stranded in small town MT

[milenko]

Hello All, I have been to this site many many times. It is a great site, and the search functions work great. However, now I am in need of help, and the search function did not tell me much. So here is my story.I drive a 99 dodge ram 2500 4x4 with the 5 speed manual. An edge EZ is my only known mod (I bought the truck when it had 250,000 on it), I added fuel pressure and boost gauges (based on opinions from this site). 260,000 miles. I am moving my wife, 10 month old, 2 dogs, and a cat 1900 miles from MT to PA for a job, so I got my trusty dodge loaded up and am hauling a 16 ft flatbed loaded to the gills with all my worldly possessions. I am driving down the interstate in eastern Montana and just after I crest a small hill, I hear a clunk and my truck dies. So now am driving down the hill with no power steering and no power breaks, trying to slow down this truck with a load. I punch in the clutch, drop it out of gear and turn the key, truck fires up instantly. So I try to put it back in to gear to allow the tranny to help me slow down. I can't put it in 5th, or 4th. So I let out the clutch (still in neutral), and the truck dies again. So now am back to no power steering and no power breaks trying to slow this big beast. Then I punch in the clutch again, fire the truck back up, and coast to a stop along the side of the interstate, the entire time I pushed the clutch to the floor. As soon as I release the clutch, the truck dies. I call for a tow truck, but before it arrives I pull the inspection cover off the transmission hump inside the cab (good thing I carry an 8 mm socket with me). As soon as I pull the stick shift from the transmission, my cab is filled with a horrible stench of burnt something. Also, there is some smoke coming up from the tranny. I did have tranny fluid. The tow truck arrives, hooks up my truck, and trailer, and tows it to his shop. He tells me the front bearing shaft probably locked up, and he does not work on them, he just throws a rebuilt tranny in these trucks, and sends them on the way. My question is: do you think my tranny is shot, or do you think it could be something else? The first thing that popped in to my mind when it happened was throw out bearing. But I am not good at working on clutches/trannies. I can rebuild a motor, but have no experience with transmissions. Thoughts? Thanks in advance.

[dennhop]

Can you shift into any of the other gears, other than 4 or 5? I had a similar issue a few years back, and (unfortunately) it was far more serious than just an input shaft bearing... My trans overheated, and welded the gears together, necessitating a full rebuild on the trans, as well as needing to get a new clutch. If for some reason yours is truly just an input shaft bearing, if you can pick up another input shaft, it's about a 5 minute fix...but going off of what you said about the smell, I'd be willing to bet that you have far more serious problems. The first thing I would check is to see if the trans will shift and run in any gear-1,2,3,R since you stated already that it wouldn't go in 4 or 5. If it doesn't shift into any of those and move easily, then the trans is smoked. If it does shift into those, it's possible you broke 4 or 5 somehow-which would still necessitate a full rebuild on the tranny. Hopefully someone else will chime in, with more info...I'm a little scatterbrained right now, having been up for almost 24 hours now, at work...

[dripley]

I am sorry to hear about your troubles. Sounds like the clutch is working as it should and something internal to the tranny is not. I dont know what you can do other than have it pulled and see whats going on inside of it. It would also be a good time to look at the clutch and be sure nothing is wrong in there. The NV4500 is a fairly common tranny though and you might find one at a salvage yard if your funds are limited, but you have to get it out and see whats going on first.

[Wild and Free]

Where in MT are you stuck at? Sucks that you are on a move like that when it broke.MT to PA for a job, that is different in itself, seems everyone is coming our way to work the oil related jobs.

[Mopar1973Man]

If the input shaft bearing is truly the problem then it wouldn't matter what gear your in you'll clutch would never disengage. Because the pilot bearing would keep the input shaft twisting regardless of the clutch in or out. Since you got a foul odor from the transmission I would say your most likely running too heavy and too fast got the trans overheated. Something internal most likely failed. (Bearing, etc) Because if the engine dies out after you engage the clutch that means its damaged after the clutch. So you throw out and pilot bearings are good.As for the power steering/Power brakes that is the power steering pump issue. Something failed with one of the pump being either the vacuum pump ahead of it or the P/S pump behind it.

[milenko]

Hey guys thanks for the quick replies. I cannot shift it in any gear. If i press the clutch peddle, the truck will start. I cannot shift it in to any gear. The stick will move laterally with no problem, but when I try to put it in any gears, it feels like there is something in the way. When I let out the clutch (it is still in neutral because I can't put it in any gear) the truck dies. As for the moving part. I am currently in Terry, MT. I am moving because I got a job at a hospital in PA.

[Mopar1973Man]

Well with the engine off you should be able to place the gear. But if there is still trouble then something is broke in the trans.

[milenko]

Hey Mike, thanks for the reply. I didn't have p/s or power breaks because the truck died. Once I started the engine, the p/s and brakes came back just fine.So the input shaft is the main shaft that is transferring power from engine to the internals of the transmission? How would that fail? I bought a truck with a manual because I assumed as long as I wasn't hauling 10 tons I wouldn't have trouble with overheating. I thought overheating was only a problem with automatics. That's why I didn't bother with a tranny temp sensor when I was putting my gauges together. Am I missing something? thanks in advanceedit: I cannot shift the tranny in to gear, even with the truck off. Well I guess the tow truck driver was right. Am gonna need a new tranny. Bummer

[Mopar1973Man]

Ahhh... I thought the steering/brake problem was during the engine running (or because you stalled it)... My Bad. :duh:As for the transmission getting hot they still do even manuals. I typically check my fluid once a month and check the color if the color is darking I typically change it out regardless of the miles. But as for getting hot manuals still can with weight and towing. Like even myself when I'm hauling heavy I never drive faster than 55-60 MPH. Faster you drive the hotter the driveline will get all the way to the axles. More torque means more friction on gears.

[milenko]

Well guys thanks for all the help. It sucks that I will need a new tranny. All well, 5th gear was acting up anyway, was gonna have to drop the transfer case to check that the 5th gear wasn't working its way off. On the upside, now I wont have to do that. Always gotta look on the bright side of life.

[diesel4life]

Where in PA are you moving? I'm within a mile of the OH/PA border. Sorry to hear of your troubles, hope you can get it resolved quickly.