Anyone?

 

i cant help you with all your ?'s but it does shift good at wfo and has a desently low first gear for towing and a almost to high 6th gear for good gas mileage the gears are close together in every way ratio wise they are close doesnt dorp but maybe 6-800 rpms between every gear except 1st-2nd with is a little more and shifting wise they are close your arm never has to leave the arm rest to shift 1-6 just a flick of the wrist but retreat is a bear to get use to its way over in the passangers lap but thats my only d/l of the tranny hope this helps

 

What's type and brand, and how is the clutch engaged, shift fork or hyd.?
HP/TQ ratings, and how well does it shift at W.O.T? Pics???

Thanks.

How the heck did I miss this.......

Tranny is the getrag model 238 6-speed manual. Clutch is hydrolic.

4.7L V8 235hp and 300tq

And I agree with gomerkfx700 on it's charicteristics.
I am really enjoying this tranny. :rck:

PICS

VID
http://media.putfile.com/ramvid3

I have a better shifting vid, but it's not up right now......

Hope this helps ya'

 

What do you think about the shifting on this tranny? I have a 2005 Ram 4.7L 3.92 rear end 6 speed manual on my truck (only 2000 miles on it so far) and it shifts REALLY rough/notchy going into second.. A bit notchy into third.. Rest of the gears are ok..HORRIBLE when cold (almost to the point of a "grind"..). SOME better when it warms up.. One of the worst shifting manuals I've had in 20 years.. One guy on this forum (powerfulhemi) basically says Dodge knows about this problem.. How does YOURS shift, especially the shift from 1st to 2nd??

 

rbrown6061- I'm assuming your asking me(?)

click--------->http://media.putfile.com/ramvid4
Also check out the other vid link in post #4

As I said above, I like this transmission.
Is it notchy at times.......yes. Is it worse when cold........yes.
But hey, it's a TRUCK transmission, cut it some slack.
If you expect it to shift like a sportscar you will be dissapointed.

One thing I have discovered is that "timing" your shifts just right pays off big-time.
If I time it right, that shifter "slides-right-in-there". If not, well then I just pull/push a lil' harder and "in-it-goes".

Biggest complaint I hear is that "shift-effort" is higher with this tranny.
I do not have an issue with this, and my arms are more than strong enough to row this shifter.
Maybe it's because I had a truck with a borg-warner T-18 for 7 years.
(a T-18 is a notchy and VERY strong granny 4-speed)

I also talked with powerfulhemi on this subject.
He really prefers the NV3500 5-speed over the getrag 238.
But I don't, I really like what that extra gear does to help the 4.7 in the Ram.
And if you watched the vid at the top of this post, then you already know that at WOT and 5500rpm a getrag 238 can be
slammed from 1-2, 2-3, and 3-4 quite nicely with no problems. :drivingz:

 

Stickshiftsrule, yes, I was asking you Thanks for responding..You told me what I wanted to know.. Sure, I know this won't shift like a BMW tranny and I don't expect that.. As I mentioned in previous threads, I bought my truck late in the year and it had 230 miles on it.. I just CAN'T imagine any test drives (in the first 230 miles)tearing up the synchros unless the test "driver" had never driven a stick.. Anyway, I have noticed two behaviors below that I find interesting (one sort of matches up with the "timing" thing you mention.. ) . As I mentioned to powerfulhemi, I guess I expected better from a mainstream tranny manufacturer (Getrag) who has been making trannies for a bunch of manufacturers for decades.. Powerfulhemi also says it might loosen up over time (a little).. I only have 2000 miles on it so far..

By the way, I am big guy too and have good size arms, so I don't find shift effort too hard.. Just hate the notchy feel that makes it feel NOT like a NEW tranny on a NEW truck but an OLD tranny on an OLD worn out truck. I've driven UHAUL rental trucks (big ones) that shifted better..

Behaviors:

1) Timing (luck?) On some shifts (mainly 1-2), smooth as butter.. Other shifts REALLY notchy.. I'm not doing anything different on the shifts (been driving a manual for 25 years) so I doubt "it is me" I also HAVE to believe that if the synchros were TRULY screwed up, I'd NEVER get any good shifts...

2) Does get better once warmed up.. If I drive it REALLY hard, I guess that warms it up quickly and the shifting is better.. Still get the "some 1-2 shifts smooth, some notchy". but better..

Yes, I've done a bunch of WOT rowing through the gears, and it is fun! Even got myself a ticket recently for having this fun!

By the way, I've noticed one other strange thing in my truck that I don't think I've ever seen in any other manual: (not worrisome.. just strange)

Cruise down the freeway in 6th gear at lets say 60 mph.. Maybe I'm turning 2000 rpm or so.. Throw in the clutch and put it in neutral.. Let out the clutch.. Coast all the way to a stop.. RPMs stay high (at least 1700-1800 rpm) until I almost come to a dead stop where they go back to 600 rpm (idle).. RPMS will stay at 1500 even at 15 mph coasting in neutral.. Seems strange to me..
Thanks again.. RB

 

So............Did you watch either of the vids I posted?

Does mine appear to shift better than yours?
I see more posts about people not liking this tranny than I do of posts praising it.
I dunno'........I like mine.

BTW- 230 test-drive miles........ouch! I bet they were hard ones. Poor truck!
At least it's in good hands now (right?).
I special-ordered mine. Tech inspection was the only miles on my truck.

