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The New Venture Gear 5600 series six-speed manual transmission is a great gearbox with a lot on its plate, namely the 5.9-liter Cummins inline six-cylinder turbo diesel. With all that torque to deal with there were a few teething problems in its early years.
Some NV5600 units, produced from 1998 midway thru 2000, are known to have synchronizer problems and a weak input shaft. In response to many issues owners had regarding these components, especially while towing heavy loads, the NV5600 received an upgraded clutch, input shaft, and improved synchro design for model year 2001.
The 5 Most Common NV5600 Manual Transmission Problems
1) Noise when accelerating, noise when decelerating.
Issues associated within this symptom are generally associated with input bearing or pocket bearing malfunction, sixth gear failing, or the pilot bearing could also be compromised.
2) Difficult to shift into gear.
This problem is common. The NV5600 is more like a large 18-wheeler transmission, double clutching at the right RPM is key to resolving this problem. Additionally, there may be a clutch hydraulics issue that may require replacing these components.
3) Grinding when shifting gears.
This issue can be excessive wear of the synchro rings as well as excessive bearing wear. The rings will need to be replaced.
4) Jumping out of gear.
This problem may be related to worn synchro rings, synchro sliders, gears and/or shaft movements caused by extreme bearing wear. Again these small parts will need to be replaced or a remanufactured transmission installed.
5) Will not shift from gear to gear.
Fluid varnish build-up around the shift rail bushing exacerbates this problem. The fix is regular scheduled gearbox maintenance.
NV5600 Transmission Specifications
Manufacturer: New Venture Gear
Production Years: 1998 – 2005
Applications: 1999 – 2005 Dodge Ram 2500/3500
Input Torque Rating: 550 lb-ft or 650 lb-ft (Heavy Duty, NOT used in Dodge Ram trucks)
Weight: 360 lbs
Oil Capacity: 9.5 pints (10 pints w/ optional filter)
Construction: Cast Iron Case, Aluminum Bellhousing
Improved Version: Introduced in 2001 with upgraded synchros, clutch, & input shaft
NV5600 Transmission Gear Ratios
1st 5.63
2nd 3.38
3rd 2.04
4th 1.39
5th 1.00
6th 0.73
Reverse 5:63
