Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) Best NV5600 Transmission Lubricant

[Chief USA]

I am changing out the lube oil in my wife's HO/6spd. truck and I have a 5 gallon pail of Pennzoil Syncromesh that I am going to use this time to flush it out good. The oil that came out looked clean but smelled pretty well used.



What is the best lube oil for this application that meets the MS 9224 spec. for this transmission and who has the best price for a 5 gallon pail?



I have gone back and reviewed a TON of previous old posts on this subject and it appears that Royal Purple Syncromax is the most popular synthetic lubricant. Is this still the case? Any other better lubricants out there that work better???



I just bought the truck with a little over 122,000 miles on it and I think this is the original oil I drained out. The transmission seems to shift very well with the exception of 3rd to 4th gear shift. If you rush it too much, it will not shift and the syncro will reject it with a little clashing. If you shift it nice, slow and easy, it goes right in. I am used to shifting my 2002 NV5600 which seems to shift a bit different so it might just be operator head space and timing. Just wanted to try changing out all the fluids and see if this help improve shifting so my wife can drive it. She has never driven a 6 speed but can drive a manual trans. car so I may have so driver's school training to do. If I can fix this 3rd to 4th gear shift issue, I think she will do just fine.

 

[Wyomingcowboy]

I tried penzoil synchro to try and correct a grinding to no avail. From what I have read, asking which oil is best is like asking who is hotter; Paris or Lindsey? There are so many variables that one cannot begin to decide without trying it. Personally, I am going back to OEM when I get my synchro fixed. It cost more but the transmission shifted fine up until my speed shifting wore out the synchro and it was still the factory stuff.

I did read that royal purple has honered their warranty on a few occasions when their oil failed to prwevent breakdown. That might be a decision maker there, too.

 

[blacksheepdiesel]

Chief,

I was very happy with Royal Purple and am going back with it as soon as possible, maybe as early as tomorrow. I currently have the Mopar stuff in it that came with the reman transmission from Blumenthal's in Oklahoma City, who is THE rebuilder for Dodge. Although the Mopar stuff has done well I really liked the shifting I had previously with the Royal Purple. Some guys simply don't like it. You will have to try it out and see what you think.

BTW, I highly recommend overfilling the transmission by putting in at least 8 quarts. The rear main bearing does not get much oil and overfilling seems to help out. The only way to do this currently is by removing the shifter and pouring the oil in the top of the transmission. I will know when I change the oil in my transmission how much overfilled it should be before it starts coming out the rear seal.

Royal Purple can be purchased at O'Reilly Auto Parts.

Godspeed,
Trent

 

[Wyomingcowboy]

blacksheep -



when do you think you will drain your fluid? I did it just the other day but forgot to see how much there was left in it. :{

I now know that 11 qts is too much as the underside is coated from the extra that blew out. I'll be curios to see how much you get back out.

 

[GTOWag]

Be careful on overfilling the trans as you might leak oil from the front/input shaft seal and ruin your clutch.

 

[Wyomingcowboy]

i put in 11 qts and the clutch is dry as a bone. everything else underneath got soaked though!

 

[Chief USA]

I parked the truck on the side of the a steep hill with the driver's side door uphill and filled the gearbox up with whatever it would hold until it ran over. Not sure how much extra that is but I think it is much more than was in there before I changed out the old oil.

 

[Bob Cochran]

Just an observation here for what it is worth. It appears to me some transmissions work better with certain oil and others do not. I am not sure exactly why that is but you might need to try different ones until you find the one that works well in you particular transmission? I am currently running AMSOIL and it is doing fine but others hate it. Probably will be trying the Royal Purple next to see if it is better. Have not tried them all yet to see which one my transmission likes best.

 

[Midnite]

Chief, just fyi, there are a huge number of threads here dealing with NV5600 lube. You might want to spend some time doing some searches to see what you come up with. You'll most likely come up with several nights' worth of reading, and all of it good stuff.

Mike

 

[Chief USA]

Spent several hours reading over them Mike but most were a few years old. Just wanted to find out what seems to be working the best for folks after this long.

 

[darkhorse]

AMSOIL is working great for me.

 

[DWeiler]

Redline MTL for me with no problems---shifts smooth.

 

[DIESELWRKS]

I have used redline the past 75k and havent had problem and not bad on price.





2002 HO 6-SPD LB 4X4 QC HTT 62/14 SB-FE TST PM3/*REVO-BETA*SMARTY MACH 4'S, RINGED AND STUDS, AFE/2 " 4"EXHAUST D/PRICOL GAUGES, FASS 150, VULCAN 1/2 DRAW-STRAW, 3/8 FUEL LINE, DSS-TRAC-BAR STEER-BOX, AIR BAGS,17'' KMC BLACK HOSS, 315/70/17 MICKTHOM MTZ'S 6" RCD LONG ARM LIFT AND DE-BADGED FOR FUEL MILEAGE. :-laf... THANKS RIP Source Automotive Performance Diesel - Home

 

[telliott]

just swapped out amsoil for redline. Amsoil came out as clean as it went in. redline is working well. Can't say i notice a big difference between the two. Both worked well for me.

 

[AlaskanCummins]

I was running Redline MTL when 6th gear took a huge dump on me one day this past spring. Truck had about 50K miles or so on it. Not saying that the lube was the culprit, just what happened to my truck .



After transmission was rebuilt, I ran whatever DC put in it for about 5K miles and then just recently swopped it out for Amsoil Syncromesh. So far, it shifts nice and good. Guess I'll have to wait-n-see how it performs.



Wayne

 

[GTOWag]

No synthetic lube

Blumenthal says "do not use synthetic lube in the NV5600". The older NV4500 requires synthetic, but synthetic in a NV5600 will eventually take out synchronizers and that is exactly what happened to my NV5600 after my dealer sold me synthetic oil about 40,000 miles ago. I am glad the replacement transmission was covered under warranty at 97,000+ miles!!

 

[AlaskanCummins]

Gary,



I thought that Penzoil Syncromesh was a synthetic gear lube that is the most reccomended for the NV5600. Am I mistaken?



And, what is the lube that DC puts in the transmission if they service it there? I know that some dealers said to put ATF in it which is really the wrong thing to do.



What brand/type of lube did you put in your re-built transmission?



Wayne

 

[GTOWag]

Pennzoil 3501

The Pennzoil 3501 container has no mention of being synthetic. Your owners manual states to use Mopar Manual Transmission Fluid P/N 4874464 for the NV5600 and Mopar Synthetic P/N 4874459 for the NV 4500 (5 speed). In my recent Blumenthal (exclusive rebuilder for Mopar) reman, the dealership put the correct nonsynthetic lube in, but they only put in 3 Qt instead of the required 4. 75 Qt. The tech said it is to keep the lube from foaming (airiating). Blumenthal recommends using 7 quarts of non synthetic Mopar (Shell is what they use) lube and said foaming is definitely not a problem. Harry at Blumenthal said using synthetic lube in a NV5600 will lead to synchronizer failure which was my problem. The synthetic lube is what the dealer sold me when I changed oil the last time. I just assumed they were selling me the right stuff without checking my manual first. My fault I guess.

 

[Wyomingcowboy]

So what is with all the hundreds of people on here using synthetics? I thought the OEM for the 5600 is synthetic too?

 

[darkhorse]

So what is with all the hundreds of people on here using synthetics? I thought the OEM for the 5600 is synthetic too?

Me too. I've been using synthetics for a couple of years & my synchros are working very well... . so far. It still shifts better than with the original lub.