I live in the foothills near Denver, frequently travel over the continental divide, how underpowered is the 3.7 with a manual?? I want to pull the trigger and trade in my duramax, but I am very concerned that the lack of power will deprive me of the speed limit up the long passes, especially with the 700 lb atv in the bed.... Any words of comfort or warning?? I want a manual, therefore the Alpha is not an option.

Thanks for the help, this forum is VERY useful and informative, I appreciate all the good pics and posts.

 

Hey I have a I5 with the 4 speed auto and the power sucks, no really! I have put a full k&n system in it, and a stage 2 JET chip AND A Throttle Body Spacers and the power right now is OK but the tran jumps to much and the shifting is ruff as hell. If you go to a I5 from a Duramax...... your going to be pissed. My goal for my H3T is to put a 6.6 Duramax LBZ engine it, then it with be a true HMVWW and have ***** to thewalls HP. I belive the gas tank is a 25G and from full to E it's about 350 miles. If you ask me stick with the Duramax, if not get the 5.3 and just deal with the auto tran. I had taken the 5.3 for a test drive and to 100 mph it's smoth and ez on the truck. I should of just held out for the 5.3, but going from a 3.7 to a 6.6 would be a hell of alot better. But this is just my thoughts, I wish you luck on what you get or stick with.

 

I have the H3T with 33" tires and the manual transmission. I think the power is ample. It is a little sluggish if you lug it down below 2000 rpms, but if you keep the rpm's at 2500 or more the power is great. I was driving down the highway the other day and didn't realize I was doing 90 mph it was so smooth. The problem with the I-5 and auto is that it has 1 less gear and it is always hunting between gears. The manual is fine IMHO.

 

Thanks for your perspective, not comforting but it helps. I am thinking the 5.3 is the only way to go.... Maybe our new Chinese owners will produce late models with a better transmission that can be a swap for the 4 speed??? Wishful thinking I am sure.

 

I had an opportunity to test the automatic and manual version of the 5cyl H3T... without a doubt the manual has much more pick up and go than it's automatic counterpart.

It does leave a bit to be desiried when it comes to power, but if you want to pass you can easily drop it down to 4th or even 3rd gear on steep grades around the 100km/h to 130km/h (60mph to 80mph) mark for extra power while staying well under the redline. It has much better passing ability than my old XJ with an inline-6 cyl for sure.

I run 35" tires on my H3T now, it does feel like I am shifting gears a lot more on the highway on any kind of grade... I am considering a performance exhuast & PCM tune now for some extra grunt.

 

Now I HAVE to check out the I-5 manual.... I was looking for used, manual H3t's and I think it would be easier finding an honest politician (if they existed) than a used 3t within 700 miles.

 

Exactly what Sugar said. I drove both as well and the manual had a noticeably different feel when driving. I have the manual, run 35's and have an AirDoc intake and the power is sufficient for most cases, but I would say go with the Alpha if you are worried about power

 

Actually I have no gripes about off-road power anymore... I discovered my sweet spot with the manaul for hill climbing.

3rd gear, low range w/ lockers... you can climb the steepest most insane grades in this gear!! I conquered hills this past weekend I thought for certain I would have to be winched up.

 

In the hunt for a manual to test drive in CO, not an easy task! With the melting snow this weekend, it will be perfect conditions for an 'extended' test drive too. Hope something turns up...

 

Manuals are going to be hard to find. They only make 3% of the T's manual, and most of the biggest dealers buy them up. I had to look for 500 mile to find one.

As far as acceleration, its a little sluggish, but you get used to using the higher rpm's and it can get a little spunky above 3k. I have a 400 lb tool box and 200 lb snugtop and I still think its okay. This is me coming from an extended cab with a 6.0L.