Hi I'm new to the community and have never owned a diesel but have been around them at work for a few years. I'm in the market for a nice cummins 12v with 100xxx miles on it but my only concern is that the transmission is going bad.

The truck is nearly perfect, older one owner who babied it but towed a trailer home with him. It doesnt have a gooseneck but it does have what I assume is an aftermarket 5th wheel/gooseneck hitch in the bed? two rails across the bed?
I think it does have an oil cooler as well

I've heard/read that the weak point in these trucks is the tranny?

I ran it hard and it never got to 3k rpms and every time I let off the throttle it yanks the truck like i just threw it into gear without rev matching. It is an automatic but I'm concerned with the transmission as it didnt feel just right.

Any input is super appreciated and hopefuly after this week I'll be a proud diesel owner

Thanks!

 

I don't understand this statement.

Regardless, yes, the auto trans is a weak point. Chances are at this point, any 12V you find with an original, unmodded automatic is going to need something done to the trans at any minute if it doesn't already. That said, it isn't the end of the world, and if you found an otherwise perfect example I wouldn't let it stop you from going for it. I don't remember the last time I saw a 12V that didn't have way more than 100K on it so if this is the kind of truck you want, it's a find. There are other weak points, of varying gravity: crappy brakes, ****-poor steering arrangement, problematic 4wd initiation, KDP (killer dowel pin... definitely do a search on this topic) and a proclivity to rust. The brakes can be upgraded, and it isn't that expensive as long as your goals are realistic. If you didn't think they were a problem while driving it, you probably won't need to worry about it. The steering is a more complicated bugger, and can nickle & dime you to death... but only if you're hard to please. If you don't leave stock geometry (i.e. don't lift it) you shouldn't have too big a headache. The 4wd is only relevant if you have it or use it, which you haven't specified, and worst case it's still pretty easy to work around. The KDP... you are definitely going to want to read up on this if you don't know what it is, ask the owner about it, and do something about it if they don't know wtf you're talking about. Again, not the end of the world, just another expense to definitely budget for. Parts are cheap, labor isn't, but if you're handy you can be safe for chump change. Or if you know someone handy... still not a deal breaker. Rust? I don't even know where you live, but that makes a huge difference. If you want to plow snow with this rig, there will be lots of expensive body work in your future. If you want to take your garbage to the dump in AZ, this isn't even worth talking about.

 

Thanks for the feedback! I'll have to check all of that out. its stock all the way around as far as i know.

The transmission is auto, but, when I'm driving down the road and have my foot on the gas, lets say i see a red light and take my foot off of the gas completely. When I do this the entire truck jolts a little. I compare it to the feeling of throwing a car into a higher gear without any warning. (i.e. going from 3rd to 2nd without braking or matching the engine speed) so that was my only concern.

I have to check what you mentioned but if it seems like i'll have to spend lots of money to keep it going then i'll move on. steering felt excellent compared to all of the fords I drove. Rust isnt too concerning im in va but theres nearly no rust on it.

an abs light came on and brakes were grinding unless i jammed on the brakes so that seemed iffy.

I was also wondering if an oil cooler made a big difference in the life of the trans?

Thanks for the input!

 

If the steering feels excellent you're probably fine for a good long while. Most of the components that go bad are relatively inexpensive and not especially difficult to change. The hub bearings are the worst, but I've had exceptionally good luck with the ones from Detroit Axle, which are about a hundred bucks shipped to your door. The ABS light could mean the sensor wire is broken, which could also be why they're grinding. I've had it happen many times if the wire isn't routed PERFECTLY it rubs on the caliper and fails, and in no time at all you've blown through the pads on that side. As long as you aren't street racing or towing houses around though, the brake parts are silly cheap and there are some decent pad/rotor upgrades without breaking the bank. A better cooler on the trans certainly can't hurt, but realistically, on a stock truck they can last a pretty long time if you don't beat on it. I got over 170K out of my original trans, and that was pushing snow all winter and pulling trailers all summer. But as I said- and this is very important- the engine was completely, totally, 100% bone stock. As soon as you do so much as an exhaust all bets are off. But rebuilt 47 series transmissions aren't all that expensive, and upgrading them modestly isn't either. Not something you want to have to do, sure, but if you take care of it and it lasts you another couple hundred thousand miles, so what? The engine is barely broken in, so if the truck is clean and straight then a new trans isn't a bad investment at all. Out of curiosity, how much is the owner asking for the truck? What did they say about the issue you're describing? It doesn't sound normal at all to me, and may not even be the transmission. Very hard to say without driving it myself, but it could be as simple as a loose rear leaf spring bolt. Main thing is it doesn't sound normal, and I'm curious what they say about it.

