SSminnow

Well, I currently own an '03 7.3 PSD DRW CC Auto. I have been somewhat happy with the truck in the 1 1/2 years I have owned it. My question is this: I am thinking of trading in on a '04 Cummins. Auto or stick, that is the question. My Powerstroke has some mods, do alot of drving, and it ate the auto tranny @ 38,000 miles. I hear that the Dodge tranny is a little weaker unit then the 4R100 in the Ford. I plan on modding the Cummins, so should I be better off with the stick or auto? Thanks for any input.

barracuda

with a stick you will most likely need to upgrade the clutch...the auto, if you upgrade, you will need to spend a good bit more money upgrading it. I have a modified auto and I killed it in about 3 months after modifying, it still works just slips a lot, the factory converters are not so hot. If i did it over, i would probably get a stick..less to go wrong and a clutch is cheaper than an aftermarket auto tranny.

BigBlue

Depends on what your driving needs are. If you tow a lot, then definately a stick. If you want a drag racer, then get an auto. For just normal driving around town, get a stick.

AggieJustin

Depends on what you plan to do with it. If you're going to BOMB it and turn it into a drag racer, the auto is the preferred choice. It's more expensive to upgrade so it can handle the power, but saves the rowing down the strip. There are good upgrades out there, so you're not going to be sacrificing upgradeability...you'll just have to put a little more money into it.

If you're going to be towing quite a bit, the 6-speed is the way to go. If you're gonna BOMB it (which we all do ), you'll probably be needing a clutch depending on how much power you add and your driving habits. Some clutches die early on the BOMBing path, others live long happy lives with the extra power.

You also want to look at where you do most of your driving. If you spend all your time in city traffic, shifting the manual might get old. Personally, I like rowing so I went with the 6-speed and never thought twice.

farmer dave

If you are looking for a better tranny that will hold up to slight mods then get the stick. But if you want to do some major mods then you need to put money in either one. Do you like to shift?
dave

SSminnow

Well, what I do mostly is haul/drive cross country. Gooseneck, and I have a 2 car and 4 car hauler, as well as take cross country trips with my wife. I was on pace to put about 60K on my truck in the first year, until I ate the stock auto tranny, and my truck sat for awhile until I saved up enough $$$$ for the BTS tranny that is in it right now (that one hurt me @ $3200) Drag strip action is not my thing in my truck (I have my 71 Dodge Challenger for that!!!) I just need something that is going to be the most dependable. I am not that familiar with the "chips" for the Cummins, and I will do my research on that as well, as that will be one of the first mods done to the truck. My 03 PSD, with @ 500 miles on it had a 4 position chip from Diesel Innovations, Airriad airfilter, 4 " exhaust from turbo back, and gauges. Anyways, back to the stick/auto.....Seems to be the choice would be the stick......

Oh yeah, thanks for the replies!!!!

SSminnow

Also, are there any other problems (common) that I need to be aware of on the Cummins? Example: The Cam Position Sensor on the Ford is a know problem.

GrandpasRam

From the sounds of it, a stick will serve your needs best. My truck (see sig) is used as daily drive most of the time, but I do pull a 10000 lb. (loaded) 5th wheel trailer with it. Other than the Ram Air III, I have made no mods to performance, and my truck pulls the 5th wheel like it's not even back there. You can BOMB these trucks, but I have not found a need to do so for my use. I have had no problems of any kind in the year and two months I've owned it, and have almost 20K miles on it now. I just got my first mileage increase at 13K, and get 17.5 avg around town empty and 12 pulling the 5th wheel. There were know problems with the lift pumps on the year models before '03, but the redesigned fuel system starting in '03 to the high pressure common rail seems to have cured this for the most part. Hope this helps a little.

SSminnow

It does very much so, thanks! Here in Houston, there is a guy by the name of Cochise @ Lone Star Ford that really knows his stuff, and was able to get me a smoking deal on my Ford. What about the Dodge? Any dealer in Houston I should contact, and any individual I should speak with? Thanks a bunch for any insight.