil 5w-30 HDD oil did back in '01. I had to put a different input shaft last year, and put synchromesh, and either the fluid sucked, or teh rebuilder sucked. I dunno, but either way, it didn't shift right after that.



I'm pretty sure I'm gonna put some 5w-30 synthetic in it. It's going to need filled in the mornin'.



Merrick

 

[steved]

I just got my 5600 back from Blumenthal mfg. I'm still trying to decide what to put in it. I was very, very happy with how teh Amsoil 5w-30 HDD oil did back in '01. I had to put a different input shaft last year, and put synchromesh, and either the fluid sucked, or teh rebuilder sucked. I dunno, but either way, it didn't shift right after that.



I'm pretty sure I'm gonna put some 5w-30 synthetic in it. It's going to need filled in the mornin'.



Merrick

Isn't the Amsoil MTF a 5w30?



I'm sticking with Redline MTL... or my MTL/MT-90 blend. I'm done swapping fluids around for a while... the Redline seems to work the best of any I've tried so far. Its such a pain to pull the Fast Coolers to clean the trans's sump.



steved

 

[MMeier]

I just got my 5600 back from Blumenthal mfg. I'm still trying to decide what to put in it. I was very, very happy with how teh Amsoil 5w-30 HDD oil did back in '01. I had to put a different input shaft last year, and put synchromesh, and either the fluid sucked, or teh rebuilder sucked. I dunno, but either way, it didn't shift right after that.



I'm pretty sure I'm gonna put some 5w-30 synthetic in it. It's going to need filled in the mornin'.



Merrick

Let us know how that unit works out. Still have not decided where to take my 'spare' 5600 as of yet.

 

[steved]

After reading and seeing how the newer G56 has a gear ratio similar to a 5600, I'd consider swapping to the G56 over rebuilding the NV5600... that's when/if I ever have issues.

 

[MCummings]

My Blumenthal unit worked perfect. I bought it rebuilt from them, and not a day went by that my truck was not doing over 450/900 at the wheels. I drove that untill mid year '05 when I had to change the input shaft for a dual disc clutch. That's when I had a local rebuilder do it, and it sucked.



So, after wearing the input shaft out on teh 5600, and the entire center out on teh Dual Disc, I sent it back to blumenthals to get the trans rebuilt, and the clutch to Peter to get rebuilt.



Today/Tomorow the rebuilt Blumenthal 5600 and a new Sprung Dual Disc is getting installed. Video and review to follow.



I'm going to put motor oil in it. 5w-30 syn.



Merrick

 

[roadking]

you don't want to speed shift it ,its like a mack you gotta wait (123) between gears

 

[MCummings]

you don't want to speed shift it ,its like a mack you gotta wait (123) between gears

now, now, I want my cake and eat it too! You aren't gonna get a 14. 3 @106 in the 1/4, in a 2wd if you count to 3 every shift



Yah, I understand though. I actually rarely use the clutch, you'll see the video.



Feel free to critique my driving on my video, although, it looks like the video won't be ready until Friday since my trans is missing the little "pivot ball" that goes on the clutch fork opposite the slave cylinder.



Merrick

 

[steved]

you don't want to speed shift it ,its like a mack you gotta wait (123) between gears

If I wait 123 between shifts, the truck will be rolling backwards into my driveway trying to pull 2nd or 3rd...

 

[Cummins Cowboy]

I don't know what you guys are talking about, My old '02 with 6 speed had 90k on it when I sold it, never once drained the fluid or messed with it in any way, I towed a 6k trailer around town stop and go traffic for at least 70k of that, shifting was awesome for a 6 speed behind a real diesel engine, If it would have been offered for my '06 I would not of even had a thought of getting the auto trans I have now. I think you guys are getting way too complicated on running all these exotic lubes, just get what DC puts out for the trans, if you have problems you are either too whiney and should not be driving a 6 speed or you have a genuine problem with your trans.

If you wanna drive an aweful trans go try a GM 4 speed trans that they used in 80's-90's 3/4 1 tons, talk about shifting a pile of rocks, that is a true crap trans, the nv5600 shifts like a honda civic in comparison to those

 

[JFranklin]

mine works fine with 104000 on original fluid. .

 

[steved]

... if you have problems you are either too whiney and should not be driving a 6 speed or you have a genuine problem with your trans... .



If you wanna drive an aweful trans go try a GM 4 speed trans that they used in 80's-90's 3/4 1 tons, talk about shifting a pile of rocks, that is a true crap trans, the nv5600 shifts like a honda civic in comparison to those

Thanks for your expert opinion, but I've been driving manuals since I was 10, I know how they should drive.



I should be able to row through gears without catching... the Spicer 6 spd I drove would row nicely... the Spicer 5 spd I drove would also row nicely... even my friends DMax 6spd will outshift this NV5600 of mine.



I have a 1953 NP420 that will shift 100 times better than this 5600 anytime, anyplace. I had a 1974 NP435 that would also outshift this trans any day of the week. Even my dad's NV4500 is 100 times better than this trans for shifting... his NV4500 is like driving a car.



My NV5600 is like driving a farm tractor.

 

[MCummings]

Here's a video of my truck just going through town. It only got picky about one downshift.





<object width="425" height="350"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/oEaQFMoL1yI"> </param> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/oEaQFMoL1yI" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350"> </embed> </object>







Merrick

 

[steved]

Mine shifts no where nearly that smooth...



Mine would have a significant drop in RPM between each lower gear (because there would be a long pause waiting for the gear to drop), followed by some input to get the RPMs back up so that the truck didn't jerk from engine speed trying to match road speed between shifts...



I still think it might have something to do with the pilot bearing...

 

[Cummins Cowboy]

Mine shifts no where nearly that smooth...



Mine would have a significant drop in RPM between each lower gear (because there would be a long pause waiting for the gear to drop), followed by some input to get the RPMs back up so that the truck didn't jerk from engine speed trying to match road speed between shifts...



I still think it might have something to do with the pilot bearing...

there is certainly something wrong with your trans, I loved my nv5600, If they offered it in 2010 models when I buy again, I wouldn't blink about getting another of any auto

 

[betterthanstock]

Mine shifts no where nearly that smooth...



Mine would have a significant drop in RPM between each lower gear (because there would be a long pause waiting for the gear to drop), followed by some input to get the RPMs back up so that the truck didn't jerk from engine speed trying to match road speed between shifts...



I still think it might have something to do with the pilot bearing...

Pilot bearing or warped disc, or uneven pressure plate. It's a lot easier for the disc to drag than for the bearing to produce the same amount of drag

(without quickly disintegrating from the heat).



Try quickly shifting with engine off, then at idle (with foot on the clutch) and compare. If there's no higher effort with engine running, it's not dragging.

Put transfer case in neutral, and shift through all gears, at idle and at normal driving rpm, and compare.

 

[steved]

Pilot bearing or warped disc, or uneven pressure plate. It's a lot easier for the disc to drag than for the bearing to produce the same amount of drag

(without quickly disintegrating from the heat).



Try quickly shifting with engine off, then at idle (with foot on the clutch) and compare. If there's no higher effort with engine running, it's not dragging.

Put transfer case in neutral, and shift through all gears, at idle and at normal driving rpm, and compare.

I know it shifts fine if the gears are "lined up" when the truck isn't running... I can slip it from gear to gear with hardly any effort...



I've been idling with the tcase in neutral, I'll have to see tonight if it makes a difference... but I can tell you I do need to double clutch sometimes to get into gear (sitting still).