Dirty NV4500 oil???

[Denis]

Have a '97 with the NV4500 trans. Changed the trans oil to Ansoil 75W-90 @ 943 miles and added an Eaton PTO filter. Trans did not shift quite as easily as with the Syntorq so changed oil to Ansoil series 2000 75W-90 @ 13,670. Oil was clean; as was filter. Shifted much easier after the change. Changed the oil today at 68,500. Oil looked like dirty engine oil; filter was black and bottom of trans housing was covered with grey-black sludge. No flakes or chips just sludge. I've never seen trans oil this dirty in 30 years. Have had several old Power Wagons with crash box transmissions which never got this dirty. I've never had the truck off road; tow infrequently. 90% of the miles are highway miles. Any body have any comments or reasons why the oil is so dirty????

 

[Don M]

NV4500

Denis,



You could send the oil to a lab and have them analyze it. PM me and I can get you in touch with a guy that knows his stuff and will tell ya what happened and why it did. Be it water from condensation or whatever, he will know.



He is here in Texas, but no more money than some other labs that run your samples through like a high production body shop.



I would like to know what the heck happened too. I have heard that Syn-Torq has been found in a similar condition from others after water or condensation. I dont like the lifetime fill idea frmo DC. I like the idea of changing it out sooner. I have about 12K on mine now and it is still clear as it was when it went in. Its Syn-Torq. The trans was recently rebuilt by Standard Transmission in Ft worth.



Don~

 

[Denis]

Dirty NV4500 oil

Sent a sample to be tested this morning. Will post results when I get them.

 

[radixr]

I drained the factory fill from my NV4500 three years ago with 40,000 miles on the clock. Although the oil itself was relatively clean, there was a layer of sludge on the bottom of the transmission case. I cleaned it up,installed a transmission filter and refilled with Amsoil Series 2000.



Then, last summer (about 2-1/2 years and 30,000 miles later), I had the Standard Transmission fully-splined mainshaft installed at Enterprise Engine. Doug said he had never seen a transmission as clean as mine was. Even the filter did not need changed.



Scientific evidence? Perhaps not. But combine this with the fact that my transmission performed flawlessly for that 30,000 miles and I am convinced!

Oo. Oo. Oo.