So, my 92 CTD 4wd truck has 209K miles on it, and tonight I was at the very end of a long day of driving (650 miles, towing a lightly loaded flatbed trailer) and as I was exiting the freeway and downshifting, I found that I couldn't. For a few hundred frustrating yards, I couldn't get back into ANY gear, and then I was finally able to get 4th, but third just ground unless I matched speeds, and even then it was really stiff and balky . I made it the rest of the way home (40 miles) and it mostly behaved pretty normally after that except for downshifting to third, which can't be done without speed matching.

I've had this truck since feb and put about 20K on it and nary a trouble with the tranny. I checked the fluid shortly after i got it and it took a slight topping off, but my owner's manual said not to change it. (this seems pretty strange. Why not?)

Anyway, I'm assuming the thing is toast and I don't really want to drive it anywhere, but need to get it going again right quick as it is my only work truck, and i need it. I found a company on the internet in LV, NV who has a New Venture retrofit kit, and I'm wondering if that is worth it or whether I should have the getrag rebuilt by a reputable shop somewhere locally. ( the 6 speed kit looked even better...)

I have a portable sawmill and do tow up to #7000 every month or so and tow the 3000# mill around even more than that. the truck has a gooseneck and I would like to be able to use it to tow a #10-12000 trailer . ( do i need an exhaust brake for that?)

I love the truck and plan on keeping it forever if possible. Any advice?

Thanks
mark

 

I have heard something about the shift rails wearing in the Getrag -- it sounds as though this might be your problem. If I were you and could afford it, I would do the NV4500 swap. If I remember correctly, you don't even have to change the drive-shaft lengths. It is a pretty tough transmission, with the updated 5th gear at least, and it is nice to drive, in my opinion.

Frostie on this group really likes his NV5600 though . . . But I think it is a much more involved swap, especially with the 4x4.

See what Monty has to say.

Alec

 

Well, I think the 6 speed is beyond my financial means and sounds like it would take a fair amount of modification. And from what the tranny shop in portland quoted me, it sounds like rebuilding the getrag is no cheap proposition either.

Is the NV a substantially better tranny? If I have the getrag rebuilt, is it going to last, or am I just going to keep thrashing it and having to fix it? I noticed from the DTS site that the NV holds more than twice as much oil as the getrag. That seems significant...

 

Does it go into reverse with out grinding? If not, you may want to check your clutch before tossing the trans. Make sure the clutch arm is moving at least 3/4 of an inch. It could be a bad master/slave cylinder. Also, some of the lining could have come off the disc or your pilot bearing is hanging up. To have all the gears go south at once is rather unusual. Good Luck, Jim

 

Good advice...2manydogs....

 

Yeah it goes into all the gears now just fine except third, which can't be shifted into in either direction without either grinding or matching speeds. And even with speed matching, it is really balky when downshifting into third. Plus, I crawled under there this AM and there is alot of trans fluid splattered around from where the transmission is mated to the TC. That mess wasn't there when I left for this trip. I'm assuming that its somewhat serious. I'm leaning towards the NV4500 kit from standard trans, after reading lots of posts about five speeds on this forum. It doesn't sound like the getrag is really cut out for the amount of long distance towing that I do.

 

A buddy of mine who bought an 89 4x4 and pulled a pile of weight upgraded to the NV4500 after stripping the splines right off ( can't remember what is was tho, output trans/input of T/C I think ) just too much torque available vs strength of the trans I spoze. This was back in 94-95, he paid about $5K Cdn for parts...but it's still rollin!
Sounds like your synchro is toast, and maybe output bearing too...but it sounds like your mind is leaning towards the upgrade, and I am sure you won't regret it.

Cheers,

 

Try tightening the bolts between the xfer and xmission. They sometimes come loose. If they are loose enough, it could be contributing to your problem -- and it also explains the oil, which shouldn't appear suddenly like that. I doubt this is the fix, but I would check it out before I drove the truck any more.

Alec

 

Yeah I still need to be able to get around locally until I get a new tranny so I'm going to get some more fluid in there today, and I will check those bolts. From what I'm reading about the getrag, I guess I'm lucky to have made it all the way to 210K ... Can anyone give any feedback about standard transmission?

 

Woodrat

Mine was starting to do the same thing in third gear but I have gone almost 30K matching speeds on every shift and double clutching on downshifts and havent had any more truobles. It did help to dump the old oil and put a high grade oil back in. I am going to go with the 4500 when mine bites the dust. Hope this helps get you by untill you can get the new trans in. Something that might help is a tip that a long time getrag owner told me, the three S's. Shift smooth, square and slowly good luck.

Paws

 

Yeah, its been getting me back in forth in spite of the third gear thing, but it is also got a horrendous rear seal leak that is new. Fortunately, I was able to borrow the bucks and my NV4500 is on its way. I travel too far from home on a regular basis to be rolling dice with my transmission. Besides, I tow on a pretty regular basis too, and it sounds like that may have contributed to its demise.

 

If you have a leaking rear seal and you have a 4x4 then you are having some trouble with your NP205 transfer case that will need some looking into as well when you have everything apart . . . A bad transmission synchro shouldn't make your transfer case output seal leak -- though my 205 has a leaky out put seal, and excessive play in the output shaft (needs some new bearings . . . ). However, the bearings should be pretty cheap, and I have heard that bearings and seals is all that really ever goes in the 205.

Good luck -- I am a little jealous of the new transmission (though not envious of the situation!)

Alec

 

i had a ton truck with the getrag 5 speed tranny that did the same exact thing to me. i had to rev motor to get it into gear or double clutch the third gear. i just drove and drove and drove it until it got totaled 4 weeks ago. i used amsoil synthetic gear oil in transmission and differential for years i put over 300k on the truck. i now have a 92 4x4 cummins and i just removed the muffler. ;D

 

Alec,
Re the transfer case, I have been for about the last 2000 miles getting a rumbling that I might have thought was a Ujoint heading south had I not just replaced them. Here's what I'm now thinking happened to my tranny: Out put shaft bearing starts wearing out from all the recent heavy towing I've been doing, then seal starts leaking badly, causing low tranny fluid that I didn't catch right away, which caused the 3rd gear synchro to go.

I had to add a quart plus of fluid to the tranny after I noticed all these troubles. I've put about 250 miles on it since I got home with the trouble and added the fluid. It still rumbles at certain hiway speeds in 4th or 5th, 3rd is still a balky pain to shift into from either direction, and it has probably lost some more fluid. I'm hoping it will hang together for another 500-600 miles til my new tranny gets here and I can get it in. I'm also hoping that I don't have transfer case troubles as well, cuz buying the new tranny was enough to make me light headed.. I don't know how much more i can take!

mark