Flagster
Expedition Leader
mmmm...gotta love that FS green...
Duramax manual transmission combo...
- Thread starter Flagster
- Start date
mmmm...gotta love that FS green...
Clutch
<---Pass
I went and looked at those, what he has left are pretty beat...some still caked with red mud underneath.
he had quite a few FS go through the lot, many FS green trucks running around here now. I just happen to have client who runs the auction house here
that had quite a few of the FS vehicle lots come through the last couple years, some real gems were to be had.
Larry
Bigassgas Explorer
Good info on the fluid. My 2001 Silverado only has 56,000 miles on it and the ZF 6 speed has sounded like the case is full of rocks since the day it was new. I might have to give that fluid a try. On top of the inherent ZF trans noise, the release bearing/slave cylinder assembly rattles like crazy at idle when the clutch is disengaged. Been like that since new as well. The dealer even replaced the bearing/slave cylinder assembly 10 years ago when the truck was still in warranty. No change.
Manuals were not offered from GM behind any 5.3L engines but it can be done. Should it be done to a stock truck and would it be a worthwhile swap?...prolly not. Many people are swapping 5.3L engines into older vehicles using various transmissions, including NV4500's by using the flywheel part number from a 4.8L/6.0L. ECM calibrations can be tweaked by any good tuner such as Howell Engine Development, Nelson Performance and many more to do a root canal on the automatic bin files and accommodate manual trans bin files.
You will have much better luck finding a 6.0L/NV4500 over an 8.1L/ ZF S6-650 as many fleet trucks were built with smaller engines backed by the NV4500. Back in the day GM bought and stored thousands of them for future use when New Venture Gear started having major financial issues.
The 6.6L diesel/ ZF S6-650 might be a little easier to find than 8.1L/ ZF S6-650 though. There are two model years where the NV4500 was behind an 8.1L but it was not in a pickup truck but rather the GM 3500-HD chassis cab (2001-2002). My point with that is the NV4500 is a strong trans and can live up to torquey big blocks and Cummins engines (Dodge's). I wouldn't be worried about a NV4500 behind a little 6.0L gas. The only reason why GM went with the ZF in the GMT800 HD trucks in the first place was because it was predicted the supplier, New Venture Gear, would collapse leaving them without a source of 6 speed manuals, which inevitably NVG did fold where even Chrysler had to find a new transmission source of transmissions (Getrag) when flow of NV5600's dried up. The automotive manufacturing industry has been a jacked up mess for the last 10 years with a different supplier going out of business, being taken over, etc, everyday but it an exciting field to work in. What is today, is different tomorrow. Crazy
Interestingly enough, even though GM discontinued manual transmission in full-size trucks for the US market, they continued to offer them in the Mexican and South American markets. For those markets GM uses a Tremec 5 speed but I can't remember the trans model number. I've never seen one of those transmissions in real life but they look stout in pictures.
Clutch
<---Pass
Thank you very much.
Yeah, that is the battle I have in my head...is it worth it?
I really love my Tacoma, for everything but traveling, need a 1/2 ton (possibly a 3/4 ton) badly for hauling dirt bikes/camping gear while on the
road for long periods of time.
Flagster
Expedition Leader
Clutch
<---Pass
sadly me too...
runs out of room and power real quick
i may have to give up my manual transmission, for something
that fills the need a little better
though you have me looking at 6.0 chebys now...if only the fuel
economy wasn't so dismal...the 5.3 in the 1500's seems decent though.
would have torsion bar suspension in the 2500 (bleh...)
