no_6_oh_no

No worth the hassle or the downside. The manuals and clutches have their own problems as most eventually find out. Just trading one problem for another with less return.

Purplezr2

What problem would those be, I have tons of miles on manuals and the only issues I have had is I lost the fluid in my A4 due to a bolt backing out, that was 40k ago, cost me 113+ fluid to replace the bad bearings, if I had done that to an auto I would be looking for a new trans, Manual trans are easy to work on, clutches are easy to replace(I have done quite a few for lots of different people including my own vehicles). Don't really see a down side other then things like 5th gear nut(which you could still drive the truck with). A bad clutch gives you plenty of warning usually, failing hydraulics are easy to fix.

no_6_oh_no

The single biggest glaring problem is the consistently worse mpg that the manuals get. The OD ratio on all of them are too low for good economy at most hiway speeds. Just no way around it from that aspect. Unless it has a load hooked to all the time, a heavy load, the manuals loose out in the efficiency and ease of driving categories.

The G56 is not a bad transmission, but, it is far from bullet proof. Knowing how to drive it, shift it, and maintain it is key to long life. It doesn't like to be speed shifted, none of the good transmissions do. The aluminum case will twist under heavy loads and power so there is a definite limit to what you can push it too. Even under rated loads the driver better know how to use it or it will knock bearings and gears out consistently.

Talking stock to stock, the DMF is no better than the stock converter and actually costs a bit more to fix than a good TC. In reality, the cost to address the issues in a stock 06 manual\auto to handle 500 HP and towing are very close.

To purposely switch to a manual is not a cost efficient operation considering all things.

bkrukow

I can tell ya after owning both a 04.5 6 seed and a 06 auto that there realy is no comparison. Short of pure laziness or lack of ability to drive a manual there realy is no reason that these trucks should ever be equied with a auto.
I tow a realivly lite load. My toy hauler is around 10K loaded and the diference is nite and day. The 6 speed literaly would tow circles around this auto. The auto has to big of a gap between gears that the 6 speed fills in. The engine breaking is nite and day difernce as well. The auto just lets you roll and the 6 speed holds ya back. I could go on for ever abought all the reasons i want my 6 peed back but I need to go to bed.

For me there realy is no option. I would trade trucks for a equivalent one with a 6 speed but I want out of payments and realy like the truck otherwise.

no_6_oh_no

Good luck the NV5600, they are a good trans aa long as they are driven correctly, the correct fluid used, and serviced. They are expensive because they are out of production is the biggest problem.

FYI, the OD ratio on all the autos is .69, the early G56 is .79, the late G56 in the 6.7 trucks is .74 like the NV5600. Still not the optimum ratio in your at or under the GCVW. Where it does help a lot is grossing up around 30k.

Apples to apples, take a G56 truck and an auto and fix the NVH enforced problems in the DMF, TC, low line pressures, etc. Will cost about the same to fix and enable the truck to use up to 500 HP.

At anything up to 23k the auto will flat run away and hide from the manual and out mileage it also. The auto is never out of the power band on shifts, the turbo stays lit and rpms up. If your driving any of the manuals your backing off the fuel before shifting to spool the turbo down a bit and loosing a bit more in the shift becuase it takes time to make it and not annoy the trans. By the time your in the next gear and spooling its itme to shift again. Meanwhile, the auto just never slows, its always accelerating.

The only way to counteract that is speed shift the trans. Its a given you WILL be fixing either one doing that on a regular basis.

You hear about a lot of guys WANTING big dollar transmissions not neccesarily needing them. Like I said, for the cost of replacing a DMF one can address the issues in a stock auto with excellent success. Its all a matter of perception.

cincydiesel

Not to gang on ya by any means but I love my 48re.. Granted it does need a little attention if you plan on putting any power upgrades on. I'll put my Goerends built against any tranny out there.

Idaho Guy

Comstock100:

How did the rebuild go??
Are you happy with how it all turned out?
Are you pleased with the shop you went with?
Updates?

bkrukow

I live in Iowa, granted on the oposite side of it from Goerends, but I plan to save my nickles and dimes and pay him a visit this summer so he can look at my stock tranie and see if there is something wrong with it. I dont plan to do a rebuild but I would like someone who knows what they are doing to look at it and give me there opinion if it will make a couple more years under normal use and fix any isues it has. Like I said I paln to do a swap its just gona have to wait a couple years.

