CTD_Neil

WHat is with 5th gear on these 6 spd? Anytime I am rowing through the gears quickly, like when I'm late for work 5th gear never wants to go in. It's starting to get on my nerves. It reminds me why I wanted an auto. Any cures, fixes?

Mexstan

Remember that this is a truck tranni and not sports car fast. You have to take your time and make very sure that it is gated right. If the lever is pushed just a tad too far to the right (towards the reverse position) it will not go in smoothly. Must admit that I wish that the reverse gate (or whatever you want to call it) could have a stronger spring.

jthorpe

What Mexstan said. It's a towing machine, not a sports car.

Scotty

I've driven several of these trucks and there is a noticable difference from one to the next. I had a 2001 that 6th gear blew apart. It never went into 5th easy from new. If you still have warranty I would mention it to the dealer. It might be a good idea to change out the fluids and make sure theres nothing foreign in there. If you touched reverse at anytime during your quick to 5th shifts...you will probably have some pieces of metal in there floating around. I learned that I had to pause just before 5th on the 01 to shift good. On the 04...smooth and much easier.
Theres also some NV 5600's that New Venture and DC had problems with the gear sets and a 'Change up' set of gears was the solution.

Hope this helps.

Mechanos

I "short throw" shifter may help some too.

CTD_Neil

Hmmm short throw shifter. How different is the short throw?
How come none of the other gears do this?

Mexstan

Just thought of something else. Going from 6th to 5th is never a problem. In fact it is really sweet. This makes me suspect that for all of you having touble going from a lower gear to 5th is that you are not putting it in the gate correctly as I said earlier. Once you are in 6th it is gated correctly and therefore easy to go from 6th to 5th. Going from any other gear to 5th means that you have to find the gate first. Maybe this is a case of practice makes perfect?

Mechanos

I found it at a vendors website.... it's a replacement stick and a spacer plate. I can't remember where I saw it and can't find it again so, other than the idea, it looks like I'm worthless

Rusty69

try genosgarage.com

spots

BD short shifter. Do a search before you buy. Some people love em and some have had problems (leaks, poor shifts etc)
A short shifter will not fix an internal problem. What Scotty said. Make sure (if you have warranty) that your dealer knows just in case it goes later on.

CTD_Neil

I'm at 68,000 no warranty

MCummings

A short shifter will aggrevate, and exagerate a "sick" synchro.

Some trannies are just quirky. My 6-speed shifts lightning fast,, but grinds every gear. Other trannies I've driven have to ride the synchro for a second before the gear will drop in.

I think this is a "Live with it" or "tear it down" situation.

Anyway,, Who said this isn't a sports car ?

Merrick

look at bd power for them.

wannadiesel

Hey Neil, I'll trade you for a noisy Getrag!

Tartarus

Ya, those NV5600's are quirky. The 5th gear gate in my unit is probably the easiest to shift into -- I've never had anything but a smooth movement, even when the tranny is cold. Never missed, goes right in. 2nd to 3rd, however, is a cast-iron witch, especially when cold -- doesn't want to do it right until the truck's been driven at least ten miles, and the clutch is stomped into the floor. Go figure.

Saw an old post here to the effect that an NVG engineer from the Muncie works claimed that the synchro materials used in some of the '01's and all of the '02's had been upgraded. "Harder materials", whatever that means. Might account for some of the "performance differences".