I have a 99 24 valve with the standard NV4500 5 speed. the problem I have is that 5th gear keeps busting out. I had this tranny rebuilt three times within the last 2yrs and within the last year, the 5th gear has busted out twice. The gear/nut has been replaced with an updated kit and last time this happened, the tranny shop tack welded the gear nut in place. But last month, 5th gear went out again. Any suggestions why this is happening?

 

If Im not mistaken, most of the problems are as a result of lugging the engine. How do you use the truck? How much are you towing? Do you lug the engine?

Did you get the full upgrade shaft?

http://www.quad4x4.com/Dodge%2094-04%20NV4500.htm

Many people have successfully welded the nut on. I would not trust a tranny shop to weld the nut on - that is a job for a WELDER, not a tranny jockey.

 

Does the tranny shift hard into certain gears? Like choppy shifts, hard to get into gear?

 

I mostly use the truck for towing a two horse trailer or sometimes a gooseneck with three horses. Lugging the engine? hmmm.... don't say that I do that, sometimes..... rarely. I start with 1st gear when im starting out from stopped to get the momentum going then shift to 2nd. I never thought of getting an updated shaft, I was on ebay and saw an ad for a longer input shaft to help situations like this. the most I did was to get the updated kit from dodge.

Yeah... the shifts are choppy... usually from 2nd to 3rd gear and other gears sometimes act up too... like the clutch is not engaging... I recently replaced the clutch too.

thanks for your help....

 

I had alot of problems with 3rd gear. I had my tranny rebuilt 4 times before the problem was found. The endplay was set very tight & causing the gears to bind. It may need a shim adjusted forward/back to adjust the gears for proper sync. Lugging in 5th is a common cause of 5th gear failure also as suggested. I know a guy who's nv4500 got rebuilt & was missing 3rd gear synchro from the factory. Anything could be causing the issues.

 

dont use 5th unless you are above 60 anything under your lugging it with a trailer. i hauled a lot of wieght and broke input gears but never 5th because went under 55

 

Just because the engine pull in 5th below 60 MPH, does not say you are literally beating the gears to death with three hammer blows per rev of engine.

 

it does when your loaded puts a strain not beating on the gears been thru 9 4500 and only had it hang in 5th 3 times lost 5th twice busted the input shaft gears the rest of the time. kinda familar with them and what hurts them

 

Thanks for the advice, I appreciate any kind of help I can get....

I am thinking of swapping the old tranny out for a rebuilt unit... any suggestions on where to get another NV4500 that is rebuilt from a reputable tranny shop? and who to avoid (good info to have)...... I seen some on EBay for around 1,000 bucks.... I know they run around 2,000 bucks.. but is this a good idea? or should I just get the parts and have it rebuilt again.... any suggestions on where and what to get?

 

Blumenthal rebuilds the tranny's for Chrysler/Dodge. They also use brass synchronizers.

 

add an xtra an bottle of fluid to it. it will also help

 

Good call. I forgot to mention that.

 

I belive genos garage sells a cooler plate for the pto covers that might help, also amsoil sells a better oil thats recomended for the nv4500 that may help with temps and like was said add extra fluid. I've seen guys use air hammers and red loctite to tighten up the nut for 5th. Also after reading a few articles on the nv4500, after fifth comes loose once it can damage the splines of the mainshaft wich means you need a new mainshaft.

 

Quad 4X4 has a Life time guaranteed fix for the 5th gear its a new patented design shaft and gear with a detailed write up on why it fails .no other fix will hold 5th gear .

http://www.torqueking.com/

 

FWIW, I would do a 5600 conversion and be done.