Manual Transmission Rant

[pcollins]

This is quote material. I'm taking it.

i'm honored. lol.

I've heard it all before, move along fanboy

The clutch hydraulic system is the Achilles' heal of the RBV, don't replace it when you drop your tranny, it'll leak. Then you have to drop the tranny to replace it, then you can never get it bled properly, then once you finally do, the quick disconnect pops off when you're driving, starting the whole process over again.

It's refreshing for once to just unbolt the slave on my Dakota, replace tranny, bolt slave up, and it just effing works, no bleeding, no leaking, no BS.

im not a fanboy. but i'll take a Ford or chevy over a dodge any day. Why? they last longer. I see a lot of 1980s fords and chevys around here, but almost no older dodges. because they don't last as long. especially not in this state.

 

[AllanD]

I don't consider the hydraulic clutch an "Achilles Heel" at all...

MY '87 Ranger in it's original configuiration with it's TK-5 trans
and it's first type hydraulic clutch was ENORMOUSLY SUPERIOR
to the CABLE CLUTCH that was on my Uncle's nearly identical
2wd V6 Supercab pickup truck, though his was a Chevy S-10.

My Ranger ran twice the miles on it's original engine before I felt the
need to replace it, yet even with 50k miles more on it at the time my
uncle gave up on his 2.8 powered S10 he commented that my truck
TOWING his went up a few hills faster than his truck could BEFORE
the engine started getting tired...

And my truck went another 60k on that original engine before I replaced it...

Nuff said.

AD

 

[Hahnsb2]

I don't consider the hydraulic clutch an "Achilles Heel" at all...

MY '87 Ranger in it's original configuiration with it's TK-5 trans
and it's first type hydraulic clutch was ENORMOUSLY SUPERIOR
to the CABLE CLUTCH that was on my Uncle's nearly identical
2wd V6 Supercab pickup truck, though his was a Chevy S-10.

My Ranger ran twice the miles on it's original engine before I felt the
need to replace it, yet even with 50k miles more on it at the time my
uncle gave up on his 2.8 powered S10 he commented that my truck
TOWING his went up a few hills faster than his truck could BEFORE
the engine started getting tired...

And my truck went another 60k on that original engine before I replaced it...

Nuff said.

AD

I don't mind a Hydraulic clutch, I'm just not too happy with the internal slaves found on RBVs. It's pretty much my biggest problem with RBVs. It has made me really good at dropping RBV trannys though, under 2 hours for a 4x4 to drop and reinstall and an hour for a 2wd..

im not a fanboy. but i'll take a Ford or chevy over a dodge any day. Why? they last longer. I see a lot of 1980s fords and chevys around here, but almost no older dodges. because they don't last as long. especially not in this state.

If you say so My Dakota has 235k, my B2 has 250k and my Sploder had 220k, all have/had typical problems with any vehicle with that many miles, my Dakota having the fewest though. My moms 01 Caravan has over 100k on it and it still drives like it's brand new, it's been a great vehicle, same thing with the 98 Stratus my dad had with over 100k. There were also a lot less 80s Dodges sold, that's why you see fewer of them, during the 80s Ford sold twice as many vehicles as Dodge and Chevy sold even more than Ford. I wouldn't want any 80s full size truck, Ford, Dodge or Chevy. There are simply things about my Dakota that's better than an RBV, one of them being the external slave cylinder, and there's some things about RBVs that are simply better than my Dakota, like the TTB.

 

[pcollins]

I don't mind a Hydraulic clutch, I'm just not too happy with the internal slaves found on RBVs. It's pretty much my biggest problem with RBVs. It has made me really good at dropping RBV trannys though, under 2 hours for a 4x4 to drop and reinstall and an hour for a 2wd..

If you say so My Dakota has 235k, my B2 has 250k and my Sploder had 220k, all have/had typical problems with any vehicle with that many miles, my Dakota having the fewest though. My moms 01 Caravan has over 100k on it and it still drives like it's brand new, it's been a great vehicle, same thing with the 98 Stratus my dad had with over 100k. There were also a lot less 80s Dodges sold, that's why you see fewer of them, during the 80s Ford sold twice as many vehicles as Dodge and Chevy sold even more than Ford. I wouldn't want any 80s full size truck, Ford, Dodge or Chevy. There are simply things about my Dakota that's better than an RBV, one of them being the external slave cylinder, and there's some things about RBVs that are simply better than my Dakota, like the TTB.

My aunt and uncle owned a 97 Dodge caravan, and a 98 stratus. The transmission went out in the stratus at around 110k, and the caravans shock towers rotted out and the struts got shoved up into the hood. i'm not sure the mileage on that. and the caravan leaks tranny fluid like a siv. so based on their experiences, i'd be seen riding my bike before i drove a dodge.

 

[low_five]

oh shit, a F C D debate. Im out.

 

[Insanejughead]

RECOMMENDATION!



Get a transmission crossmember out of a mid 80's ranger (the one that fits inside the frame rails) and you'll have an even EASIER time dropping the tranny from now on. It makes it less physical work for the person dropping the tranny.

Unbolt transmission mount but leave it sitting on the studs. Unbolt crossmember from frame (These won't rust out like HELL from the original x-member). Unbolt engine and tranny. Then slide transmission back until it clears the engine and then slide it off of the "inside the frame rail" crossmember.

I did it, and LOVE it. It doesn't hang down as low as the "W" shaped f-cker.


Edit: Eleventy hundred eleventh post!

 

[Hahnsb2]

My aunt and uncle owned a 97 Dodge caravan, and a 98 stratus. The transmission went out in the stratus at around 110k, and the caravans shock towers rotted out and the struts got shoved up into the hood. i'm not sure the mileage on that. and the caravan leaks tranny fluid like a siv. so based on their experiences, i'd be seen riding my bike before i drove a dodge.

And my Grandfather lost TWO trannys in the same trip towing his 26' trailer in his F250, automatics suck from all brands. That said I have a friend with a 92 Dodge CTD with over 300k on the original auto tranny. The rust is mainly a factor for you guys who live in a state where your government destroys your cars with salt, there's plenty of rusted out rangers on here, I can recall a couple that rusted shackles and hangers in half shoving the springs up into the bed. I'd rather smash my toes with a ball peen hammer than work on any rustbelt vehicle, or on a RBV clutch system Around here we don't have any vehicles rust in half, and it rains 9 months a year Pretty much all vehicles have similar reliability and longevity when taken care of, I've have/had 3 vehicles with over 200k, they're all doing just fine, none of them are just falling apart, I wouldn't own or daily drive my Dakota if it was a POS.

oh shit, a F C D debate. Im out.

There is no debate, my Dakota simply has a much better clutch system than RBVs It's just refreshing to not get drenched in brake fluid.

 

[adsm08]

And back to the original issue at hand...

The internal slave has more or less become the industry standard because putting it in the bell housing gets it out of the way of road debris. That means it doesn't have to be built as beefy so it will weigh (and cost) less.

 

[strvger]

don't ever remember having problems with the hydraulic clutch on my old Scout.

 

[turner little]

dodge used an internal clutch setup on the nv3500 as has chevrolet and ford and i see no reason to screw the regular man like that but they do

 

[Deathjester]

I didnt change my clutch until 165k and only did that cause my pilot shaft bearing was making a horendous noise. Rebuilt tranny, replaced clutch and flywheel.. Now Im at 215k and still the same slave.