Manual Transmission Vehicle Repair
Solving Some Tough Diagnostic Problems On The New Process 2500, New Venture 535 Transmission

The New Process 2500 transmission, also known as the New Venture 535 transmission. is an aluminum-cased 5-speed, rear-wheel-drive unit introduced by Chrysler in 1987 and produced through 1992. The unit has a top-mounted shifter and a 4-bolt aluminum top cover and was spec’d to use 10W30 motor oil as a lubricant fill. This unit was found in B/AB Ram Van/Ram Wagon, D/AD Ram pickup/Ramcharger/Ram Cab & Chassis, and N/AN Dakota, Dakota Sport/Dakota Convertible. This design has created some noise and shift problems that have been difficult to solve. This article addresses these complaints and what will fix them.

Making Money in the Clutch

If you are in the transmission-repair business, you will work on a percentage of stick transmissions. This will inevitably lead to replacing worn-out or damaged clutches, since a large percentage of transmission damage starts with a worn or improperly adjusted clutch. There is good money to be made in clutch repair, and any time you remove a stick transmission, make sure you remove and inspect the clutch.

Tips and Techniques for Standard-Transmission Diagnosis, Part 2

When you arrive at a formula that fits your operation, it must become what the Army used to call SOP (standard operating procedure) for handling technical problems, comebacks, never-lefts, initial diagnosis and root-cause failure analysis. Throw away the shotgun approach, stop making assumptions and follow the methodical process that you design to lead you to consistent problem solving. Let’s look at some real-world scenarios.

Tips and Techniques for Standard-Transmission Diagnosis, Part 1

Our profession is concerned almost exclusively with problem solving. It is important that we learn to diagnose and correct the problems that our customers bring us in a proficient manner, because time is money. Once you have agreed with your customer on a price for your labor, any extra time spent on the repair costs you twice over. The reason for this is that you cannot charge for any further time spent on the project, and you could put that same time to use on a paying job. This should be common sense, but every technician will attack a problem or comeback in a different manner.