6spd or auto trans

[lee h hall]

I have a 96 f-250 7.3 powerstroke with an auto trans. i have found a 2001 f-250 powerstroke with a 6spd trans.i have never pulled my 27' travel trailer with a stick.just wanted to see some pros and cons.there maybe some things i have not thought about with a stick. other than my left foot killing me and a hill at a red light. thanks

[Terry2608]

First gear (creeper or growler) takes the worry out of those hills at red lights. I have a 2003 6 sp with the 5.4 in a F-250. I ordered it that way. No worry about trans temps or fluid levels. No wondering about what gear you're in. You pick it. No tow/haul. Ford said I had to change the trans oil at 100,000. Thought I wouldn't have to but did. No clutch issues in 138,000 plus miles and we've towed a 6600 lb tt across the country and hauled a 9 and a half foot slide in to AK and back. Downside, wife won't drive it (red lights on a hill).

[Tfort]

I wish mine had the manual trans. There is a reason big trucks have manuals in them. My dads 97 F250 7.3 has a 5 speed in it and tows with it a lot and loves it. I personally think they are stronger with the manual and his gets better mileage than the same trucks with the automatic.


2000 F250 CC 4x4 7.3L diesel

15 Salem Hemisphere Lite356QB

[Homebrew]

I was told the manuals have less HP then autos.


Sent from my iPhone using Forest River Forums

[Tfort]

Originally Posted by Homebrew

I was told the manuals have less HP then autos.


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That is definitely not the case. The engines have the exact same output of power but you have much more power loss through an automatic. Manuals put the power to the ground much better because there is no slippage which always exists in the auto until reach cruise speed and the transmission goes into full lock up.


2000 F250 CC 4x4 7.3L diesel

15 Salem Hemisphere Lite356QB

[Kenny kustom]

Originally Posted by Tfort

That is definitely not the case. The engines have the exact same output of power but you have much more power loss through an automatic. Manuals put the power to the ground much better because there is no slippage which always exists in the auto until reach cruise speed and the transmission goes into full lock up.


2000 F250 CC 4x4 7.3L diesel

15 Salem Hemisphere Lite356QB

That is false.

The CUMMINS is de rated behind a manual.

As of 2015, 660 ft lbs manual

If you have the aisin trans, auto, you get 865.

Big difference....


2016 Sabre 36QBOK
2015 Ram 3500 CUMMINS

[lee h hall]

thanks for the input.i cant speak for the ram or anything newer.pre 2000 i know sticks were better for torq and hp.the new autos dont lose as much power as they use to.dodge probably could not find a stick that was rated for the big six and had to detune the motor(that is a guess for me).
terry2608 that would be my draw back. the wife.my son is 15 so i think he could mash the clutch when i get wore out,but he has not pulled the tt before.that would be a ride for me.

[KenHwy61]

Originally Posted by lee h hall

I have a 96 f-250 7.3 powerstroke with an auto trans. i have found a 2001 f-250 powerstroke with a 6spd trans.i have never pulled my 27' travel trailer with a stick.just wanted to see some pros and cons.there maybe some things i have not thought about with a stick. other than my left foot killing me and a hill at a red light. thanks

I have been driving manual trans trucks on and off for over 30 years. Your left foot won't kill you and the shifting becomes so routine you will shift without even thinking about it. You won't have any trouble on hills. Use low gear and a little more throttle to get going. If you don't mind the little extra exercise I can't see any real downside to going with the handshaker.

[SKnight]

That's not always true. My Ram with an auto was available with 460lbtq and 235hp. With the six speed manual you could get an HO with 505lbtq and 245hp.

You have to check by truck and by year to see what's right for you. Personally I really like my manual transmission, I also spent years saying real trucks don't have autos or spark plugs. That's changing with the example of having the Aisin trans having more power.

With its deep first gear taking off on hills is no problem at all.

