Well, after much research and nail-biting, I decided to ditch my 47RE in favor of an NV4500. I just couldn't deal with the potential breakage issues/upgrades when it comes to putting more power in these trucks. That, and an automatic 4x4 in the snow is just no fun. When I got back from Japan, I found a lead on a 98 2500 that a guy in Jersey City was parting out. He was really helpful and gave me way more parts than what was required. The swap write-ups from pete97 and got...DIESEL were extremely helpful, as well as the PM's from SouthernPride. Getting the auto out was the hardest part. I went with a Southbend 13" ConOFE conversion for the clutch. The clutch and tranny went in in about 4 hours. All in all, I'm very pleased with the swap.

A couple of questions.....

My check engine light came on about a day and a half after the swap was complete. It threw codes P0753, P0713, P1899, P0720, and P1763. Why did it take so long for the PCM to realize the 47RE was missing? Will these codes eventually go away?

The slip yoke that was on the rear driveshaft seems to be sticking out a bit further than the auto was. The donor truck was a straight cab just like mine. What gives for the extra length? How much engagement is required for the yoke to output shaft? Theres no up and down or side to side play in the shaft, just radial play in the rearend.

Are the NV4500's noisier than the 47RE? If I pop the clutch or shift real hard, I can hear a clang in the drivetrain. If I shift carefully/smoothly, there's no noise. Maybe this is coming from the play in the drivetrain? Is a slight gear whine to be expected in these boxes? Keep in mind, I'm comparing all this to an automatic, so maybe I'm just being too particular.

The Southbend ConOFE seems a bit grabby when starting off in Second gear. First gear is just too low for an empty truck on the street. What is the usual break-in period for these clutches?



Any and all pointers would be appreciated. Again, thanks to all those write-ups and PM's, job couldn't have been done without them.

 

no real break in... just drive and enjoy. 2wd or 4wd? there'll be more clang w/ slop in the drivetrain... transfer case, tranny gears, slip joint, rear gear lash, etc. an automatic usually operates in a "no lash" situation, whereas the manual can have more lash circumstances (gear changes, etc.)

I like to take off in 1st with 3.54's... easier on the clutch and one more shift to listen to out of the exhaust pipe

 

dan, ive only got a stock clutch as i didnt have the money to do a sb at the time and had to get the truck back on the road, but i allways start in 1st. like these guys say here, its a bit easier on the clutch, and ill agree, sometimes ill start in 2nd, but 99% of the time i use 1st. just fyi stuff.

 

You mentioned the yoke does not stick as far into manual as it did on auto. There may be a difference in length of drive shaft between them. Perhaps the donor drive shaft is somwhat longer!!! Change out if longer. Is donor ECM still avaliable for fault code issue? There is always some details unexpected in conversions.

 

dan, after i put that jumper wire in the neutral/park start switch, it took off the cel. and as far as the drive shaft goes, i used the one that was on my truck and it sticks out a little bit farther than with the auto, but only talkin like a 1/4" or a tad more. theres still plenty of teeth for the shaft to hold onto. i was told by the dealer and the mechanic shop that i got the tranny from that if i got a ecm or pcm, i forget which one from a 2002 year dodge cummins, that it would fix the 2k rpm limit on the first take off. but it doesnt bother me that much and didnt feel like spending another 5-600 dollars for a new computer or even a used one. jmo

 

you need a PCM from the same year manual truck. If it doesnt bother you so bad just shop around for a cheap one and swap when the $ allows it. Ebay is a good place to look for those, and also car-part.com.

 

no kiddin never crossed my mind about ebay or carpart.com, huh. ill have to look into that. i dont really get on the internet that much except for here and my hotmail lol. this dang website!!!!!!! i almost have no like, almost lol