chuxtruk

My owners manual says 75W Synthetic API Grade GL4. The big Service Manual says the same thing. The 75W Synthetic Penzoil product they used at the Jiffy-Lube will be fine in my NV-4500 5 speed tranny. It's QUIET and shifts like a dream....

How often to change?
As the owners manual says it "doesn't require periodic changing", I'd think that if you did it every 100k or so that should suffice. If it's easy for you to do then maybe every 75k or so but I see no reason to change it more often than that under "normal" conditions, especially running the synthetic....

wadecool

I change mine every 25 to 30,000 miles. I pull Fema campers(7000-9000lbs) a lot, but it depends on what you do with your truck. If you don't tow much, you could go longer before changing the tranny oil.

atf8611

that sounds easy enough, i will do that this weekend. thanks for the reply. is the fill plug obvious, or is it easy to confuse with anything else? also where can i get this castrol syntorque that is recommended? is that something autozone carries?

wadecool

Chuxtruk, what does that little tag on your fill plug say? Mine has the mopar part# for syntorque. Look up quad4x4.com & call & ask Dan what you should put in it. He will give you all the technical stuff about why the nv4500 needs Syntorque. You and the guy at jiffylube may be right, but anybody that rebuilds these trannys is going to tell a different story. If you do keep putting that Pennzoil in your tranny, please let us know how it is shifting in 100,000miles.
atf8611, the fill plug is going to be beside the pto cover. It takes a big allen wrench & should have a plastic tag on it with the mopar# for syntorque. You can only get syntorque at Dodge or Chevy dealer & at quad4x4.com(cheapest).

atf8611

awsome, thanks for all the info

wadecool

No problem. All the knowledge I have is thanks to all the other folks on this site. I've done the 5th gear fix, swapped trannys, replaced front wheel bearings, replaced the radiator,fan, & lift pump, and adjusted my valves...... Thanks to the folks here.

chuxtruk

I saw an Amsoil webpage and it described the 5W-30 "thin oil trannys" and the NV-4500 is NOT one of them. The NV-3500 and the NV-5600 are thin oil transmissions and use the 5W-30 oil. The NV-4500 needs a GL-4 rating oil and I don't think you're gonna get that out of 5W-30 oil. BUT.... the 75W-90 Synthetic is GL-4 rated and is the proper oil for a NV-4500 transmission.

Here's the link for the 5W-30 info:
http://www.thebestsyntheticoil.com/gearlube2.htm


And here's the link for the 75W-90 info:
http://www.amsoil.com/storefront/fgr.aspx?zo=1122941


While not the gospel, there's plenty of info about the lubricant our trucks require and where they listed some of the different transmissions and their lube requirements, did you notice that the NV-4500 specifically is NOT on that list (of thin oil trannys) but other NV trannys are?? Between that and what the owners manual says, I KNOW that the correct 75W-90 synthetic lubricant is in my NV-4500.

wadecool

Chuxtruk, where are you getting "5w30" from? Do a search for "nv4500 oil" & read the thread started by digital bullet & you'll see what I'm talking about. The ONLY factory approved oil for the nv4500 is Castrol Syntorque 75w85w. Anything else will break down the syncromesh fibers. Just trying to save you some $$$$ down the road.

chuxtruk

That isn't what my owners manual says so I'm gonna respectfully disagree with that one. Here's what they refilled my NV-4500 with and as you can see this Penzoil product meets every requirement of a GL-4 (OR a GL-5) lubricant. Personally, I doubt there's much if any difference between the 75W-90 or the 75W-85 and I'd bet both meet the requirements of the NV-4500. I'd be comfortable with either, but I'll digress to the owners manual and it's recommendation. FWIW

http://www.pennzoil.com/products/gea..._gear7590.html

wadecool

Chuxtruk, What does the plastic tag on your fill plug say? I'd rather go by that than the owners manual. Also, how long have you had your truck?

chuxtruk

Truthfully, I haven't looked....but I will later on today when I'm underneath on my creeper. You know, my service manual says the same thing, use a GL-4 rated synthetic lubricant.

And I've had it since April 8 about two months now. But before you think I'm some kind of Dodge Cummins diesel virgin, I bought a brand new first gen in January of 1993 and drove it 260k miles and sold it a couple of days before this one got here. So I DO know how good of trucks they are and how to take care of them....the owners manual helped but I learned LOTS more right here!!!

walexa

wadecool, give him a break........geesh. The big deal with the syntorque is that for a long time nobody else made a gl4 synthetic. If he is running what is recommended per the owner's manual I think he will be fine.

Sometimes it's best to offer your recommendation and leave it at that. It's not like he put ATF in his nv4500.

Waylan

wadecool

Walexa, I'm not trying to give him a hard time at all. There's several people saying they put this or that in their nv4500, but I haven't seen one saying they've been putting these other oils in for 100,000+ miles and had no trouble. I have seen many people saying they put syntorque in & have 200,000+ on the original tranny. The owners/service manuals don't say to put a fuel pressure gauge on 98-02 trucks, but most guys will say its a MUST if you don't wanna replace a vp44 if a lift pump quits. I was just trying to help a guy out.

walexa

What it all comes down to is that the nv4500 is a decent tranny at best. Running syntorque doesn't mean you can put 550 hp through it and it will be fine for hundreds of thousands of miles. There are alot of factors to take into account other than what oil was run that allowed someone to get 200k on it. Besides, synchros failing is not the same as a tranny failing.....just shifts cruddy. Show me a few posts of people having problems from running other oils. I'm currently running redline mtl in mine, shifts perfect, tow heavy occasionally, close to 100k on this tranny. 3rd gear was scratching on the stock tranny when I pulled it out........guess what was run in it..........syntorque. What causes a gear to scratch when going into gear..........worn synchro. Does this mean syntorque is bad oil? Definitely not, I just don't think people should be hounded when they are running an oil that meets spec. Personally, I like it when others run something, go against the grain. 100,000 miles from now and maybe he will report back, good or bad.

My next nv4500 oil change........probably the penzoil stuff.

Waylan

wadecool

Walexa, you make some good points & I totally agree that the nv4500 is decent at best. I had the countershaft bearings go out on my last repair to the tranny & I had syntorque in it at the time. I've had so much trouble with it, I try to eliminate at least one trouble factor by using syntorque. But with the 5spd, you can do everything right & it still may break down.