No6ohno.. I understand all your points but honestly no matter how many nubers you throw at me I am NOT going to be happy towing my camper around until I have my 6 speed back. 4 speeds just is not enough. There is to big of a gap in the gearing for my liking. The way the tranie just sits in gears for ever one time then drops into OD to early the next just dont make sense. I can be accelerating away from a stop sighn with the camper on perfectly flat gorund and it wont go into OD literaly for 2 miles then the next time it will drop into OD at 50 MPH and fall flat on its face while accelerating up hill from a stop. It makes me so mad I almost want to get out and walk. I had my 04 for 55K and towed the camper a lot in that time. Now towing the same camper with this auto just TICKES me off EVERY time I hook to it. There are a few freinds of mine that have also made the swich from manual to auto. One with a Cummins and one with a powerstroke. All of us hate the autos. The one with the 05 Cummins is a little happier now that he has a fully built tranie but still misses his 6 speed. The one with the Powerstroke actualy had both at the same time. He got the auto for his wife and coulent stand to drive it so they sold it and kept the 95 with 290,000 miles. If for no other reason you should want me to get a maunal so that my wife dont have to listen to me curse and swear at this truck every weekend and vacation to Colorado.

cincydiesel

I did a lot of research before I contacted Dave. I was very impressed with his knowledge and willingness NOT to try and sell me everything under the sun.. I told him exactly what performance parts I had and what I planned on adding in the future. He built my to tranny for my needs and expectations. Once rebuilt, I had to learn how use the truck's powerband all over again. I'm amazed at how effortless the truck pulls a hill with a 15,000-20,000 lbs GN. 2100 rpms and its 70 mph up any hill I've come across with plenty of pedal left. Did I mention that I have not had one truck beat me running a hill.
I've pulled a few county sled pulls and about 20+ boosted lauches with not one issue..

no_06, really knows his stuff. I've learned a lot from his post and have great respect for his opinions.

no_6_oh_no

If mine did that I would be mad also. I can't fault you for your opinion if thats what your dealing with. What you are describing is definitely not normal for a stocker. The good news is it can be fixed and your wifes ears protected.

My best advice is take it Dave Goerend and let him work his magic and you will fall in love with that auto all over again. There is NO comparison between a correctly setup trans and the stocker. Period. Add a little power, like 60 HP and remove some of the TQ management and all of a sudden your smile won't go away. Stock is adequate if the trans is working correctly but my does a little extra power make things so much better.

Just curious, what gap in the gearing is most offensive? Drive to OD? Personally, I think it is terrible also but ain't impressed with the gearing in the manuals either.

bkrukow

Ya 3rd to OD is my main gripe. I have learned to just let it eat in 3rd for a while but it seems like it wont lock the TQ all the time in 3rd either. Some times it does and some not. Honestly its been a long winter and I havent towed with it for abought 4 months so I am a little fuzzy on its exact mode of operation,, or disoperation. I have let it sit in 3rd at 65MPH for up to 5 miles with the TQ locked and it wont up shift till I get it up to abought 70 then let completely off the throtle and the when it is going down past 55 it will up shift and I have to get back on the throtle to bring it back up to 60 but not to hard to make it downshift or the entire proses starts over again. The next stop sign may bring an entirely new shift pattern. It may shift OK for what I like or it may shift to soon and fall on its face at 50 MPH for no reason. What I would realy like is to get my hands on the enginere that wrote the shift logic and strangle him. I just figured this is the way its suposed to be cause this is how its always towed but maybee ther is a problem.

Comstock100

A-1 Transmission in Reno really took care of business. They quoted me a solid price of $1995 no matter what they find inside. They ended up putting a new tc in no extra charge. They also found that Nevada transmission Exchange in Carson City had fouled the valve body beyond repair- they installed a new vb no extra charge. Every other shop wanted an open ended bill starting T $3000 plus. The info I got from every other shop was not consistent ( I am very mechanical but I don't let on so that I can judje what info is thrown at me). I also found some other shops in town fielding calls- they would take mine because they didn't have my money yet- not a good sign for the future with them.
I am very pleased with the outcome and I saved thousands. The truck feels as good or better than stock which I was very pleased with. In addition A-1 backs the trans coast to coast for 2 years and have been in business over 30 years.There rating with the BBB is A plus.
The entire deal was very stressful starting by getting scammed by an unscrupulous shop but I am finally back on the road. Thanks for all your input everyone and best of luck with your trucks.