Need a cummins mechanic

[MED]

Most of those should have been covered under warranty. That was the weak point in that year. Of course the dodges had horrible transmissions and the ford 6.0 was/is total junk with the ridiculous variable guide vanes on the turbo.

my step dad bought an 02 cummins with a new tranny and loves it so far.

There are definitely trade-offs. I like the Cummins and Chassis on the Dodge, I like the Duramax and Allison on the GMs, and I like the Chassis and Trans on the Fords. I almost pulled the trigger on an '02 Duramax in '04, but I couldn't get past the IFS and I don't particularly like the rest of the chassis for the kinds of things I do with my truck. Did your step dad use the 47RE or convert to a 48RE? The 48RE can be really strong with an extreme duty kit, but I agree the shifting of the 4sp isn't that great for towing. I will probably do a 48RE conversion on mine when my 47RE goes south, or an Allison if I get ambitious.