[JeremyJ]

I bought my 2003 Dakota a few months ago with a bad transmission (NV3500 5-speed). I had a shop install a lower mileage replacement trans out of an identical truck. They also replaced the clutch/flywheel/throw out bearing/pilot bearing, and the fluids. Now I'm having an intermittent issue with the truck not wanting to shift out of neutral. The shop can't duplicate the issue, so they don't know what to do to fix it.

Basically, when I coast to a stop and put the truck in neutral, there's a good chance that it won't go back into any gear. I have to pump the clutch a few times and it will finally click into first. It won't go into any gear when I try to shift it at first. The clutch pedal feels normal, other than the fact that it engages kind of low. The shifting otherwise is pretty okay. Maybe a little notchy at times, but it rows through the gears once moving. The shop verified the hydraulics are working as they should. I'm stumped. Anyone else experienced similar issues?

 

[Chasing wires for days]

It sounds similar but not exactly like something I experienced. Mine was due to the oil in the transmission being low. Nv3500 takes about 2 quarts of oil (syntorque specifically is what it calls for) around $60/qt from the dealership in my town. I've heard of people using other stuff without any problems but I decided not to chance it. But yeah, I would check the oil in that transmission before I started replacing any parts. Also the clutch "engaging kind of low" means that when it lets go, it's not letting go by much. There's a chance it isn't disengaging all the way. A friend of mine had one that the bolts started backing out of the flywheel, so it followed the clutch plate back about 1/8" when he pressed it. It took us a while to figure out that's why it wouldn't let go. Id have thought there would have been a bad vibration or some crazy ass noise or something if the flywheel was loose but there wasn't. But that's the only instance of that happening that I know of personally.

 

[JeremyJ]

Update. I replaced the hydraulic master/slave setup and all is well. I guess the stock hydraulics were worn out and failing. Not a fun job, but I'm glad it's fixed.