Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) NV5600 rebuild

[SeanM]

What does Blumenthals charge for a average rebuild? I know that it all depends on what parts each trans needs but I was just curious what a average rebuild cost.

 

[WarrenE]

Bllumenthals did my NV5600 (refresh), clutch (stock) and drive-train (busted ear on a yoke-not to mention many rear u-joints from 39K on) for $2600. Only major work I've had done on my '01 QC 4x4 since I bought it in October of 2000. Not bad for just shy of 400K. Oh, the refresh was in January, 2011.

 

[SeanM]

Thanks Warren.

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

You might check Standard Trans also, 800-std-tran. They are in Fort Worth, did a nice job on mine (see Issues 64, p. 85, and 67, p. 84). IIRC, their bench fee is only $375 and any cost over that will be directly related to a bad part. A nearby shop generally does the r&r and delivers it to them, brings it back and can change your clutch at the same time if desired.

 

[Shelby Griggs]

About $3K on mine at Standard, BUT that included shipping both ways from Oregon, a local shop to RnR, new clutch, new clutch hydralics, etc. , etc. I think the actuall transmission work was around $1K AND that included the Power Lube upgrade. All mine needed was new brass, they even reused ALL of the bearings, I think I had around 230K on the truck at the time (two years ago).



SHG

 

[WalterRyan]

SHG. How much was shipping and who did you use?

 

[Bill Lins]

What is the "Power Lube" upgrade?

 

[Shelby Griggs]

SHG. How much was shipping and who did you use?

If you have Standard do the work, they have an arangement with a shipper at VERY GOOD rates, the shipping just gets added to the bill. You will have to put the transmission on a pallet and they will contact the shipper and make arangements. When I shipped mine, they used http://www.saia.com/v2/default. aspx. I think the round trip shipping from Oregon to Texas was around $500 a couple of years ago.



SHG

 

[Shelby Griggs]

The power lube package adds some oiling holes and increases the fluid capacity by moving the fill plug higher. The idea is to protect 6th gear when running heavy (from lack of oiling), search the back issues of the magazine for an article written by Joe D. when he had his rebuilt.



SHG

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

See Issue 67, p. 84.

 

[jdross440]

Has anyone had one rebuilt recently at Blumenthals or Standard Trans in Ft. Worth? Mine is a 2000 with the small input shaft. My 5th to 6th syncros are bad. Grinds 2/3 time when shifting from 5th to 6th after it warms up. Started about 25K miles after I put in the upgraded South Bend 13" clutch.

 

[RVTRKN]

Out of the two shops, Blumenthals has the better reputation, Standard Trans had a major falling out with some of the techs a few years back. I had my G56 inspected by Richard at Standard Transmission in 2013, but that was the Tucson AZ shop that branched out from the Texas shop, Richard went back with his wife to her home town of Tuscon. They changed out the browned bearings, that is common from the OEM factory oil level that is inadequate, need to overfill by one quart.

 

[Blademan]

Nv 5600

Has anyone had one rebuilt recently at Blumenthals or Standard Trans in Ft. Worth? Mine is a 2000 with the small input shaft. My 5th to 6th syncros are bad. Grinds 2/3 time when shifting from 5th to 6th after it warms up. Started about 25K miles after I put in the upgraded South Bend 13" clutch.

This is exactly what happened to me. Put in the new southbend clutch and 5th gear syncro trouble started within 10,000 miles. 190,000 miles on my truck, and original transmission. I have the transmission out right now trying to figure out who to send it to. Blumenthal's for a swap? Local shop wants $4200 to rebuild it and I delivered it to them. 6 month warranty locally. Not sure what Blumenthal's warranty is. Rumor is the cases stretch though and my transmission won't get rebuilt right? Any ideas out there on what to do?

 

[RVTRKN]

I might be wrong, but Blumenthals has OEM contracts for rebuilding.

 

[HHhuntitall]

I might be wrong, but Blumenthals has OEM contracts for rebuilding.

They do a lot of Chrysler's and Ram's work. Almost all Chrysler's gas engine autos are reman'd at Blumenthal. All of U-Haul's trucks are rebuilt there, too, as well as USPS deliver vans.

The price for a rebuild will depend on the damage. It's gonna start around $1500 and go up from there. If it's running good now, just needing Synchro's, it's gonna run around $1500 with a bearing kit, and add around $550-650 for shipping. Last one I had rebuilt was $2000 my cost, adding a bearing kit, couple gears, and all new synchro's.

