I killed my NV5600!

[Buffalo]

WNolan.

I'm not trying to flame you, just trying to learn more.

Other than price, is there some reason you don't like Redline gear oil? Is there something wrong with their quality?

I have the NV5600 and have been using the Pennzoil. The trans. still shifts a little on the stiff side (slowly). I've been reading all I can about this condition and it seems that a lot of people, here and on other sites, have been having pretty good luck by switching to the Redline. They seem to experience smoother shifting action.

Have you had a bad experience with Redline, other than cost? If so, I would like to hear about it, just for my own information.

Thank You, Joe F. (Buffalo)

 

[WNowlan]

WNolan.

I'm not trying to flame you, just trying to learn more.

Other than price, is there some reason you don't like Redline gear oil? Is there something wrong with their quality?

I have the NV5600 and have been using the Pennzoil. The trans. still shifts a little on the stiff side (slowly). I've been reading all I can about this condition and it seems that a lot of people, here and on other sites, have been having pretty good luck by switching to the Redline. They seem to experience smoother shifting action.

Have you had a bad experience with Redline, other than cost? If so, I would like to hear about it, just for my own information.

Thank You, Joe F. (Buffalo)

Nothing wrong with Redline products. I have never personally used them.



I have been in the oil business for over 20 years working for major oil companies. My experience is in the Commercial and Industrial Products. I am STLE a Certified Lubrication Specialist one of 900+ worldwide. I have completed many thousands of miles of testing on different oils, gear oils and engine oils.



The major oil companies have some very good gear oils in the marketplace that will perform without a problem in our light duty vehicles. They do quite well on HD trucks with 500,000 and 750,000 mile drain intervals.



Lastly I know what it cost to purchase/make the base oil and additives necessary to produce a product. I stand by my original statement.



WNowlan

 

[Forrest Nearing]

you can't leave us hangin' like that... what are the best gear oils from top to bottom?



Forrest

 

[DiTrani]

Given the condition and fill level (low) of my transmission fluid when I changed it at 30K miles, I wouldn't count on the factory fill keeping your NV5600 alive forever. I will be doing it again every 30K miles. Same deal with the rear end.



And BTW, my 3rd gear grind has gotten worse since using MTL. Not saying the MTL caused it, but it certainly isn't curing it.

 

[WNowlan]

you can't leave us hangin' like that... what are the best gear oils from top to bottom?



Forrest

The fact that there are several MAJOR manufacturers is enough said. I do not want to list any brands. I believe the company I work for has the best products. But that would be a bias statement.



Specialty manufacturers have their place in the market. They produce good products and you pay more for the their brand.

 

[TX Gooseneck]

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.

Don't take this as a flame, take it as a lesson. I'm assuming that you have never owned your own business in which you have to maximize profits and keep cost down. I understand and expect problems to occur. I deal with them as they arise. Priced a new Semi lately? A bit out of the price range for a small business man that not only uses the truck for work, but uses it for a daily driver as well. I can justify paying for this truck when I'm not delivering, what I can't justify is spending $2k a month on a truck that isn't running 100% of the time. As we grow we will be forced to buy bigger equipment. Perhaps some fl70's are in the future, but it takes time and money, most of which are being invested in facility and equipment. But as it sits on the p/l statement, I can stomach the dodge's and the maintenance.



On this truck, I put 150k on in roughly a year, figure 60,000 miles loaded at an average of 8mpg and 90,000 miles empty at an average of 17mpg works out to 12,800 gallons of fuel at an average cost of $2. 00 works out to $25,600 in fuel, plus $7k in payments, plus $3000 in insurance, plus $4000 in misc. (oil, tires, transmission service (not replacement ), brakes, etc) and another $1000 for anything I might have left out works out to $40,600.



