Bastrdgod Posted April 5, 2015 Share Posted April 5, 2015 (edited) Manual. More control, power efficiency, and mileage. Shifting really isn’t that hard and the connection you can gain with the vehicle is worth it. Just having to stay aware of the vehicle speed vs gear keeps you from dazing off and loosing concentration on the road. It does suck in traffic, I swapped to manual hubs so I can just stuff it in 4 low and crawl in traffic. Not best thing to do, but I hit stop n’ go traffic once every 2-3 months. The maintenance is a whole nother issue. Tranny and Transfer and axles all need fluid changes. Oil is important in machines, crazy I know. MT or AT, it all needs to be done. Axles and Transfer 15-30k miles depending on driving style On/Off-road regardless of MT or AT. Some people go 50k or just never do it... MT is simple and easy, except you do have to pick up a clutch at some point. Decent to good clutch 200-300, plus install, 600 for the Centerforce II/DF. Clutch is every 120k-150k. AT is pretty simple as well. You do have to check it frequently, top it off every 2 weeks at least, if not once a month minimum. I very strongly suggest a tranny fluid cooler, I’m pretty sure most the guys here would agree. Filter has to be changed which can be easily done at home, it’s just messy. If you do, DO NOT dump it in with the motor oil when you go to recycle it. Fluid is every 10-20k, filter 30k. Edited April 5, 2015 by Bastrdgod Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamzan Posted April 5, 2015 Share Posted April 5, 2015 Why would you ever have to top up the atf every two weeks unless it leaks? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gv280z Posted April 5, 2015 Share Posted April 5, 2015 I have another vote for the Manual. Yesterday while driving down the freeway, I'm pretty sure my vehicle speed sensor went out completely, speedometer hit the deck and the transmission shifted from 3rd to 2nd. I pull over to give it a minute, turn off the engine and turn back on. Now that I'm stopped, and in 1st gear, that's ALL I've got! The transmission computer didn't know when to shift gears so it just left me in 1st because it thought I was going 0.0 miles an hour! Ohh how MUCH would I have loved a manual transmisson at that point, let me TELL you. I had to get towed back home, 29 miles that I could have just easily driven had I been able to choose my gears. And there are times while offroad, wheel spin shifts the transmission up into 2nd occasionally, but doesn't downshift back to 1st so all of a sudden it's very sluggish and you think, WTH? Am I stuck? So there goes the transmission ecu throwin you a little turd cicle there for ya. Usually I have to stop and turn off the engine completely, and then start up again and it would shift back to 1st. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bastrdgod Posted April 5, 2015 Share Posted April 5, 2015 That would be why. Some epople don't fix leaks, they just let it piss toxic fluid all over the place. Also by top it off I mean Check it / Top it off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnMasters Posted April 6, 2015 Author Share Posted April 6, 2015 (edited) OK, I have been driving and enjoying the new 5-speed for the last few days and it is fun and has me feeling more connected to the truck but I am still missing the automatic. I think I can get used to it though. But... I feel like the engine is louder than the automatic as I am shifting from 1st to 2nd and into 3rd. I feel the desire to switch out of 1st well before redline as it seems louder at redline in 1st, decreasingly loud at redline in 2nd, and even more decreasingly loud at redline going from 3rd to 4th. Im not sure if it is valve clatter or what but it seems different than the automatic. Oh and... Does anyone know if the steering wheels are interchangeable between the 90,91,92,93,94 & 95. I need a new one in the 1990 but its design is different than the one in my 1992. Edited April 6, 2015 by JohnMasters Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R3DN1CK Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 Manual with a 3.0, need to keep RPMS higher. Auto with 3.3 or 3.5, they have more torque. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnMasters Posted April 7, 2015 Author Share Posted April 7, 2015 This thing is definitely fun to drive and the power is certainly more at your command. After a few days I am still having an issue with selling the '92 XE Automatic. I literally work in the city of Atlanta and my other vehicle is a 1990 Mazda RX7 Convertible 5-speed with a brand new rebuilt engine which is my fun weekend car. The idea of driving a 5-speed daily and then one on the weekend just doesnt seem ideal. Its pretty interesting that although the '92 does not have a sunroof, a tow ball, side rails, rear discs, a spare tire gate and it has 100,000 more miles and a frame rust issue. I may just decide to keep that one. Someone talk some since into me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nefarious Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 No offense but you are crazy! 5 speed all the way; plus you literally just spewed a list of all the reasons why the 5 speed is better....easy choice in my honest opinion. The auto will only last so much longer...keep the one that will keep on keeping on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnMasters Posted April 8, 2015 Author Share Posted April 8, 2015 (edited) No offense taken... I feel crazy!!! I guess that I just need to get the new one set up like my old one so I will like it... The old truck is black with a hardbody hood, darkly tinted windows and sits on some nice Lego wheels with big beefy tires with no sunroof, roofrack, siderails or tire carrier so the truck looks "clean and bad ass". The new truck is white, no tinted windows sitting on smaller steel wheels and tires and the truck looks "cute" I seriously prefer the "bad ass" look. I may plastidip the white truck black and install the Lego wheels and see what I think. Edited April 8, 2015 by JohnMasters Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahardb0dy Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 after having the automatic trans rebuilt 3 times in my 87 hardbody I used to have, each time at around $2K, I won't do an automatic any more. I would rather have to replace the clutch than have the automatic trans rebuilt. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnMasters Posted April 16, 2015 Author Share Posted April 16, 2015 WOW!!! Is it possible for the bigger "lego" wheels and tires to make such a drastic difference in power and handling. i.e. LESS AND WORSE! The truck looks much better but it feels quit sluggish compared to driving on the original steel wheels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamzan Posted April 16, 2015 Share Posted April 16, 2015 I would not have believed you normally, but my friend has a 95 Xe with the steel wheels and 235s, and the difference in power between mine with the 31's is pretty big. But the 33's are even worse! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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