No Standard Transmissions

[cowboydoc]

My gauge is installed right into the transmission on the auxillary port. Has direct contact with the fluid. Ford also has a transmission gauge that comes standard.

 

[turnkey4099]

As to availability of manual. I am probably on my last truck of choice. 1/2 ton 2x and manual 4 spd used. I stumbled on one when my old one gave up but was sure I would never find one on a lot again. Hit an 89 F150 2x manual on my second stop and at my price. I don't ever expect to see another one. Every body now just HAS to have 4x whether they will ever use it or not. The new trucks are so duded up that you would be scared to use them to haul anything in them. I guess I am a dinosaur too. I beleive that a truck is a truck and meant for work not play or show and tell. I include off-roading for fun in the work category.

Harry K

 

[bgott]

Volkswagon has a connection to the vehicle speed sensor in their radios. The faster you drive, the louder it plays.

 

[patrickg]

Wow Richard, If my automatic were that fragile I'd want a standard too. Ford didn't do so good on that one. I have had 5 Ford trucks, 1 IH, and one Dodge. My previous truck and last Ford ('84) I had was auto and never had a problem. The Dodge that replaced it is auto and no problems yet (going on 70K). I always had good service from my Fords, stick or auto, but I only really worked the '84 and the '97 Dodge hard the rest had it pretty easy.

You certainly have a good gauge location but man oh man not good service if the tranny fails so easily. I would be singing a different tune if that happened to me. My big complaint on the Dodge Ram is the cruise control. It has gone out 5 times now, most recently last week. I have 100,000 mile waranty from Chrysler but the repair will not exceed the deductable by much. Not having cruise is a minor inconvenience but twice now its failure mode has been max throtle and one time it went max throttle and wouldn't shut off when I hit the brake or the off button on the steering wheel so I had to turn the key off. Real fun on the freeway at 75 since with a dead engine you don't have power steering or brakes.

I would like a good sturdy 6 speed with a BEEFY clutch on a powerful diesel like mine, especially if I were the only driver. As it is I have 8 forward speeds in 2wd and another 4 in 4wd low range. I have the Gear Vendors Over/Under Drive auxiliary over drive. I can always find a gear to match the load, grade, and conditions. A 6 spd would be good enough with less complication and liklihood of failure.

Hopefully Ford didn't leave you out in the cold.

Patrick

 

[MJB]

My Chevy truck has that feature on the factory radio. They call it SCV (Speed Compensated Volume) and there are four settings on the dial so you can adjust how much the volume changes with speed. Real handy feature when the windows are rolled down.

 

[gerard]

Having driven both standard and manual, and liking the ease of an automatic for towing, my only question regarding durability would be why are tractor trailers and dump trucks mostly manual? Seems like maybe a manual holds up better to heavy duty use and it's cheaper to replace a clutch than the whole tranny? (But then I think a lot of tour buses are automatic.............)

 

[patrickg]

Rob, You crack me up man, funny stuff. Years ago (either before motorcycles had the feature or at least before I knew about it) I built a circuit to increase the volume as road noise increased with speed. I first used it in my '66 Sunbeam Tiger. I didn't have a MONSTER amp and a large speaker array so it only compensated up to moderate speeds but still, it worked OK from stop to 40-50 and helped up to about 70 where the open cockpit noise got louder than the sound system could compensate. Decades later as airplane noise grew in our neighborhood I re-engineered the idea a bit to boost TV or Stereo system volume when a jet went by. Sort of an attempt to maintain the S/N ratio.

There is more truth to some of what you say that you may have intended as only humor!

I think of cars/trucks or planes in a couple ways. 1. transportaion canister to get me there, an appliance, arrival or performing a task being the goal not the trip. 2. fun machine where the trip is the goal not the destination. I rarely flew myself on buisness, opting for commercial air with girls handing out peanuts and tablespoon doses of flat soft drinks. I have vacationed by small aircraft and had a ball. The idea of having an automatic tranny in my dune buggy has no appeal. It would have to be lighter, stronger, and cheaper and then I might not want it. I like to "Play" with the gears and have better control in potentially life threatening situations, off road when pushing things more than just a little.

Still, until or unless I start having trouble with automatics that I work hard, I think, for me, with ego considerations deleted, the autos are a good solution. If the nature of my use were significantly different then perhaps manual would be better. I still believe there are three basic "zones" in the family of solutions for the "right" tranny. There is a set of uses for which the manual is best choice. There is a set for which autos are better. There are those where it doesn't makek a diff. It is my observation that trannys are frequently NOT picked under these criteria but instead as you said are picked by personal preference. Some folks don't want to be confused by the facts as their minds are already made up.

Most of what passes for critical judgement and analysis is folks defending their preconceived notions, rationalizing their prefered choice.

Patrick

 

[MDNick]

I currently own 3 standard transmission motorized 'vehicles'. A '96 F150 in6 300, a '83 goldwing, and an L3010DT. I like gears as is obvious. I have off again-on again been looking at F250 diesels. Yet to find one on the lot that was a stick. What a shame, I'll have to special order. Not a big deal, been driving what I got for 6 yrs, another 6 weeks from when I decide to buy really won't matter to me. Besides then it is MY truck, my color, my options, etc. Having said all that, auto's definetly have their place. Rush hour traffic in DC is no place to be with a stick. Fortunately I catch that about twice a year, so I live with the clutch for those times. Rest of the time, I wouldn't have an automatic, and it is just personal preference. I like Ford, I like Kubota, I like gears. The rest of ya just deal with it. /w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif It's my money.

As for the tour busses, I bet I know a real good reason for auto's in that app. A live load. That likes a smooth ride. It can be difficult to make a nice smooth transition in a stick. As the driver it is rarely even noticed. But you are anticipating the friction point. Some guy in row 32 ain't got a clue you're about to shift when he gets up to chat with his new prospect in row 29. At which point he does a face plant at her feet. Unhappy passenger, though she might be thrilled. Again, you as the driver probably didn't even notice it wasn't like a sheet of glass. I've noticed this when I'm driving. Passengers rock more than I do. But I have control of it and naturally lean back a bit harder when I ease in the clutch, and lean a bit forward when I let out. I might be totally off base, but it makes sense to me.

Nick

 

[MJB]

Another possible reason for the tour busses being automatics is beacuse they are "pushers". With the engine and transmission in the rear, the gearshift linkage would have to be about 40 feet long. Can you say "fork in a bowl of spaghetti"? Just a thought.

 

[jwstewar]

OK, I'm glad you are backing me up here. I wasn't totally off base as some implied I didn't know what I was saying. Maybe I hadn't heard it all from my cousin or maybe the dealership didn't completely understand it to explain it to him. Haven't talked to him about it since he bought it a couple of months ago to replace his 2001 350 CC Powerstroke that was stolen. Ironically it was recovered but the frame was bent and both driveshafts were broken as while the sheriff was chasing the guy he put it in a ditch (i.e. the bent frame though just slightly) and couldn't get out (i.e. the broken driveshafts) Had ruts/rubber where he had been spinning/jerking the tranny to get out - auto at that. Sounds like that auto did OK. They actually ended up totalling the truck as the theif had put about 2000 miles on it in the 2 weeks he had it and obviously had run it hard as oil was everywhere under the hood.