Hey Folks,

This is for my daily driver "BigRedPig" 2003 2500 Ram Laramie QC SB Cummins HO 2WD 6SPD NV5600

I have 2 issues I need addressed. I've heard a loud ticking sound for some time coming from the passenger side of the engine. To describe the sound, it sounds like a loose flex plate bolt striking part of the engine block. Trouble is I have a 6-speed NV5600. What I have done to eliminate the cause is first, I had the lash set and second I had the clutch replaced. Those two things were not done strickly as a cure, I needed to do them anyway (it was a 5th wheel tow rig with 100,000 miles on it), but I was hoping the sound would go away after those 2 things were done. It's still there. It's present at idle and throughout the rev range and increases/decreases with engine speed, not road speed. It does it the same hot or cold.

I'm wondering about exhaust leaks. I can't see any of the tell tale signs of a leak at the manifold or turbo flange (soot, smoke, no leak felt) so I'm wondering if a clamp is baffed or if the down pipe could be leaking. I hope and pray that's all it is. Would a leak after the turbo produce a sound like that or would it be more of a steady whoosh? Has anyone else with an 03 had the same problem and if so, what cured it?

My friend who did the clutch (he's a first rate mechanic and owns a 3500 dually with the same drivetrain I have) said I might want to think about a big end bearing or a wrist pin or a main bearing but he didn't have time to really dive into it. I don't want to think of that because it's too frightening but I guess I have too. He didn't think it was an injector but couldn't state for sure. I've lay under the truck when it's idling and the sound seems to be coming from the back bottom of the engine about in line with the crank shaft. It's loudest on the passenger side but from other positions around the truck, it seems to be coming from "over there" as well. You can really hear it about 15' from the truck when you approach the front passenger side wheel from the back. I don't know how else to put it.

Right now my truck is running great; I have no performance issues at all. The valve adjustment quieted down the top end and really improved performance I'm running clean RotellaT and a Mopar filter. I don't lose any oil between dumps. Is it possible these things just tick and I shouldn't worry about it? I run Sunoco Gold diesel fuel and I don't put any additives in.

The next issue is the NV5600. It's shifted pretty hard since I bought it. It doesn't grind or pop out of gear, even if I hammer the go pedal, it's just hard to shift. I've dropped the lube and refilled with Mopar Manual Transmission Fluid, and the new clutch made a 90% improvement in the shifting, I just want the next 10% so my wife will feel comfortable driving my truck. She had shoulder surgery last June and the last thing I need is for her to reinjure her shoulder and blame my transmission. She already blames my for injuring her shoulder to begin with because she helped me hammer up new skirting on our shack

Is it possible for the shift rail detents to wear to the point shifts get hard? That's just a crazy thought I had. It's not that it won't go into all the gears while running, it does. It's just that it feels "crunchy" when it goes into gear. Again, my friend the mechanic said his truck is smooth at 200,000 miles and because of the cost of a rebuild or a new tranny, I might just want to live with it until it becomes undrivable, which he felt probably won't happen for some time. In other words, he wasn't too concerned.

Any help you can give me is appreciated.

 

I remember reading about a similar problem, I think what had happened was a hole burned through the head gasket out the back. I don't think heas able to diagnose it until he pulled the head off, it it may have been beacuse the head was previously removed and not torqued properly.

 

It wasn't clear to me - are you the original owner? If not, any history on the truck? How many miles on it? 100k+?

Can't help you with the ticking sound; when I first read it I had thought about an exhaust leak, but I'm not sure thats it.

Smooth shifting is also a matter of perception. I think my truck shifts nice and smooth; but not as nice and smooth as my Mustang; and my Mustang doesn't shift as nice a smooth as my Jetta. The NV5600 is a big transmission so it should be no surprise that it'll take more effort than a little VW gearbox.

My truck shifted best after my first tranny oil change to Amsoil. The second time I changed it out I used Redline and it wasn't as smooth as it was with Amsoil. I'll be changing it out again shortly and Amsoil will go back in. YMMV.

And you probably know to make sure the clutch is properly adjusted - if it doesn't fully disengage that'll make for difficult shifting.

good luck

 

Humm.Your buddy says his shifts smooth.What year truck is his? I have never read any comment about a NV5600 being a smooth shifting trans.Its big and very clunky shifting at best.Its a medium duty truck unit.Hear the G56 is a smooth shifting unit.Lots of comments about the realiabilty of the NV5600 but NEVER about it being a easy or smooth shifting unit. Try feeling your injector lines and see if you can feel the tick.Also these engines are prone to carbon buildup and make a clack/tick.How long since you have pulled a load any distance? You might want to teray a couple cans at the same time of SEAFOAM and run the snot out of it or tow heavy.Its a decarbon agent.Can get at most auto parts stores.

 

My friends truck is an 3500 03 DRW. I guess he would know what smooth feels like, he rebuilds transmissions for a living. I suppose he was speaking in relative terms, though we didn't get into it that far. I trust and respect his judgement enough to accept that he knows something is up with my gearbox.

Back to the strange noise, I felt each fuel line that runs from the rail to its respective injector. I can feel a distinct hammering through the first fuel line for the #1 injector. The other lines just vibrate a little. Is this significant? I look at it 2 ways. Either the #1 injector is fine and the others are sick or vice versa.

Anybody care to hazard a guess?

 

Number one does not have a dampner on it.Those all kinda hammer. I found the Amsoil fliud a day and night differance in shift quality over factory fill but the NV5600 is still a big,clunky,grabby hard to find certain gear in certain conditions transmission.You actualy described in your first post how one works almost to a T. Try the SEAFOAM in the fuel.Carbon will make one tick/knock.

 

Thanks, Hounddog. I've never been overly concerned about the trans. I knew the clutch was fried when I bought the truck and I just thought the bad clutch was the problem with the shifting. There were times when I couldn't even down shift into 3rd. Third gear was especially hard before the new clutch for some reason. Now they all feel the same, more or less, but it can be tough to get it past the 'crunch-crunch' part. Glad to hear it's more or less normal.

Back to the injector part. I didn't know #1 was different on the 03 CRD. I always assumed all 6 were the same. I'll give the Sea Foam a shot. Would you suggest just adding it to the fuel or should I drain and fill up the filter housing?

 

I add two cans to a full tank or nearly full tank of fuel.In the filter housing some will get into the motor but most will get back the the tank by the return.Just put it in the fuel tank.I feel gruching/slight grinding every time I drive my truck.I've driven all kinds of manual trannys in my day and by far I think the NV5600 is one of the worst "No" the worst I've ever driven.