I killed my NV5600!

[TX Gooseneck]

I was driving from my office to Tulare, CA for our annual farm show/equipment expo out here and was driving through OK. My truck began slipping at anything over 2200rpm. No biggie, I figured my clutch was toast, I've got 148,000 miles on my 04. 5 dodge pulling heavy a lot.

I limp into OKC, trying to find a dealership to help me. This was late last friday. I get the truck into Bob Howard Dodge and the truck is puking fluid in the service drive. DAMMIT.



They pull the truck out and the tech runs it back. Comes back in and tells me my rear main is shot, oil leaked on the clutch and boom it's done. They pull the transmission and come to find out the engine is fine, but the transmission is in bad shape. The input shaft has almost 3/8" of play on all sides and there are metal shavings all over the inside of the bell housing. The shaft also had cracks all over. New transmission, clutch and labor $6400

I was floored. As I'm trying to figure out how to salvage the show (We've put over $10k into it as a company so being there would be nice!)



I'm talking with the GM of the dealership trying to figure out what to do and after some debate, I drove off in an Silver 05 Dodge 3500 quad cummins 6-speed with 610tq engine. Needed to get another truck anyway. Just hated to buy one now.



Meanwhile, my 04. 5 is waiting for parts that will hopefully be in towards thursday. If they replace the shaft/clutch/rear main and all hardware I'm at $2900, if they run it and the transmission seizes then it gets expensive.



Anyhow, we pulled into our space THREE hours before the show started this morning.

I'm going to bed!



Oh yeah...

Meet Sean, he needs donations to help his sick truck get running right again, PM for paypal info

 

[SRadke]

Sorry to hear of your luck. Any details on what exactly let go in the trans? Just the bearings? How often have you been chaging the oil? I've found the NV4500 will eat a set of bearings in less than 100k if you don't change the oil. Faster than that if you tow. These aren't the howling, ball bearing units of the 70's anymore.



-Scott

 

[klenger]

Sorry about the old one, congrats on the new one.



I was looking at the maintenance schedules (A and B) in my 04 owner's manual and there is no reference to changing the NV5600 fluid EVER. Dodge does recommend chaning the front and rear diffs every 15K on schedule B, but no mention of ever servicing the trans. I guess that's why they feel that they can charge so much for the fluid, they assume no one will ever need any.

 

[opjohnny]

I thought I read about an upgrade for the pilot bearing around here. Was it southbend? I wonder if this could be related.

 

[SRadke]

You're right Klenger, DC doesn't recommend chagind the oil in these units. I on the other hand can show you many sets of worn out bearings I've replaced (in NV4500's) that would suggest otherwise. I'd bet 80% of the people that change their transmission oil after more than 60k miles could take the drain pan out in the sun and get a little sparkle out of it. Oil's cheap, bearings aren't. My $. 02 tax free.



-Scott

 

[Hohn]

I'd be curious as to what kind of fluid maintenance was performed on this trans.



EVERY single one of the mostly-rare 5600 failures I have heard of could be blamed on lubricant failure. I run Redline MTL for a reason-- the stock lube is overpriced crap.



JMHO



JLH

 

[DPelletier]

Sorry about the old one, congrats on the new one.



I was looking at the maintenance schedules (A and B) in my 04 owner's manual and there is no reference to changing the NV5600 fluid EVER. Dodge does recommend chaning the front and rear diffs every 15K on schedule B, but no mention of ever servicing the trans. I guess that's why they feel that they can charge so much for the fluid, they assume no one will ever need any.

I laughed out loud when I read that in my maintenance schedule. I changed mine at 30,000 km (18,600 mi), and will continue to change it every 30,000kms. Oil is cheap compared to an NV-5600. I use the Pennzoil like you suggested.



Dave

 

[JTeague]

After reading this post I can't help but chuckle as I see this all of the time with people who use and abuse these trucks. I work at a Dodge dealer here in central Missouri where it never fails at least once a week some hotshot towing 30,000+lbs on a 50 foot trailer pulls into the driveway with problems. We are in the hilly part of I-44 so they usually throw craps somewhere near out shop-. They are usually pricks that are in a big hurry with no money and throw a big fit when you tell them their trans, clutch, rearend or whatever else has grenaded. . :-{} I am not implying you are this type of person, but just stating what I have witnessed. I just don't understand going out and buying a new truck and putting 150,000+ miles/year on a truck and not expecting to have problems. Why not step up to a larger truck? These are still just pick-ups ya know. Sorry, just had to vent a little.

 

[CATCRACKER]

my buddy killed his 5600 by running 400hp racing with 18K behind him some people amaze me. he also managed to twist his crank in two pieces. the trucks are tuff but not indestructable. i have broken some parts myself so if you play you pay

 

[rashwor]

Cat,



How's the little addition doing? Mom and Dad getting much sleep? :-laf



Sorry for hyjacking the thread.

 

[WNowlan]

I'd be curious as to what kind of fluid maintenance was performed on this trans.



EVERY single one of the mostly-rare 5600 failures I have heard of could be blamed on lubricant failure. I run Redline MTL for a reason-- the stock lube is overpriced crap.



JMHO



JLH

REDLINE is overpriced as well!!!!!!! FACT not opinion!

 

[draymorris]

What were the symptoms leading to the failure?

Did you have some strange vibrations? Mine is vibrating between 25 and 15 mph when I am slowing down - for some reason it is worse when I am braking moderately. Just tonight it began a growl at about 65mph but became quiter after a few miles, but I still think I feel something different. I have also notice a litte "shudder" when I take off from a stop. Does any of this sound like yours?

 

[MMeier]

Pennzoil Synchromesh....

... . $ 4. 99 a qt. at Autozone, change mine every 25-30 k miles , just did it last week at 63k, looked cleaner then the first time I did it! Also do the transfer case at this time.

 

[Po' Riggity]

So once the truck is fixed, are you gonna just let the dealer have it as a trade in? Or are you gonna keep it as a "toy"?? Sorry about your problems, but I gotta say, 148k miles in 1/2 a year is crazy LOL. .

Scott

 

[CATCRACKER]

rashwor,



the little one is doing good. he is growing like a weed. I am in the process of brainwashing him that is when i am puting him in the CTD i hold him outside a little while so he can smell the diesel for a little bit



thanks for asking

 

[whamby]

Did you have some strange vibrations? Mine is vibrating between 25 and 15 mph when I am slowing down - for some reason it is worse when I am braking moderately. Just tonight it began a growl at about 65mph but became quiter after a few miles, but I still think I feel something different. I have also notice a litte "shudder" when I take off from a stop. Does any of this sound like yours?

draymorris



Check you U Joints ASAP. Your problems could easily be a bad U Joint. Check front and rear.

 

[Hohn]

REDLINE is overpriced as well!!!!!!! FACT not opinion!

Well, I'd rather have overpriced quality than overpriced crap



YMMV

 

[draymorris]

Yes mine was U-joints. Thanks to some good advice from TDR members I saved a lot of time.

 

[LightmanE300]

REDLINE is overpriced as well!!!!!!! FACT not opinion!

Blah blah blah blah blah. Of course that's opinion , NOT fact. Saying that it's fact offends reason itself.

 

[jelag]

Guy's.....



You need to look at the pilot bearing in the flywheel... I haven't seen one of these that has gone more than about 100K before it starts to go... . once that happens it eats up the end of the input shaft and will later cause bearing failure in the transmission... We replace the standard pilot bearing by machining the flywheel and putting in a larger sealed bearing that should go 200K or so... .



Jim