This would normally hold true, but that torqshift auto is pheomenal.
After driving many, many 6.0's...there is no way in hell anyone could sell me a 6 liter without the auto (especially after tuning a la 1704).

 

This hunting season my partner and I picked up a couple guys that were walking down the road at the end of the day. Camp for them was nearly eight miles by twisty, hilly, washed out paved and gravel roads through our great Cascades. The two opened the bolts on their rifles as we opened the back doors. They piled in the back noting the seating conditions, heat, lack of rain and the cold ones that we handed them. Through the hills we rambled in conversation. As they departed at the drive to their camp, both made note, "Dang, this is a stick shift?"

With the 40/20/40 seats I can't help but figure they had a good view that I was shifting all the way through each obsticle. But we were in conversation. Still you'd think they'd have noticed if the drive was CLUMSY. With a little practice and learning the power/throttle reactiveness of the 6.0 then this transmission can be driven quite smoothly.

Yes, the shift pattern takes a bit to get used to. I don't like revearse in a forward position. BD makes a short shifter for it. NO, this is not a transmission that you can plan on taking to the drag strip. But then again. It's a truck! I've never had a time slip for a truck.

There's a couple posts of Clutch slipage for those that have program/tuned their trucks to more than 700 foot pounds of torque. But in stock trim there's plenty of plate grip.

As for towing down hills. There's plenty of compression breaking available.

Again, if you're used to a stick and like one. I doubt you'll be dissapointed with the 6spd.

I worked with my local dealer to get a dealer trade for a truck that was 600 miles away. Trucks with the "standard" option are difficult to find. I got the last new 04 available in Oregon, Washington and Idaho four months ago. I'd searched for months through the used lots. Every time I found one in an add, it was sold before I could get to it. Yet, my truck sat as a new truck on a dealer lot for months. No, there's not as much call for them. The guy that drove my truck here for delivery. -'Damn, that thing's a beast. Pulls like a raped *** through the passes!' He drives diesels every day. But not 6spds.

No regrets.