I have an 01 Ram 1500 with the NV3500 trans. Have about 107,000 miles on the truck.


I am having various problems with my transmission and am trying to pinpoint what the problem is before I take it to a shop.

Problems:
-When I shift into 1st, it will almost always bang into gear.
-I get grinding and grabbing when I shift from 1-2 and 2-3, and an even worse bang/grind if I try shifting while turning (shifting from 1-2 while hanging a left turn from a stop sign, etc).
-There is some difficulty moving from one gear to another, with the worst being when shifting from 2nd-3rd.



I have heard it could be everything from a slave cylinder, to the clutch, to the synchro, and I need some help diagnosing what it could be. I guess more so, how much I am going to have to spend on repairs....

 

I would check clutch fluid level and condition first. You could also drain the tranny and check the plug/fluid for metal shavings..indicating things like bad shift forks, sinchros, etc.

I don't know much about tranny problems so hopefully someone else can help out.

 

Sounds like the trans may be low on fluid as well....

 

+ 1 on slave/master hydraulics. Check fluid level, if it's okay, leave a brick depressing the clutch overnight, see if that helps. With the cap and black rubber thing out of course.

 

Great idea for bleeding the clutch. I have it all set up, and hopefully it will help.
As for the fluid, I changed it about a month ago with Mopar fluid for the NV3500. Fortunately, there was little to no shavings on the plug magnet. I will recheck it tomorrow, and maybe even redrain and fill.
It took a little over 2 quarts until it started flowing back out. Is this enough, or should I force a little extra in?

I'm trying to think what could've caused this as the truck shifted nearly perfectly (or at least a lot smoother) until about a few months ago when I changed the fluid at the same time I did my ring and pinion.

 

Timing may just be coincidental. Grab a friend, have them step on the clutch, while you watch and see how much movement you get down at the trans. (if you can even see it....)

 

That's all it takes. But I always run 3 quarts in mine (filled through the shifter). My tranny has 215k on it.


I'm leaning towards clutch hydraulics since it seems to do it in multiple gears.

 

Also, when you do try to bleed it, after it has sat depressed () all night, tap the lines to loosen any possibly stuck bubbles before releasing the clutch.

 

Alright, so I let the clutch sit depressed for a good 12-14 hours, and then I took it out for a drive. It seemed a lot smoother compared to before. There was still a slight grinding type feel when shifting to 2nd, but it was better all around.

However, after driving a little while, it felt like the truck went back to how it was before. I have been noticing a trend though. The grinding and shift problems seem to occur after the clutch is repeatedly used in a short period (stop and go traffic, navigating a parking lot, etc.)

What does this point to? The slave cylinder? From what I understand, there isn't a bleed screw on these transmissions? Does the pressure plate need to be replaced?


As always, I thank everyone greatly for the help.

 

If you can, inspect your clutch, and see how much is left. (how many miles on the current clutch??)

Possible that hydraulic system is failing, allowing pressure to bleed past the seals on one of the cylinders, see any leaks at all?