Richmond 6 speed=Fool's gold

[ThikStik]

Just to vent about my experience with the Richmond Overdrive 6 speed in my 71 GTO. Last night was the last straw. First time at the track juust on radials, and the f#$%#$ wouldnt go into 2nd.
This problem and the lack of 3rd and 6th to synchronize has existed in ALL 4 REBUILDS of these . Richmond has warranted 3 of them and says the last time was it. It, like the previous 3, was failing within 250 miles! The latest one was grinding 4th and then 6th within 250 miles. It goes downhill from there.
Does any one have any new about this? Richmond does actually admit the 2nd problem and the 6th sync problem in the deep geared units like mine. Ive had it. I am going to demand a buy back. And when they dont, which they wont, I will be considering "the legal option".
Once youve had the benefit of double O.D., there just is no turning back. So I am at an impasse with the car-no stupid 1;1 final drive for me.
Thanks for the forum to vent!

AFTER MARKET PARTS ARE SQUALID!

 

[Gokou]

Originally posted by rick cain

Once youve had the benefit of double O.D., there just is no turning back. So I am at an impasse with the car-no stupid 1;1 final drive for me.
Thanks for the forum to vent!

AFTER MARKET PARTS ARE SQUALID!

Isn't the ROD's 5th gear 1:1 and 6th the OD? The T-56 is a double OD trans (with 4th being 1:1 and 5th and 6th being OD gears.) Richmond doesn't list an OD 5th gear being available for the ROD 6-speed.

Sorry to hear about your problems. Experiences like yours are exactly why I didn't buy a Richmond 5 or 6 speed for my Chevelle. Too many people complaining about notchy/balky shift feel, synchro problems, etc and etc.

I ended up purchasing a Tremec TKO 5-speed and love it-- great shifter feel and a good ratio spread IMO. Great shifting tranny.

You could always go to a T-56 if you still have to have 6 gears.

Good luck on fighting with them.

One thought: is your clutch releasing all the way? Have someone hold the pedal in and make sure you can get at least a .040" feeler gauge between the flywheel and the disc.

 

[zam70]

Had the Tremec TKO in my 70 TA and it was excellent in everyway.

 

[TTA89]

The T56 is ok as long as you don't powershift it. I broke two of them behind a basically stock LS1.

Double OD is awesome. 3.42 Gears and 1900rpm at 80mph.

My Dad is in the process or "restoring" his 66 GTO and I have been trying to talk him into something with an Overdrive. Maybe I'll look into the TKO for him.

 

[Gokou]

Double OD is good, but to me it wasn't worth an extra $700 and the extra 35 lbs of weight over the TKO. Yes, there are times I wish I had another gear between 1:1 4th and the .68 5th, but I still wouldn't pay $700 for that extra OD gear.

I'm shocked and amazed that you broke 2 T56's behind a relatively stock LS1. Then again, I've found there are some people who can break any transmission in any car. Some people get T5's to live in blown 5.0's, and then there are the guys who can break a T5 in a stock 305 F-body. I guess you're one of those talented few.

 

[ThikStik]

Yea Gokou, the Richmond ROD can be selected as a double o.d. It sounds quirky as 5th is always 1:1. It comes built with o.d # 1 in the 4th slot and 5th becomes 4th at gearshift. o.d. # 6 is still 6th at shifter. I have .87 and .55. As far as my GTO goes, thru xperimenting with the turbo 700's .70 o.d. and different rear ends, I know where the really good gas mileage can be had. (for my combo's anyway) It is basically at the 1900 rpm zone. Great for cruising at 80-90mph without guzzling. So i would entertain some other kind of trans if it had a deep o.d. The T56 does have the good ratios, and Mcleod is making them to bolt in to old cars. The real answer is probably the Viper's T56. More money/trouble. And a trans cloaked in mystery when it breaks.
I really dont know why the r.o.d.6 is so bad since it uses the same synchros as the Doug Nash 5. It is actually based on the DNash 5, as Richmond bought D Nash. How in the world do they supply nascar! Working on cars is hard enough. It is impossible when parts do not do what is claimed of them. Fun little fact: the first trans only lasted 750 miles without any WOT at all! Drove home in 6th from 3 stoplights. Nice!

 

[UNGN]

Rather than switch tranny's we switched rear gears.

We changed the pontiac 2+2 over to 2.75 from 3.0 gears to avoid excessive Accellerating/decellerating in OD (was .82 now .89) OD). We blew 6th gear out of our richmond last year from one too many 146 mph power shifts into OD (a total of two).

Its actually about 7 - 8 seconds faster to 150 mph after the change: we did 0 to 155 in 31.5 Seconds while it took 36 seconds to 150 with the old set up (shifting into OD).

It's probably a couple tenths slower in the 1/4 mile, but then why would I want to stop accellerating at a 1/4 mile