Hi everyone,
Re: 2003 Dakota 2WD 5speed manual NV3500 trans 4.7 V8 engine
I just completed a clutch replacement and it works great, except the shifter is waaay too sloppy. I didn't open the transmission, but replaced the oil with a 80W-90 gear oil. I am wondering if I lost a part or a bushing in the shifter tower when I took it apart. I can't find any diagrams that show all the parts in the shifter tower to see if this was the case.
I see people suggesting that there are bushings (or springs?) that could be easily lost. Does anyone have details about these parts and what they look like?
Thanks Guys,
James

 

You put 80w-90 in the transmission? Get it out - NOW!

The NV3500 REQUIRES (yes in CAPS) a syncromesh transmission fluid - from the FSM:

"Required lubricant for the NV3500 is Mopart Manual Transmission Lubricant, P/N 4874464. This is the only lubricant to be used in NV3500 transmissions."

Pennzoil and others make a substitute.

The shift tower itself just unbolts. See attached pdf.

 

Thanks Dan,
I hear you that the gear oil needs to be changed, but I don't think that alone would explain the sloppiness. Because of my inexperience, when I removed the shift tower I took it apart (there are 4 screws, I believe) to pull the shifter out of the transmission.

From what I read on the online forums, there are small parts that may have been lost. To determine this I would need a mechanical drawing of the components that are supposed to be in the tower. The only plastic part I saw is the bit on the end of the shifter that fits in the cup inside the transmission.
Have you ever seen a diagram or a list of those parts?

James

 

Good luck finding any replacement parts finding new oem parts is becoming hard to zero a junkyard may have the parts or more likely a complete shifter.

 

Try this http://ck5.com/forums/threads/nv3500...hifter.229031/

or this http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Venture-...-/272059824437

 

Thanks 98Dakaz,
It seems to me that a spring would be the part since it is going into all the gears quite well, but the shifter isn't springing back to the middle. But I didn't have that apart, I just pulled the shifter out of the cup.

Once it stops raining here, I'll go have a look. The pictures were helpful.

 

If you download the 2000 or 2001 FSM you'll have the entire manual for the transmission. It does show how to install the shift tower. There are some roll pins, etc., but it doesn't sound like you pulled them.

The FSM can be found here: https://dodgeforum.com/forum/2nd-gen...-download.html

 

Thanks to you guys and the forum, I've found the missing parts. I guess when I pulled the shifter out of the shifter tower (I didn't need to do that, just remove the tower), the parts went "sproing". Later I found one under the truck and one in my toolbox (lucky boy!), otherwise I bet I would have to replace the whole tower.

In case anyone has the same problem, I am posting a couple of pictures. The parts that I was missing and that made the shifter sloppy were the two plastic gizmos that slip onto the end of the shifter splines (see the photo).




Parts inside the shifter tower in a 2003 Dodge Dakota NV3500 transmission.



Here's where they fit. When the assembly is tightened down they create the springiness that brings the shifter back to centre.

 

I would call those bushings and usually you never take that apart thats why it didn't click with us on the forum. You are very lucky to find those bushings stock shifters are never the best but after-market are only marginal better I had a HURST shifter for a VW BUG that was great at everything except reverse.

 

Mechanics lost those little bushing to my 2001 Ram 1500 NV3500. This is the only photo I have found of them. Mine may be slightly different due to transmission differences, but not by much. I have searched everywhere I can think of using all terms I've been able to think of and have not been able to find replacements anywhere. Can anyone direct me to where to find them, OEM or aftermarket?