 

I'm optomistic yet very scared about the truck at the same time. I'm buying it from a supposed very reputable used dealer in the area in Central Va (Madison/Culpeper).

The only reason I'm skeptical is that I was told the previous owner towed trailer homes. I'm not sure what size or anything but I'm going back in tomorrow to ask more questions. The PO was 75 and bought the truck brand new off the lot 15 years earlier.

I'm not sure how much the trailer weighed but there was what seemed like an aftermarket gooseneck/5th wheel thing in the bed as well as a brake box. Interior is absolutely gorgeous as the owner used floor mats and seat covers.

The guy is asking around 9k I believe. its not on his site yet as he just got it in the other day.

If I ease off of the throttle very slowly i didnt feel a tug or jolt, when I pulled my foot away quickly it was a rather abrupt tug. The reason I think it is the tranny is because in other cars that i have driven with bad trannys it has the same feel as abrupt shift points that feels like its yanking at the gears. other than that no noises or anything.

How much would it cost to upgrade/fix/strengthen a tranny like this? and what would have to be done? I've read that lots of auto trucks the torque converter is the weak point?

Thanks!

 

I know I'm probably asking the wrong community haha but my other option is a 96 f250 7.3 manual trans. aside from the motors and bias and etc, is it worth going with a truck that has a manual trans that hasnt towed a lot or is a cummins with 100k the obvious answer even with the towing involved on a auto trans? I think the dodge has an oil cooler if that makes a huge difference in trans longevity?

 

Was just reading a transmission diagnostic/troubleshooting page and forgot to mention when shifting into D from the top of the column it was very hard to find. I easily pulled it too far past into R and then tried to push up into D and skipped it and went into N. It was like the gap to get the truck into D was too small. I read that this could be fluid level, or a misadjusted cable somewhere?

When I finally got it into D it felt like it could easily slide into R or N on its own, although it never did. Could this be related to the jerkiness when I let off the throttle?

 

Sounds like the shift lever itself is worn at the base, and the mileage is about right. It's a cheap part, easy fix, if that's the problem. Most of them are a little vague, and there are a few ways to approach it, although most of the people I know have just gotten used to it.
What year is it exactly? Not that it matters, I'm just curious.
I'm sort of torn about the situation. On one hand, I would never buy one of these trucks from anyone but the actual owner. But on the other hand, a truck this old must be pretty nice for a dealer to have taken it. Either way, you need to talk to the original owner, and if the dealer wants to make the sale, they should at least try to make that possible.

I bought a used car from a dealer once, similar situation... "special" vehicle ('92 Dodge Stealth RT twin turbo) that had been a one owner car, older owner, etc. (another good example of a vehicle I would only want to buy from the private seller, not a used car dealer). I wanted the car bad, but had no confidence that the dealer knew jack about it. I wanted to talk to the person who traded it in, the dealer really wanted the sale, so they contacted him to see if he'd be willing to talk to me about the car and it's history. Perfect situation (for me), as he didn't own the car anymore and had nothing to lose. He was willing, they put me on the phone, I liked what I heard and bought the car. It's win/win, because they either will or they won't go along with this. If they do, it's almost like the original owner is selling you the car. If they don't, then they're ******** and you don't trust them. If they're trustworthy and the vehicle is a good buy, they have nothing to lose by letting you talk to whoever traded it. The catch is that the original owner might not be willing to put up with this, but hey... two outa three ain't bad. Regardless, if that truck was mint, $9K would be a steal around here. To be fair, it's hard to find a clean 12V in New England, but still. With possible issues it still isn't a bad price. Depending on what everyone has to say about the odd thing you're describing, there may be some room for negotiation, and I'd absolutely take advantage of that. Brakes grinding... I don't even think it's legal for a dealer to sell it like that, so they can either fix it or take more off to pacify you further. Not much, brakes on that truck really are relatively cheap, but it's something. You definitely want to talk to the original owner though.