Figure an average of 8mpg on a big rig (probably on the high side, empty and loaded) that is 18,750 gallons of fuel @ $2. 00 = $37,500 in fuel alone, plus 24k in payments, plus 12k in insurance, plus $2500 in tires (1 set), plus 20 oil changes (7500 mi) at roughly $200 a shot (on the cheap side) = $4000, misc maintenance of $. 05/mile = $7500, plus all paper work, permits, duties, etc $3000 and possibly a driver to do it all @ $. 34/mile ($51,000) plus my portion of fica, futa, suta, and workers comp bumps that to around $58,000 total for just a driver and I have a total out lay of $90,500 without a driver and $148,500 with. That's roughly $1. 00 per mile of cost that I have to pass on.



So with the dodge, I can make a little bit, keep cost down, and be more affordable than the competition while still offering a good deal. $108,000 worth of additional cost is a hell of a jolt to the bottom line



As for the transmission, no vibrations, it was still running smoothly when I pulled into the dealership. I allowed dodge to rape me on their transmission fluid and changed it approx every 4 months (~50k). The fluid was in ok shape, smelled a bit cooked.



I'm keeping the truck. May stretch the frame and put a sleeper in, not sure yet. I'll be running synthetics from the get go. I'll also watch the friggen pilot bearing



The truck will be a year old in 12 days

 

[Dieselram]

You would be lucky to get 8mpg, more like 4-5 and you would need to change the oil every 300 hours not 7500 miles. but your figures are pretty close. if you do your own service work then you would be looking at about $150 bucks every 300 hours. Also count on 2 or more sets of tires a year,

 

[barbwire]

My 04 had the same symptoms as you described

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?

I was feeling a launch shutter, and viberations at different speeds. Turned out to be a couple of dry U-joints. I wish they would put greasable ones in these rigs.

 

[TX Gooseneck]

You would be lucky to get 8mpg, more like 4-5 and you would need to change the oil every 300 hours not 7500 miles. but your figures are pretty close. if you do your own service work then you would be looking at about $150 bucks every 300 hours. Also count on 2 or more sets of tires a year,

Double my fuel

200k in operating expenses would crush us!

 

[Forrest Nearing]

The fact that there are several MAJOR manufacturers is enough said. I do not want to list any brands. I believe the company I work for has the best products. But that would be a bias statement.



Specialty manufacturers have their place in the market. They produce good products and you pay more for the their brand.

wow, you've told us ABSOLUTELY NOTHING...



thanks for the help!

 

[barbwire]

I agree

Don't take this as a flame, take it as a lesson. I'm assuming that you have never owned your own business in which you have to maximize profits and keep cost down. I understand and expect problems to occur. I deal with them as they arise. Priced a new Semi lately? A bit out of the price range for a small business man that not only uses the truck for work, but uses it for a daily driver as well. I can justify paying for this truck when I'm not delivering, what I can't justify is spending $2k a month on a truck that isn't running 100% of the time. As we grow we will be forced to buy bigger equipment. Perhaps some fl70's are in the future, but it takes time and money, most of which are being invested in facility and equipment. But as it sits on the p/l statement, I can stomach the dodge's and the maintenance.



On this truck, I put 150k on in roughly a year, figure 60,000 miles loaded at an average of 8mpg and 90,000 miles empty at an average of 17mpg works out to 12,800 gallons of fuel at an average cost of $2. 00 works out to $25,600 in fuel, plus $7k in payments, plus $3000 in insurance, plus $4000 in misc. (oil, tires, transmission service (not replacement ), brakes, etc) and another $1000 for anything I might have left out works out to $40,600.



Figure an average of 8mpg on a big rig (probably on the high side, empty and loaded) that is 18,750 gallons of fuel @ $2. 00 = $37,500 in fuel alone, plus 24k in payments, plus 12k in insurance, plus $2500 in tires (1 set), plus 20 oil changes (7500 mi) at roughly $200 a shot (on the cheap side) = $4000, misc maintenance of $. 05/mile = $7500, plus all paper work, permits, duties, etc $3000 and possibly a driver to do it all @ $. 34/mile ($51,000) plus my portion of fica, futa, suta, and workers comp bumps that to around $58,000 total for just a driver and I have a total out lay of $90,500 without a driver and $148,500 with. That's roughly $1. 00 per mile of cost that I have to pass on.



