Looking at getting a ctd with a manual trans. Is there any strength or reliability issues with either the 5 or 6 speed manual trans?

I'm assuming the six speed just has the granny low, right?

 

Oh dangit. My reply got erased.

To answer your question, in a word, no.

First and overdrive are essentially the same for both transmissions, but the gear splits on the 6-speed are closer together which helps get/keep a heavy load moving. Both are really tough, the 5-speed being about 160 pounds physically lighter makes it a really popular swap for extreme off-road rigs.

The 5-speed does have the "5th gear nut" issue, which you can search about.

 

Great info. Thanks.

 

Hadn't heard about this, but I've really focused on just the NV3500 & NV4500 5-speeds. 4500s are pretty solid, from what I've read.