[lee h hall]

hey thanks. i looked up the torq and hp for a 2001 7.3. the auto has 250 hp. the stick has 275hp and 20 more ft poundsof torq.

[madmaxmutt]

Originally Posted by KenHwy61

I have been driving manual trans trucks on and off for over 30 years. Your left foot won't kill you and the shifting becomes so routine you will shift without even thinking about it.

So have I including many a OD green 2 1/2 ton, but that doesn't mean I want to shift when the truck can do it intelligently for me, or even more intelligently with a tuner.

Now I have both a 6 speed and an automatic in the same transmission anyway . . .

[KenHwy61]

My truck now is an auto but I still have an old 1980's jeep with a 5 speed that's kind of fun to take out for a spin once in a while. it is really a personal preference. The new autos are great and are even becoming more and more common in heavy OTR trucks. Probably getting to the point where it is hard to find new drivers who know how to use manuals anymore.

[lee h hall]

yes i just taught my 15 year old son how to drive an old 4-spd. his first question was what gear do i put it in.i replied all of them.we looked it up on utube so he could watch some one actualy driving one. he can drive one now after one u-joint replacment. he needed to know how to replace that too.

[dontay]

My belief is that if you are looking at Fords and want an auto trans get a 2003 or newer. That is when the TorqShift auto trans came out. Before that they were real junk. I bought a new 2003 F450 with the 6spd manual and liked the trans a lot. Very smooth and quick shifting and not at all what I expected when I ordered it. BTW, that truck did have both engine oil and trans coolers from the factory.
But our new to us 2010 Lexi has the TorqShift and it seems to be very good. Would not care for a manual now since I don't see any advantage except purchase price.

[The Big Toe]

Automatic Transmissions make more torque than a Manual. By a wide margin. They have a torque converter PLUS the torque of the gear ratios.

But Automatics are MUCH more expensive to build and maintain, make more heat, require an extra computer in today's world and are heavier.

In over-the-road trucks, cost is important. Very important. Automatics are thousands more to buy and maintain. And with the constant up and down-shifting, need to be rebuilt quite a bit more often.... About twice as often. And that takes the rig off the road. A cardinal sin....

An automatic transmission is the better choice in a passenger/light-duty vehicle application. It just is. Period. Unless you enjoy shifting gears all the time.

On a Semi, the rig owners don't really care if the driver is up and down-shifting 20, 30, 40, 50 times an hour.

You might.

And the Ford 4R100 is one of the BEST transmissions of that era. Period.

It was rated to handle 1000 lbs of torque but when people start modifying their diesels to make crazy amounts of power, they'll fail. Like any of them.

And if that 6-speed manual is a ZF? Good luck trying to rebuild it if you ever have to. Just swap it out and be done with it. Been there, done that, burned the T-Shirt.

But I can see the attraction of a Manual. Nothing wrong with them as long as you know what you're getting into.

[DAISY BOYKIN]

This a good article on Ford's transmission.




The Top 7 Features of Ford’s All-New 6R140 Six-Speed Heavy-Duty Transmission - PickupTrucks.com News

[Papa GLS]

Shifted manually for many miles; not any more. Love my DuraMax & Allison TX.

[Iwannacamp]

My .02.... I had a Saturn car the CVT transmission went out on...5K for the trans alone... I said NOPE. I figured a 6 spd auto had to be at least 4-5K. I can cut in a lot of clutches
for 4-5K. I have an old 2005 Dodge 2500 4x4 5.9L with the G56 transmission... I could not be happier than I am. I have had several manuals... This sets the standard for manuals. IMHO

[Kenny kustom]

CVT trans are usually going to be double, what an auto would cost.


2016 Sabre 36QBOK
2015 Ram 3500 CUMMINS

[Filthy Beast]

I would have preferred a manual trans in my 2500HD. My wife has always driven a manual trans (I think that made it easier to teach her to ride a motorcycle) and has one in her Subaru.