So with the dodge, I can make a little bit, keep cost down, and be more affordable than the competition while still offering a good deal. $108,000 worth of additional cost is a hell of a jolt to the bottom line



D

I could not have said it better. Keep up the good work TX

 

[Bconley]

My transmission failed at 54,000

My truck tows a fifthwheel under 14,500lbs. I have my transmission serviced every 15k miles. At 54k miles they say the pump in the transmission quit, scored the shaft, fried the bands and cooked everything else. The only warning sign I had was a little slippage. The fliud bubbled one day on this trip from NY to Calif. That was the day we went through the seirra nevada's.

Then on my way from Calif to Las Vegas they say (the Dodge Dealer in Henderson Nevada) my radiator was plugged solid go figure? Some said to me that we have to run a special antifreeze in the deisels, is this true?

 

[Buffalo]

WNolan

Thank You, for your replys. I'm sure you understand that the vast majority of us have little or no experience in the oil industry. It's a "great day" when you can find someone that does have that experience.

I understand that "recommending oils" is something, maybe, you shouldn't be doing. But, approaching this question from a different angle, what oils do "you" use in "your" NV5600 and axles?

Also, if you have any experience with Lubrication Engineers products, what do you think of their LE-607 for the axles instead of synthetic oils?

I don't mean to try to put you on the "spot", but many of us are "hungry" for any information about the best products to put in our trucks. You appear to be a good resource for that information.

Thanks, again. Joe F. (Buffalo)

 

[TX Gooseneck]

Good points Buffalo, I'm curious also.

 

[doldenburg]

TX, I have a 01 I use for work. gross about16,000 fixed load. the 5600 has been great at 140,000mi. no mods, k&nand dual 4in stacks. (its a cab an chassis). Trailers fine also. Dave, Foley, MN

 

[TX Gooseneck]

Good deal Dave!

How is everything holding up to the MN salted winters?

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

"And BTW, my 3rd gear grind has gotten worse since using MTL. Not saying the MTL caused it, but it certainly isn't curing it. "



YUP - that's pretty much where I am with the MTL as well - no better, and seems slightly WORSE in regards to shifting than the stock stuff DC sells - I still get a minor "catch" in shifting from 2nd to 3rd with a cold transmission, just as before, but in ADDITION to that, I now also get the same from 3rd to 4th...



It all clears up quickly as the transmission warms up, but next time I'm close to a Dodge dealer I'll pick up 4 quarts of the right stuff, and swap the Redline stuff out after a years use...

 

[doldenburg]

TX- cold-warm-cold. Not much snow,I'm resdy for spring. We got our 04. 5 trucks about the same time. I've got 25,000 on it but still run my 98 a lot also. to bad about your trans. Dave

 

[Wayne M.]

Hey TX, I don't mean to shift gears here , but at 150K- how's the rest of the truck holding up? That rate of driving a pick up truck blows the mind!

 

[TX Gooseneck]

Wayne,



Overall, it's in damn good shape. All electronics are working, Mileage is better than ever, power is good (feels stronger than the 05 at this point), rear end is holding up well also.



I've had to replace the ignition switch, drivers seat (lumbar support broke), transfer pump, rear caliper (my 5" exhaust was hitting the lines under heavy load and crushed them - my caliper was semi locked down and when they pulled it off, the ceramic piston was destroyed), one set of brakes (changed at 125k miles), clutch/input shaft, and getting ready to put on another set of tires. I have EIGHTY thousand miles on the michelins and at this point, I am still legal on the depth. This truck has been outstanding. Considering we are hauling anywhere from 7500lbs (trailer weight) up to 33,000lbs (trailer weight). When the clutch went, I had just a touch under 33,000lbs total weight.



I was worried about the 600 lasting a long time, but according to some of the fellows on the ford boards, I'm nearing the 6. 0l PSD overhaul point