tuatha

So I'm going to stay with the Getrag for my truck and I was wondering if folks had any suggestions for finding a rebuilt or new one. I've been looking and have several leads but I thought I would put it out there and see what folks might have to say.

The one I have has been rebuilt twice by the farmers I got it from and it just seems to have a big question mark around it. Two of the main gears have cracks in the teeth from overheating. I figure I could rebuilt it again but I'm tempted to get a rebuilt one instead to know its not tweaked in some way. I had to totally replace the transfer case last summer because instead of oil or lube it had 4-5 inches of dirt in it, and it seems like I might as well do the same with the tranny.

BearKiller

You will find a junk truck with a working Getrag cheaper than you will find a Getrag of unknown quality -- not in a truck.

At least that has been my observations.

The Getrag is not a bad transmission.

There are many out there that have the original factory lube in them, have never had the fill-plug un-screwed, and have over half-a-million miles of heavy trailer-pulling on them.

These are truck transmissions, behind engines of extreme torque; when people try to treat them like the five-speed behind a weeny little Mustang engine, that's when things start to come un-ravvled.

Slow, steady, and deliberate, is the key to Getrag success.

dpuckett

As long as the case will hold the bearing races somewhat tight, I'd just rebuild it. You can get ANY parts you need from ebay vendors, good prices, too.

I agree with everything Bearkiller said- these are truck trannies and have a lot more rotating mass to slow between shifts.

DP

mopar2ya

Adding a tranny cooler has helped with extending the life if pulling in high gear...

wannadiesel

That is good advice - any trans makes plenty of heat in any gear other than direct. If I remember right, mopar2ya's cooler is made from an A/C condenser, a junkyard electric fan, and an electric pump. No need to get fancy or spend lots of money, it's under the truck anyway.

mopar2ya

I ended up using two 10 x 12 oil coolers, still cheap.

tuatha

Yeh, I'm going to see if I can find someone to rebuild it still there is one place down the valley that may do it. I'm just not all that confident doing it my self, so I need a shop that will do it and that is hard to find around here.

So is there some info out there on oil coolers and how to install them. I'll be looking my self for sure, it seems like a really good idea to help the Getrag function better.

Thanks for the help you'll.

mopar2ya

I tapped the PTO cover with a 3/8 barb fitting at the top and bottom. I mounted the cooler between the frame and the body using a bracket I made from some light angle iron and mounted the fan on top. The fluid is pulled from the botom fitting through the cooler and through the pump then its pumped in through the top fitting. Put the pump on the cool side (after) the cooler so it gets fluid thats been cooled, this will extend pump life. Im using a Shur-flo pump with a chemical diaphram maving 1.5 gpm. I also have my pump activated via a temp switch that is mounted in the PTO cover. Its a ground type switch that activated the ground of the relay when the right temp is reached.

Ive thought about switching pumps to a Mocal unit, they move more fluid and look like they will have a better life expectancy. I'll get some pics and post them.

Ace

Mine ran hot (230 degrees, unloaded) in warm weather until I did this little job on it:

http://72.19.150.167/PhotoAlbum/Cars/Pics/CTD_33.jpg
http://72.19.150.167/PhotoAlbum/Cars/Pics/CTD_34.jpg
http://72.19.150.167/PhotoAlbum/Cars/Pics/CTD_62.jpg

I've only seen the temp gauge move once up to about 160 so far this summer.

andyr354

Ace, do the fast coolers do that all on their own? I didn't notice an extra cooler in the pics.

If so I am going to pick up a set. That sight glass looks trick to, where did you pick that up?

Ace

Yeah, the Fast Coolers work good. Two extra quarts of oil helps alot with heat dissipation too. Look real close near the top center of the 2nd pic and you'll see the fin mod (grinding) necessary to clear the bell housing bolt. Minor, really. The only reason I put a pump and filter on was because I plan to run the RP Synchromax in it for at least 30k miles and want to try and keep it clean(er) for that interval. It's running with six quarts. Don't want to change $60 worth of oil any more than necessary. The sight glass came from McMaster-Carr.

tuatha

Ace great pics, thanks for putting them up. Yeh that looks like a good way to go with the oil cooling system. I'll start shopping around.

Just looked those Fast Coolers up online, great suggestion. Looks real easy to do and not to expensive really. Hey Ace, about what did that pump and filter set up cost?

If I'm seeing this right your pulling oil of the passengers side of the tranny running it through the filter and pump them back in through the Fast Cooler on drivers side of tranny, or did I get that back words.

andyr354

Fastcoolers website has been down all day. Was there another place that carried the getrag specific kit?

tuatha

This web site has good info and pics on how they are doing it. The set up doesn't have the filter and pump like Ace's but it makes sense out of it, or it did for me. So far that price is about the lowest I've found as well. It also seems like there making them for manual trannies, I have yet to see one for dodge specifically, but the Getrag is obviously a perfect candidate.

//ramchargercentral.com/index.php?action=howtoshow;id=86

Ace

The coolers I got from Genos listed for the NV4500. In fact, they specifically tell you they are NOT for the Getrag, because they won't fit. But just a little trimming on the fins around the bell housing bolts solves that problem. Don't know if a bolt-on Getrag model is available anywhere else or not.

Actually the filter flow is the other way 'round from what you said Sean, but it wouldn't make any difference, either way. The pump is a Mocal diff pump and pricey, like $150 or so as I recall. The filter mount was a custom fab job from a piece of bicycle frame and a big honkin' bolt I had laying around.