BTW- I've got over 10,000 miles on it now.

 

Hey.. sorry.. I screwed up on my last post and hit "post" before I finished it.. So you may have not seen everything I wrote.. It is all there now.. Yes, I watched your first video last night and watched the second one a few minutes ago.. On the second video, I don't think mine will shift that fast without grind city.. (But I'll give it a try just to be sure..).. I'll post the results.. BTW, what did you use to create the videos? Really cool! I agree with you.. Lots of complaints on this tranny, including me.. I've been traveling a lot and haven't found time to go to the dealer to drive a few 2006 6 speeds to see how THEY shift.. (IF I can find one.. most are autos!) If they shift like mine, as powerful hemi says, I "Live with it".. If they all shift better, I'm going to request a face-to-face meeting with the "Regional Dodge Service Rep" as the dealership says "normal" and won't do anything.. I've requested these reps in the past on my old Ford Expedition and it really IS worth the trouble.. Right now, if I can't get "happier" with this brand new truck, this will be my last Dodge.. (and I've got another 30-40 years of "car buying" ahead of me so Dodge definitely loses!!).. Thanks! Gotta take my son to his baseball game..Later!

 

One more thing.. Yes, I take GREAT care of my vehicle.. Even swapped out the factory tranny fluid for the Amsoil ATF.. Gotta go..

 

Just read your edit above.......
About the high idle in neutral.
This is normal. Although I feel lucky, mine never goes past 1500rpm, and that only lasts till I get below 35mph.
Try this.......
If you have it in gear (clutch engaged), it should NOT do that. Some people have said that their truck does do that.

For whatever reason DCX has decided that we will get very little engine braking at below 2000rpm unless our speed is less than 35mph.
I should note however, that in 4-low and 1st gear (off-road) my truck will stay at 1mph going down a (steep) hill with no braking required.

 

Vids were made with a kodak easyshare DX4530 digital camera.

So........The getrag uses ATF? I wondered about that.
I usually change manual tranny fluid at 50k if it's ATF.
Personnally, I like gear oil better, like what my old T-18 4-speed had.
But that made for stiff shifting in winter time. Guess that's why they went to ATF.

As for that "timing" thing........
Well, when I had the T-18 I learned how to "float" the gears. (shift without the clutch).
If you watch your tach and get a "feel" for when everything is lined up "just-right" that shifter will just about suck itself right into the next gear with very little effort on your part.
I'm talking about normal acceleration here, not power-shifting.
Since you've been driving stick a long time I'm assuming you already know this.

But after my T-18 (F-150) I had a ranger with a M5 (mazda) 5-speed.
Clutchless operation is not in that trannies vocabulary.
So other than a 5.0 mustang, I've not shifted clutchless in a while, and don't plan to with this truck either.

But the "feel" I got for shifting with the T-18, has been very helpful for "timing" shifts (with the clutch) in this truck.

BTW- for what it's worth. I've NEVER got any grind out of this tranny (knock on wood).
And it seems to like "heavy-handed" treatment.
I cannot say the same for the previous NV3500 5-speed that it replaces.

Of course, having said that, I'll probably miss a shift now........ :crazy:

 

Interesting.. Well, to be honest, I don't plan any clutchless shifting.. I suppose it isn't worth the risk (minimal upside, lots of downside I did do some "Drive It Like You Stole It" driving this afternoon (read: WOT..) and I have to say the tranny doesn't seem to like it, especially 1-2 and 2-3. Had to slow down on the shifts into 2nd and 3rd.. (shifts into 4,5, and 6 were fine and fast..) I suppose (since I'm not racing this truck) the WOT shifting is not a huge concern for me.. I'm more concerned about "normal" driving.. (on average, shifts around 2500-4000 rpm plus or minus..). So, the next step is to drive a few new ones (the Getrag 238 is the same from 2005 to 2006) to REALLY know if I'm unhappy or not Regarding the fluid, yes, it is good old ATF (to be exact,per the manual, it is ATF+4). Early on, I swapped the standard factory fluid for the Amsoil.. It made the shifting a TINY bit better (just like powerful hemi said it might) but not as much as I was hoping for.. The main reason I bought this truck was that it was the only full size (I'm a big guy) quad cab on the market (I have young kids) where I could get a V8 and a stick... Not enjoying the shifting, which is every time I get in the damn thing (duh!) is making me regret my purchase.. Stupid me for not realizing this when I "test drove" it.. Unfortunately (stupid me again!),the truck I bought was the first 6-speed 238 I had driven. If I had driven a few prior to the one I had bought, I would have either realized "they all drive this way and I don't like it" OR "hmmm.. the first two I drove were great and THIS ONE is notchy".. Live and Learn I suppose.. I'll post again when I drive a few new ones to compare..Dodge just lost a customer.. Maybe for life.. Glad you are happy with yours! Thanks again!! RB

 

Well, I finally drove a new one.. (it was a 2006 6 cylinder regular cab with the 6 speed which is the same tranny as I have).. Interesting that the new one shifted a little smoother than mine, but not a ton smoother.. So, you (stickshiftsrule) and powerfulhemi are dead right..this is "just the way they are" (notchy!).. I'm still not impressed with this tranny and I don't recommend it to ANYONE.. I guess if it gets worse over time, I'll be within the 3/36 warranty for a while, and, lucky me, since mine is a 2005, I have the 7/70 powertrain warranty.. Later. RB