1995 Dodge cummins lost 5th gear , AGAIN

3rd time this has happened in 318,000 miles , the last fix lasted 125, ooo miles ,, How hard is it to fix ??? ,, how can i fix it once and for all ? thanx guys for all help ..

Get a better trans. Don't know what that is however. Maybe just a better gear oil in the trans would help. like syn 50 Mobiloil.

I had the same thing happen on mine. nv4500 5 speed. Do you still have reverse?


From what I remember, (which aint much) there's a nut on the end of the spindle that gets backed off when your luggin. Find a way to retain that nut and you should be good to go if you haven't damaged your 5th and reverse gear.

"how can i fix it once and for all"

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Buy a Ford.

Actually neither Ford, Chevy or Dodge puts a "good" manual in their heavy pickups, some for almost two decades. Between lost gears and worn clutches you're better off with the automatic transmission. The idea of buying a manual for "heavy" work runs contrary to the facts.

The best fix is to get a six speed but the next best fix is to get the quad 4x4 fix.

http://quad4x4.com/NV4500%20transmission%20.htm

I did my pickup this winter lost 5th twice in 80,000 miles. with 300,00 miles you will need to rebuild transmission completely before putting the quad 4x4 fix in. some will tell you to weld the nut on but even that is not a permanent fix. the weld will break eventually. Paul

Adapter and a ZF-5 or 6 from a ford or chev would live long behind that vintage cummins unless its cranked up. Careful swapping, one of the other stronger dodge manual transmissions, the NVG I think it is does not have parts available, do homework first.

Is this the much-maligned 5-speed Getrag? My '93 D350 has better than 300,000 miles and the thing's never been touched, but it's always in the back of my mind. Lots of those miles were spent pulling goosenecks w/20,000---30,000# GCW. I've thought if it ever goes bad, I might look at putting in a 6-speed, but I expect the transmission would cost more than the truck is worth.

Check around on the Turbo Diesel Register. Somebody makes a nut with a set screw in it that is supposed to not back off. Like posted earlier, there are several companies that make complete new shafts that are supposed to fix the problem. If you do a lot of towing, a six speed swap would probably best the thing, but it isn't the cheapest. Depends how much longer you want to keep the truck.
TDR

I fixed it for good,hasn't come loose in 12 yrs.

I welded a piece of heavy wall tubing to and along the nut on one side,leaving the bottom flush with the nut.
Then i drilled the tubing i think for 3/8" tread and drilled half the lenght 3/8" and tapped the other half.
Then i cut trough the tubing and nut,put a 3/8" UNC allen hex bolt(torx will work as well) in it and snugged it up enough so the nut would fit the out put shaft fairly tight without spreading and jumping treads.
next i torqued the nut down with the pipe wrench and tightened the allen bolt.I used tread locker on the nut.

Allstate gear has a fully splined main shaft for under 120 bucks get that and order a new 5th gear and loctite the gear and nut and it won"t come off again. The gear gets sloppy inside from not being supported buy the old style partially splined shaft and that"s why the keep coming off no matter what nut you try iit will not stay on with out a new shaft and a new gear

My late 98 24V one ton lost fifth because a snap ring wore and came out of the groove. Fifth gear then slid out to the end of the shaft and just sat there. I replaced the snap ring and all has been well so far. This was a while ago when the previous owner still owned it, but it seems to me there was an update of some sort that had already been installed when it was rebuilt a couple of years before that. I'm pretty ignorant when it comes to trannies so if it sounds like I don't know what I'm talking about that's why.

When the previous owner, who is my neighbor, bought this pickup, it had a fresh rebuilt tranny. It was driven about 600 miles empty and suddenly he either couldn't get it in or out of reverse, I don't remember which way it was. I pulled the tranny for him, it's two wheel drive so it's a breeze, he took it to the rebuilder and got another one under warranty. Drove maybe another 600 miles pulling a loaded header trailer and maybe 3000 pounds of tools and supplies on the pickup and it locked in gear. Got another rebilt but the rebuilder balked because he said fifth shouldn't be used for pulling. It's seen maybe 5000 miles of pulling since then, always in fourth when pulling, but I always have this uneasy feeling about it. Sorry to hijack the thread, I got a little long winded. Jim

weld nut on. if you can weld good it will never come loose.

We welded one and still came off

you didnt weld it right

Had a customeer that pulled campers all over the US. He kept a spare rebuilt tranny bungie strapped to the inside of his box, said it took him 6 hrs to change at the interstate rest areas. The trannys were covered under warentee.