Hi, I have a new to me 1995 2500 nv3500, sold to me as needing the 5the gear nut replaced. Finally got the thing registered and tried driving the thing.

The first thing I tried was putting it in 2hi and backing it out of my driveway. The transmission seems to be doing its job, but all I get is a grinding noise. So I try putting it in 4lo, since he seemed so insistent on driving it in 4lo. It goes backwards just fine except it's a little jerky going, which I Attribute mostly to 4lo. In 2hi or 4hi I can get it into first or second, but second or third I get grinding. I tried playing with the transfer case lever and don't get any different results. The 4wd light goes off when the lever is all the way forward, but I'm not sure that means anything, and neutral doesn't seem to work on the transfer case.

 

Is that a light duty 2500? Check GVWR, let us know what it is. Should be on a sticker on the drivers door frame.

 

Yes, it is, with the nv3500 and np231d

 

Gvwr is only 7900 ish

 

The truck was flat towed to my house by the previous owner,

 

I might be tempted to simply replace the trans...... NV4500 will go in there nicely as well, though it might be longer than the NV3500, thus, requiring different driveshafts...... (but, I don't think so.......)

What engine is in it?

 

I thought all 2500s LD and HD gassers got the 360

 

That's open to question on the Light Duty.... as I was under the impression that the NV3500 never came behind a 360....... unless it isn't the original trans?

 

You are probably right. Then again Dodge could have thought it's a 1500 so the NV3500 should do fine. Idk

 

It's the 5.9. I'm wondering if the transfer case isn't hoopajooped. This isn't my first truck, and I've driven older manual trucks (70s). The trans appears to be doing its job to me, and I had a chance to do a little more driving today. In 4lo I get all 6 gears, but above 10mph I get a grinding gear sound, but the truck goes forward and backward and all gears propel the vehicle. There is no position the transfer case lever can be in where first doesn't propel the truck, so effectively no neutral on the transfer case. When in 4lo or neutral, the truck will not roll freely, it stops itself relatively quickly. It rolls freely in 2hi, not sure about 4hi, because the shifter feels so vague, I can't tell where 4hi (or neutral) is supposed to be.

This is an old truck, not in great shape, that we've paid $1200 for. I'm going to have a hard enough time convincing the wife to let me have a transfer case put in it, much less an nv4500 swap, and I don't really have the tools to work on something this old and rusty, and I don't have a lift, so there's no guarantee I'd be able to do any of this myself. If I can sty least diagnose it down to the part, I have more of a chance than just throwing parts at it.