I have been browsing for a new truck to rig out with a welder for work and to my surprise Ford is no longer offering a manual trans with the powerstroke what the hell is going on? anyone got any info? if not i'm jumping ship and getting a cummins.

 

Ford and Chebby no longer offer manuals in there HD trucks. I have also heard rumblings that Dodge may not offer them much longer either.

 

thats BS, I hate automatics I hate that my 150 has an auto. manuals are more fuel efficient and better for pulling heavy loads lower maintenance geez this makes me mad I guess depending on how soon I buy ill either get a dodge or buy something older.

 

ive looked into that too, dodge is the only one and they are taking advantage of it. they advertise that they are the only ones with a manual now. i think they have a manual 6 speed and a 5 and 6 speed automatic?

 

find a 2008-2010 with a blown motor and swap in a 5.9 cummins? then you get a stick and a nice truck.

there's a few companies offering the swap.

 

Well - seems the automatics outperform the manuals nowadays in towing capacity and durability...the main reasons folks buy the 3/4 ton trucks and above.

 

Enjoy your new Ram. It's the only game left in town.

 

Pretty much the case. The manuals were ok, but lets face it they're old technology. Things have advanced enough that the new autos are pretty stout and ALOT more efficient. The 6spd auto in the new Dodge 5500s at work were great all last year, except for their shifting strategy. Dodge sure didn't get that right, but that can easily be fixed with an H&S tune. Even the torqueshift auto behind the 6.4L in our F550 service truck has had no problems taking what we've thrown at it. It has regularly grossed 26K+, driving around through fields in the middle of nowhere, and basically getting driven like a rental car for 50k miles. The other thing to consider is that none of the manuals hold power very well. There are a number of plastic parts inside the ZF5 and ZF6 that wear out and break when you start throwing power at it. A good built auto won't think twice about higher hp. A good number of sled pullers have made the switch from manual to auto. I seriously would not be afraid of the new autos. They're not AOD transmissions anymore.

 

We think a lot friend. My 6.4L was the last of the breed.





I don't care about how a computer is better than my left foot, I really like a manual. But also I'm the guy without a smart phone, still uses a VCR, and daily drives a '74.

Adrianspeeder

 

I have just never like autos they have always seemed high maintenance to me maybe its just me being nitpicky. Dodges are less expensive than fords as well. If I had it my way i would just get a 99-03 ford completely refurbed to new. I miss the 7.3. plus the new dodges are the only ones that dont require that damn DEF(deiesel exhaust fluid) just one more thing to keep track of! bleh damn the eco nuts.

 

Spoken like someone who has NO experience or knowledge of how an SCR system works. I've been working on these systems since 09, and we had 4 Dodge 5500s with DEF on them last year (yes, even Dodge uses DEF but not on the 2500 or 3500 trucks). They only take a few gallons of DEF every 5k or so. Plus after 20k mi on my truck last year I could rub my finger inside the tail pipe on the Dodge and get NO soot. I like being able to breathe. The advantage of the SCR system is that you can tune the engine closer to a Tier 2 emissions engine, but still get particulate emissions down to Tier 4 standards. This also lets you tune the engine for better power and economy vs a Tier 3. Everyone is afraid of DEF systems, but in actuality they're much better than people think.

 

never claimed or pretended to know anything about it other than it seems like it would be a nuisance just another maintenance item to add to the list. i'm a union fitter/welder by trade i cant breathe anyhow.

 

I can't speak for Ford on the urea system, but Dodge seems to have it figured out. The equipment that I work on has been relatively trouble free as far as parts failures. Overall if its a properly designed system with good quality parts SCR is very reliable. For me I wouldn't even think twice about getting a truck with SCR on it, in fact I've been kicking around the idea of getting one with it.

 

I'm glad I got the last of the F150's with a standard... makes me feel... um special.

Adrian... you've got a special truck there too.

 

I know quite a few contractors who have serious welding trucks. I don't know if they are union but they are constantly moving around from job to job. They are looking for every 7.3 with a manual they can find. Unless you are looking for a new new truck I'd look for an older PS manual.

Also, I know a family that does construction. They are starting to replace all of their older trucks with manual transmissions with automatic transmissions. They tell me the autos are handling the heavy loads better. I'll believe that because nobody drives their trucks unless they know what they are doing.

This is just what I'm hearin' so it is like a stolen .02