The fix for Fifth Gear & History
You have two options.
(1)
standard transmission rebuilt unit--which in there last step in assembling the rebuild (before inspection & installing the tail section cover) or in the case of 4x4's transfer case, they use my method to retain the 5th gear nut.
My new 96 lost fifth at a couple months into ownership & i found out the massive failure rate only 2 days into ownership of my new pride. As i live close to the largest heavy use of this style of P/U 's Ford & Dodge & the poor owners of the Chev's!!(no power & eng problems )along with the 5 th gear loss also. They have the same transmission as D/C, except for the bellhousing,maybe input shaft,and as i understand the vibration damper is mounted in the tail section vs front of eng as on the Cummins.
The name of New Venture is the joint venture between GM & Chyl (Dodge) to build transmission's for there diesel & high hp gassers as V 10's D/c's Which also saw the nut failure,but not in the high #'s My understanding was the 4500 would continue to be the heavy for the gasser. That was back in 97--- also at that time there was some thought in design that an extended spline 'd shaft could be the solution???!!! To my knowalage this theory has never been tested by the vendor of the extended shaft.
Don't get me wrong they are good people. and it will hold. Barring mistakes(coffie break-dinner-or -brain gap).
D/C was close to my fix (which i did'nt know about) at my first failure approx 30k. Could'nt get in to a D/C shop and lucked across the right guy's (3) different owners of different bussiness 1200 miles from home. Driver (gas station)-Eng builder (auto repair shop) -Auto transmission shop (Rebuilder) with hoist to lift the Rig (Drag race team).
I explained what i wanted to do and payed there hourly rate,got use of ther hoist and mechanic and didnt have to get my tools out except for the lube filler hole. They had to get me a small bottle of red loc tite and retrieve a loaned out old one finger spanner wrench. Heavy 3 lb hammer and sharp 3/8 center punch. And even bought me dinner (some cure time for loctite/Heat bulb) This was just a fix to get the load delivered and if lucky get home for D/C repairs. Which Held and i opted to see how long it would last with a seat of the pants idea ,Stronger locknut and only failed parts at hand-- clean up threads and re-use'd. Held for 158 K at that point a rattle like B-B's in the shifter lever started,and i placed a shop rag on the lever ,then a light felt shirt on the lever to kill the noise10 k later complete loss of 5 th. now know'n how it was set up drove another 300 mi. delivered and 900 miles back to home base. Total 168K.
I had heard of TDR in late 96 and joined just for information on this subject--Surprise-Not a peep-- Yet at a co. where i sub contracted for they had been droping in the 94-95 model dailey(Nun in membership???? Embarrased???/to many F'd owners around ??)
My May 96 produced pride had the first up dated nut--then came the third update (THIS is the gear Nut you want) to look at it they made it thicker,(looks like a tapered castle nut) W/out the slots for the cotter pin. they cut a keyway into the shaft and the nut was staked one time into the shaft. Didnt Hold. But close.
My guess for the keyway,twofold ,staking and tech could remove at later date, with little damage to shaft,and more holding power along with new upgraded loctite.
At 168k at my next failure,(aprox 200 +K)on my pride I got my hands on a approved for release to production split nut kit to field test. Improvement but less than 50 k failure reaccured(this test was done with a new main shaft and labor -mine- just to be fair to the test and set up to factor spec's. (Dialed -in). Time line TSB's came out as i recall about Sept. that year and failure was before that. Talked to gru's Back to my Fix with slite improvement
after looking at my first attempeted repair. I noticed I'd only staked it 4 times & when it came off all the threads of the nut were gone(need more threads & more stakes). And splines of 5th gear were NOT stripped just slite side to side play. What would you expect after rattling for 10 k?? (remember the B-B's) ?? First failure & split nut (test)failure had no such warning sound,just like it jumped out of 5th. No sound.
DO Not try any kind of weld this shaft is hardened and after anytype of weld will shear in two. Hundreds befor you have tryed(not me) dollars gone and failure soon to come.
2 THE Low cost FIX
Lets say when 5 th was lost (no noise) you can reuse all the oem as parts I Did ,Except you need get the superceded (thick tapered nose) before the split nut which was released,if you have the keyway in the OEM shaft makes no differance.
Next you want to use aceitone or brake cleen or (yes )starting fluid ether) clean the lube fron the shaft and nut you have handled(body oils).
With new/or/reused 5th gear apply red loctite( 609 prt no. 272 as i remeber) to threads of both shaft threads (2 inch wide) & to Nut threads,install ,torque to 300 ft lb (i + that by 15). you need miller tool 6743- Cost aprox
$25. --- Book say's you can drive it tight with hammer and punch
or as STD does air hammer but who know's where the torque is??
My first time i used a one finger spanner and got it to 200 lb and used the flat nosed punch. Torque was ??? Did it matter?? Whats one day and $25. and borrowing a 3/4 drive T wrench. Then with a shart large center punch(3/8) and a heavy hammer 3 lb, make a mark just above the first thread then nail it then turn slightly move up a thread with repeat then up /or/down again and redo about ten times around the diam. of the shaft. Here wether it makes a differance or not i let it cure 12 hrs after installing the the tail housing with the use of black silicone on the housing,blue loctite on the case bolts , installed drive line,went to bed.
Note If you do this your self and choose to install a new 5 th gear even on a old shaft you will need a press kit from miller tool to install it because it is a press fit,or a thin wall 2-1/2 tube approx 2-1/2 ft long and Gr. 8 threaded rod & heavy washers to make your own press at 2am!!!
For a cost of under $80 you have just made the only upgrade that will last (mine 450k+++) in frame repair,so with the savings while the drive line is down fix your next failure the input shaft bushing.
Install the South Bend Clutch kevlar bushing -Cost aprox bushing & machine work $250. Total $330. 00 your labor.
The other guy's labor ,say 6 hrs x $80. per hr= another $480=total $810. And if they follow the instruction's you have two weak link's in your veh/ride/pride!!!!!!!!!!!!
$400= saving's enough for a day off and Mother day present!!!!!
In hind site i could have had this saving's had i knowen of the bearing problem... .