Beth,
If you go to the DAK mailing list website and do searches in the archives
under "hard shifting", difficult shifting-manual transmission", you will
find several threads on this issue. Basically, this is a common problem
with the AX-15 manual transmission in the DAK's. If your truck is like
mine (and others'), shiftiing becomes easier as the truck (and air temp)
warms up. I noticed it on mine for the first time this winter after a
trans fluid change (I suspect the cold and an inferior fluid made me notice
it). The typical suggestion on the list is to switch to a high quality
synthetic manual transmission fluid. Below are several notes sent to the
list on this issue that I copied awhile back if you don't want to take my
word for it. As for my truck, I switched to Redline's 75-90WNS manual
trans fluid about two months ago. Pricey stuff at $7 a quart, but I did
notice some improvement. Like one guy below says: "not night and day, but
noticeably better." I've learned to live with the "notchy" shifting a bit
and will use the synth fluid for now. Biggest issue is changing the
fluid--most shops don't carry the fluid and thus you can't have it done at
the "quick-lube" places usually. I bought a little hand-pump w/flexible
hose that attaches to any gallon jug (e.g. clean washer fluid jug)for about
$7, and did it myself no problem.
If you want more technical info check out Redline's webpage at:
http://www.redlineoil.com/mtlti.htm
And now, those threads:
Transmission & shifting
Howdy all,
My '92 Dakota with 5 speed tranny is difficult to shift
now that the weather is cooling off in Colorado (20s &
30s at night). I had the tranny, transfer case, and
diffs fluid changed in early Spring and experienced
no problems 'til the last month or so. Once the vehicle
warms up after several miles of driving, it shifts okay,
so I figure it's time to change the lubricant selection.
Unfortunately, the owner's manual is as clear as mud.
It mentions two different manual transmissions, the
NP-2500 and the AX-15.
How can I tell which tranny my tr
Try running synthetic ATF. Synthetics maintain constant viscosity
over a much broader range of temperatures because their molecules
are more consistent in size.
Redline makes a good one, also AMSoil, I think Kendall, maybe others.
Jim
I've been running the MTL in my '93 3.9 for three years now.
I put it in for the same reasons: Hard shifting when the truck was cold,
and REALLY hard shifting when both the truck and the temperature outside
were cold - especially into 2nd gear.
The verdict: it made a definitely noticeable improvement, but not a
night-and-day difference. I haven't decided yet whether or not it's
worth the $7 or $8 a quart it costs plus the mail order nuisance for my
upcoming xmission oil change.
If you have a 3.9 engine you have the AX-15 transmission, if you've got
the 4 banger you've got the NP2500. The AX-15 is a truck transmission
with fairly widely spaced ratios so there's quite a bit of speed
differential between the gears. They shift stiffly when cold, but can
be improved with a changed to synthetic gear lube. Mine has Redline
75W-90 gear lube in it which helps quite a bit. It's still a little stiff
when it's cold, but it's a lot better than with what it came with or with
Kendall synthetic. The Redline seems to reduce the inate stiffness when
cold in a shorter distance too.
Redline
75W/90NS...GL-5 which does not contain the friction modifiers
> for limited-slip hypoid differentials. This makes the transmission
> synchronizers come to equal speeds more quickly, allowing faster
> shifting and much easier low-temperature shifting.
------------------------------
Bill Romberg
Dept. of Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences
106 Cheatham Hall
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA 24061-0321
(540) 552-9365
(540) 231-5320
Fax: (540) 231-7580
wromberg@vt.edu
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"Science is a debate in process, not a body of answers."
----Jack Ward Thomas
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