I ship UPS freight, and the last NV4500 I shipped was $245 one way across the state, but I have a way to load and unload. I think I get a discount for commercial accounts, too....

Blumenthal's warranty is 2yr unlimited mileage, IIRC.

If you've stretched the case in your NV5600, you've done something profound and there should be some epic video of it somewhere..... Now, the G56s? That happens regularly. (I've been badgering Dunnie Blumenthal to make a cast iron replacement, with little success. The two piece design of the casing makes it pretty costly to manufacture.)

The grinding after installing the new clutch is common, as well. The synchro's are worn, and adding the weight of the new pressure plate and flywheel, plus the fact it won't disengage as far with the higher tension pressure plate, all add up to just compound the problem. I've got one in my yard now with the same issue.... Getting into reverse is the biggest complaint.

Swapping it out is going to be costly, $3500 (wholesale is cheaper). I've bought quite a few trucks for less than that!!

 

[jdross440]

Mine goes into Bluementhals Monday. I will post the findings and cost when they are done with it. They are going to R&R the transmission also. It's cheaper to pay them than our local shop. They told me $500 to R&R and $500 bench fee to tear it apart and see what it needs, then price of parts on top of that fee.
One thing that has happened in the last few days is the clutch isn't disengaging totally. I have to start it in gear and it drags either forward or backwards slightly. I thought it was the South Bend hydraulics had gone bad as it was leaking some into the cab. I replaced it, but no change.

 

[jdross440]

I just had mine done at Blumenthal. Picked it up Wednesday afternoon. Kyle there was great to work with. Took truck in Monday morning. When they got into the transmission, they found both 5th and 6th gear really bad from the grinding. All syncros bad. Needed bearing kit. Also one of the reverse gears had teeth partly missing. This is from the last couple weeks the clutch got to where it wasn't totally releasing and having to force it into reverse (another post on this forum on this no release issue). Since it was going to take much more work than just replace syncros to get it out I opted for a rebuilt unit they had on the shelf, with the larger input shaft and their oiling upgrade. For the transmission and labor to replace it was 3850 plus tax. He charged me dealer/wholesale for the transmission instead of 3650 normal price. Since I had called 3 weeks ahead and the week before taking it in (and being from out of town) he moved me ahead of 20 other jobs that had came in since I called.
I had other problems they fixed while it was apart: rear main seal leaking (charged only for seal no labor), new clutch assy and flywheel (the southbend 1000 ft-lb 13" clutch in it had worn out and put a deep groove in the flywheel the width of the disc-too deep to machine out and the clutch only had 65K miles with no towing-we do not ride the clutch pedal if anyone is thinking that's the cause), xfer case was really low on fluid so they opened it up for inspection and found the brass syncro ring chewed up pretty bad-replaced that and all seals and gaskets. They put a Luk 05-101 clutch assembly in it.
From what I can remember from when it was new, it shifts better now than it ever did.

 

[RVTRKN]

What oil did they fill it with?

 

[jdross440]

He said it was BMC-4. Something Chrysler specs. He said its synthetic with an additive like Chrysler's differential anti-slip additive. I told him I had used Pennzoil Syncromesh with the Chrysler differential anti-slip added. He said that would be correct and is basically the same thing. I also asked him about their recommended change interval. He said 30,000 miles would be good. He also said they put in 8 quarts through the top to make sure the shaft and rear bearing are under oil. I had noticed on my invoice they put in 8 quarts at $16.35 a quart.
You get 12 months unlimited miles warranty on the rebuilt unit. All other parts (clutch, etc) are that manufacturer's warranty.

 

[HHhuntitall]

Yeah, I can't get a spec sheet on the BMC stuff.... It seems to have a better color between changes.... just don't be shocked on the first change. That stuff will be nasty! I think the assembly grease comes out with it, it's a dark gray. The BMC seems to have a little higher viscosity, and I've seen the transmission run a little cooler on 100*+ days, prolly -20*. Makes a big difference between 200 and 220*.....

They actually developed it in conjuction with a local refinery, using their chemists. They've been running it well over ten years, and they see the aftermath. Knowing their techs and staff, if it wasn't better, they wouldn't waste the money. Blumenthal's is the Chrysler certified remanufacturer in the Southern US.