Excellent post Logical Heritic. This is where I was trying to come from.
Don't get me wrong guys, I'm not saying I'd prefer a Cummins 48RE over a PSD Torqueshift. Of the two products, the torqueshift has better gear splits, lower gearing, grade braking ability, and has an outstanding reputation in stock trucks.
This said it's not infallible, and IF I DID own a Dodge Cummins 48RE and was offered to have my "dinosaur" 4 speed replaced with a torqueshift for free, I'd probably decline the offer, knowing the Cummins reputation for eating auto transmissions for breakfast . I'd rather have an ancient design which works as opposed to an advanced one which may not.

 

Nor I. I think the torqueshift is the best thing going also. Just making a point that johnsdiesel was mistaken about low rpm torque.
I dont think the failures are so few and far between. But I have no emotional investment and tend to see things for what they are. I have read of more TS failures than 48res. By more than double. I have been warned away from allisons by a man that I think very wise.
So Ill say it. I think the 48re has proven more reliable in a less hospitable environment. But, would take a TS any day of the week.

 

Where are you getting this information. I can find two...period.
Where is this data??? By the way I too have no emotional involvement ...to any of this, I just want the facts

 

Do you mind sharing where you read this?

 

I am going to have start typing quicker...
I know of more than 2 failures, but not a whole lot more, considering the amount of vehicles on the road.
And I am not commenting on my emotional involvement...

 

I am sure there are more than two could be as high as three, joking aside with statements like "I have read of more TS failures than 48res. By more than double" it makes me wonder the source. How many 48res do you think are out there.. as I type this, and how many years have they been out there, now do the math..."More than double the failures" I want to read this data myself! No tranny is perfect and the TS is no exception, but to say double…

 

48res came out the same time as the TS. You should expect about double the number of torqueshifts on the road. I factored this in when I said double. So at least 4 TS problems for every 48re. It is possible that fewer cummins owners have computers. Judging by the demographic. Im not kidding.

To be honest. Double was conservative. I make a point to remember each failure I read about. Engine or tranny. I think often on this subject.

I peruse the diesel stop. Day before yesterday. There were three failures on the first page. I have read of others previously but three within a week or two is noteworthy.

Hey tim. Is there any way to count how many active members there are here? You know, those who have posted in the last year or so.

I must admit to having inside information from an old family friend. His job is to randr diesel trannies for ford.

I dont have a cummins or a ford powerstroke. Also I prefer manuals over autos. I have experience with autos behind the powerstroke and the cummins. In other words. I dont care one way or the other and have seen the best and worst of both worlds.

 

I must expound upon my failure statement. I have mentioned that I am affiliated with a few tranny guys. Let me share a pearl of wisdom " Any sound coming from inside a transmission is catastrophic failure in progress ". I consider any tranny that is ranr'd a tranny failure. Left unrepaired it would be total demise. Might only need a simple repair. But, try doing it on your dime. 700-1200 usually for randr. Just add any repairs on top. Maybe I shouldnt call em failures but thats how I perceive them.

 

Logical Heritic
I appreciate your posts of transmission failures, but quite a significant proportion had lifts, bigger wheels and/or programmers, which when we are talking about stock vehicle transmissions, these failures are irrelevant.
A couple did have legitimate failures of the reverse planetary gear pin, (Which I believe is a known issue).
But considering the quantity of vehicles in the field these 10 or so failures are relatively insignificant.

I have a friend who has privately imported a 2004 F350 with 6.0l and Torqshift.
He has installed a trans temp gauge on it - no other mods.
He uses it occasionally to tow a plow (not a snow plow, a real plow) in 110F heat, I haven't calculated the load this has placed on the vehicle, but it would probably be similar to towing a 25000lb load up a 10% grade...
He has also used it to tow out a road train that had lost drive - around 300000lb weight - for about 200feet, I wish I had a picture of it, as it would have looked awesome.
I call him an idiot, but it hasn't stopped him, nor has it stopped his vehicle.
Most people in Australia use a Super Duty like a Tractor (for example we have seen a failure rate of the 4R100 transmission approx. 8 times that of the US).
Those that have gone to the bother of importing a 6.0l and Torqshift have had nothing but good to say about the transmission.

I know the capabilities of this transmission, and unless you overload it (like my friend) or push too much power through it, the torqshift should last the life of the vehicle without to much, if any work done to it.

BTW
High RPM loads are more likely to kill a transmission that low rpm loads.
A torque convertor style auto cannot stand high rpm, because it generates far too much heat.

 

It's my opinion that manual transmissions are superior to automatics for unorthodox uses, like pulling stumps with chains, and plowing fields. Just drop it in low and never worry about it. I've done these things with many different trucks - most notably a Dodge D-250 with 318/NP435 4 speed. Never any problems. An auto would have fried quickly.

 

Your opinion is wrong. Automatics are stronger than manuals now, and they are every bit as reliable.

 

Stronger how? Explain your point of view please, it flys in the face of my logic.

 

High rpms are when they are most efficient. When they lose the least amount of energy. When they convert the least amount of energy into heat. Then there is lockup. If it is not slipping. Then lockup is 1 to 1. No more conversion of energy to heat.

Low rpms is where they are the least effecient. Where they convert the most amount of energy to heat. It is the torque multiplication aspect of a torque converter that makes a diesel so dangerous to our little transmissions. 1100-1200 lb ft of input torque is a lot. It would kill any mortal transmission in short order.

Low speed high load manuevers are where you get into trouble with an auto. Not high speed towing. This topic has been hashed out at length in other threads.

Same with the auto vs manual. Which is also off topic.

 

You are right, hence why I call my friend an idiot.

For standard use, yes Automatics are just as reliable, HOWEVER, if you put them under extreme use (plowing a paddock for example), the nature of a Torque convertor style Automatic is that the losses and the heat it creates increases. It will get a point (that point is dependant on how the trans is engineered) where the trans will overheat, and you will have a complete trans failure.

In a manual in the same situation, due to the fact it is direct drive, and it would have been engineered to take well in excess of the torque delivered by the engine. They weak point on all manual transmissions is designed to be the clutch, and you may get some clutch slippage, and at worse a clutch failure, but that is much less likely to occur, in my experience, than an auto trans overheat, and it costs less to repair as well.

I am not going to argue the merrits of a manual vs an auto, as that is not the point of this thread, as it usually comes down to personal preference and driving style, but those are the facts.

 

This is funny: "I know at least 2x more people that have problem..."

Let's take one look on J.D. Power and Associates 2004 Vehicle Dependability StudySM (VDS):

1)Compact Pickup
Highest Ranked: Ford Ranger
Chevrolet S-10 Pickup
GMC Sonoma

2) Light Duty Full-Size Pickup
Highest Ranked: Ford F-150 LD
Toyota Tundra
GMC Sierra LD

3) Heavy Duty Full-Size Pickup
Highest Ranked: GMC Sierra HD
Chevrolet Silverado HD
Ford F-250/F-350 Super Duty

If 5.9l Cummins is so good then must transmition reason that Dodge is last on this reliability list. On the other hand if 6.0 is not so reliable then Torqshift must be excellent.