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Manual or Automatic?


JohnMasters
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I just bought a loaded 1990 SE 5-speed with 135,000 miles to replace a non-loaded 1992 XE Automatic with 240,000 miles that is getting worn out but I am having some difficulty in the desire to move from my very convenient automatic transmission over to the 5-speed. I have too many cars so I dont really want keeping both to be an option.

 

Do you folks have a hardcore preference for which you prefer?

 

Would that keep you from switching over to what would appear to be a better truck?

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Also, it appears that the shocks on the new truck are electronic in some way as they each have a wire attached to them however my current XE does not have this..

 

I would like to swap the shocks from the 92xe over to the 90se and vice versa as I have a nice set of procomp 3000s on the current XE.

 

Is it ok to do a direct swap such as that?

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Yep. The electronic shocks were just an option. Swap them with whatever you like.

 

I prefer the manual. Although i have both an auto and 5 speed pathy. Both are loaded SEs.

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OK Great!... on both accounts...

 

I guess Im a bit too used to talking on the phone and drinking coffee while I drive. Of course, I have been driving the automatic for 5 or 6 years daily and I have only driven the manual once so far.

 

I was also pleasantly surprised to see that the 90 SE had 4 wheel disc brakes. But that smaller emergency drum brake system hiding under the disk certainly adds time and money to a complete brake job. :)

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I prefer a 5 speed for everything other than traffic, they seem to have a little more power, better gas mileage and of course, control. (plus are cheaper to maintain/repair)

 

x2 on the shocks, the lengths/specs are identical between the two. I had the ES3000 on my first WD21 and liked them as well.

 

B

 

 

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Yea that e-brake is a pain. I'm currently on a 90 SE with the automatic and I have not had any problems with the auto. I, like many others on here, do recommend a remote oil cooler for the transmission that bypasses the original ( in the lower part of the radiator) possibly with an additional remote filter, it will make the difference between still having a drivable truck and a heap of steel.

 

Since I'm broke I have not yet been able to install one but I hope to be able to gather enough money this summer to have one on for late August!

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As someone who has driven an auto pathy for years, off road, on road, up and down hills, I say manual.

 

The automatic is just terrible at choosing gears. I often find myself bogging up hills until I disengage overdrive, and climb at 4,000 RPM.

 

Unless its gonna be an in town vehicle, in that case I would say auto is find.

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Mine is auto, and it's true, the tranny computer isn't the brightest. I think it was programmed with a lighter vehicle or a bigger motor in mind. I just turn the overdrive off unless I'm cruising on level ground, and that usually does what I need it to.

 

I haven't done enough manual trans driving to say much about it, but I do like that I can start off on a hill without screwing around with the e-brake or trying to put my foot sideways like I do in the Scout.

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I have an engine that's built with a little more power than stock.

 

Its better with more power, but it still feels like it needs a couple more gears, or at least better shift programming.

 

I still love it to pieces, wheels nearly as good as my CJ, and a lot more comfortable.

Edited by 92Path_68CJ
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Well, going with the manual is starting to sound better...

 

Another thing that I prefer in the recently acquired manual se is that it has a nice tow package and my XE was stricken with the dreaded frame rust so I welded/boxed in the frame with steel so I have never been confident enough to tow anything with the xe.

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Here is another vote for a 5 speed. I prefer them so much that I swapped my automatic over to a 5speed when the auto blew up on me.

 

Compared to auto pathys, the manuals feel like they have quite a bit more pep, and I am seeing better fuel economy now versus when it was an automatic.

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What does the tow package consist of?

 

None of mine have ever come with it. Both have had everything swapped in.

 

I guess the tow package could have been added on by the previous owner but its just a big chunk of steel bolted to the frame with a tow ball receiver and tow ball and there are some electrical connections in the back of the truck coming from behind the wheel well that plug into a trailer.

 

Ill get a picture this weekend.

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Ahhh, ok.

 

Because I have a factory hitch, plus a seven pole connector and a trailer brake controller (all added by PO).

 

My last pathfinder had nothing and I put a hitch on it for my bike rack.

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You couldn't pay me to drive a standard...auto only for me. I see no advantages other that gas mileages but if that was a problem I wouldn't be driving a Pathfinder. Just saw a thing about an average standard driver does 70,000 shifts a year....I don't.

Edited by kdj
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I agree, the auto does drive better once you have some more torque pushing it (vg33e swap, bolt on mods, etc), but it's still far from perfect. If you do a lot of stop and go city driving, the auto is nice. In basically all other situations, the manual is better. Although if you do extreme offroad stuff, the auto is easier, but not necessarily better.

 

I like the ability to push start in case of battery or starter failure and the fact that even if you lose a clutch or a gear, there are still ways to get back off the trail.

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Just drive it in power mode all the time. It behaves much better that way. I don't really have any issues with mine, it pulls on the highway in overdrive just fine. Except when I have the 33" tires on, then it will gear down on inclines. No big deal.

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I hear ya. Mine drives alright. With 33s it's sluggish on the highway though with a stock vg30e. My old vg33e swapped truck definitely handled it better. Highway speeds are 120 kmh here and to reach that speed with 33s and vg30e/auto the engine is running well over 3k rpm. Usually closer to 4k since I live in a mountainous area with lots of long hill climbs.

 

The girls mt truck handles it flawlessly at 120/130 kmh and gets WAY better mileage than me at those speeds. She also never has to downshift and even though hers is manual, it revs lower in 5th gear than my truck runs with the auto trying to maintain 120 up long hills.

 

When I swap the vg33e over from my old truck to my new one, I am also swapping to MT. Have the whole swap sitting in my shed but this trucks still my DD right now so it will have to wait until the car is back on the road

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