- Joined
- Nov 22, 2019
- Posts
- 253
- Reaction score
- 83
- Location
- Green Cove Springs
- Ram Year
- 2002 1500
- Engine
- 5.9 liter 360
In addition to my 2002 conversion, the 2003 Ram 1500 I picked up along with a spare NV 4500, has its own woes.
According to previous owner, somebody put a rebuilt trans in and failed to install a pilot bearing, wearing out the main shaft ! Which doesn't surprise me considering all the other McGyver stuff I've had to correct on this truck.\
In the meantime I had pulled an NV 3500 out of a junkyard to put in my 02, but the input shaft showed wear at the pilot bearing end, and I wasn't going to put it in like that.
What did surprise me was this: Debating on doing the work myself or have a shop do it, I started making phone calls. I was willing at the time to shell out $1200 to $1500 for a rebuilt NV 3500 to do a quick swap and get the truck back operating correctly. Shop #1 One a local shop with 3 or 4 places said they only work on automatics, and never heard of such a thing as converting an automatic to manual. Ok Fair enough, if that's all you want to do you can run your business the way you want.
Shop #2 Really took the cake, first he said he would need my vin number, then he said that he wouldn't sell a trans or take a core unless it was to a professional shop. Then he said because it was a manual he would have to charge at least $4000. My reply was GTFOH and to KMA.
So I have ordered an input shaft, and input shaft bearing after splitting the case and seeing that everything else is all right. There was a little wobble in the input shaft, but everything else looks fine, and no metal in the case.
I don't mind paying a fair price for a repair, but nowdays it's become absolute robbery!
According to previous owner, somebody put a rebuilt trans in and failed to install a pilot bearing, wearing out the main shaft ! Which doesn't surprise me considering all the other McGyver stuff I've had to correct on this truck.\
In the meantime I had pulled an NV 3500 out of a junkyard to put in my 02, but the input shaft showed wear at the pilot bearing end, and I wasn't going to put it in like that.
What did surprise me was this: Debating on doing the work myself or have a shop do it, I started making phone calls. I was willing at the time to shell out $1200 to $1500 for a rebuilt NV 3500 to do a quick swap and get the truck back operating correctly. Shop #1 One a local shop with 3 or 4 places said they only work on automatics, and never heard of such a thing as converting an automatic to manual. Ok Fair enough, if that's all you want to do you can run your business the way you want.
Shop #2 Really took the cake, first he said he would need my vin number, then he said that he wouldn't sell a trans or take a core unless it was to a professional shop. Then he said because it was a manual he would have to charge at least $4000. My reply was GTFOH and to KMA.
So I have ordered an input shaft, and input shaft bearing after splitting the case and seeing that everything else is all right. There was a little wobble in the input shaft, but everything else looks fine, and no metal in the case.
I don't mind paying a fair price for a repair, but nowdays it's become absolute robbery!