Project Sidewinder | Banks Power: The New Venture Gear transmission used in Project Sidewinder harnesses the turbocharged power of the Cummins turbo-diesel.

The New Venture Gear transmission used on the Project Sidewinder Dakota has been completely blueprinted by the team at New Venture to assure maximum performance and reliability for both racing and street use.

The massive size of the New Venture Gear 6-speed manual transmission required cutting the Sidewinder Dakota floor. A new floor was fabricated and installed.

This is the New Venture gearbox mounted in the Sidewinder with a partial bellhousing scattershield in place.

Selecting a suitable transmission for Project Sidewinder was easy. We used the New Venture Gear 6-speed manual that is used in 4x2 Dodge Ram pickups with either the V10 or the Cummins 5.9L turbo-diesel. Not only does it fit the Cummins block, it has the necessary strength to handle the job.

The New Venture Gear® transmission model No. NV5600 is a six-speed, manual shift model found in 4x2 Dodge Rams with either the V10 or the Cummins® 5.9L. turbo-diesel engine. Complete blueprinting was undertaken by the New Venture technicians, assuring that the transmission shifts smoothly and provides the highest level of reliability. Otherwise the gearbox is completely stock with the following gear ratios:

1st = 5.63
2nd = 3.38
3rd = 2.04
4th = 1.39
5th = 1.00
6th = 0.73

The transmission features a top-mounted integral shifter, eliminating the need for any external shift linkage. It is fully synchronized in all six gears. It has a rugged 1-1/4-inch diameter input shaft and 1-3/8-inch diameter output shaft. While this is a very strong gearbox, it does come with a penalty – it weighs almost 300 pounds.

New Venture Gear recommends the use of Texaco® No. 1874 gear oil in this transmission, which is what we use. The only modification to the lubricant is a purple dye to make leak detection easier, should one occur.