NV4500 oil?

[dpotter]

Need to change oil in a NV4500 5 speed. Local dealer tells me per a tsb, Chrysler recommends and they use, ATF+4. In searching the internet, the Castrol oil is no longer available and Redline MT-85 is recommended. Nobody in my area has Redline. Has anyone used ATF+4 in their transmission? What were the results?

 

[gtwitch]

12 years back, I changed the lube in my NV4500 and used AMZoil severe gear and trans failed after about 20 K and I called AMSOIL and was told that I had used the wrong oil and should use their oil made for that transmission ( universal manual trans oil) that they told me was a replacement for Castrol and by the way you can still get that oil from Mopar with a Mopar# and also from GM with a GM # as the NV4500 was used in the 80s in Chevy and GMC. the failure in the NV4500 with wrong oil is to the Synchros and then that residue takes bearings out. I know this because I took the trans apart and then decided to sell the core and replaced it with an in the box Mopar NV4500 from off line source. My 99 Dodge 2500 is still my daily driver at 18 mpg and has 269k miles on it! I guess all I can say is pick the right oil (do some reading and ask some questions). I also know that Redline makes an oil that is compatible with the Castrol.
gtwitch in wyoming

 

[Killer223]

Need to change oil in a NV4500 5 speed. Local dealer tells me per a tsb, Chrysler recommends and they use, ATF+4. In searching the internet, the Castrol oil is no longer available and Redline MT-85 is recommended. Nobody in my area has Redline. Has anyone used ATF+4 in their transmission? What were the results?

what TSB? will they print it for you or give you the number?
atf+4 is the WONG fluid to run. get amsoil. mobiloil, and valvoline have some that will work on this trans.

 

[dpotter]

I will see if I can get the TSB# or a copy from my local dealer. Thanks for the replies, which confirm I don't want to use the wrong oil as the synchro's are "special". What Valvoline oil did you use?

 

[crazy jerry]

what does the owners or service manual say to use ? that should trump what any internet baffoon has to say

 

[AH64ID]

what does the owners or service manual say to use ? that should trump what any internet baffoon has to say

That’s the OP’s point, the OE stuff isn't available and it’s the dealership not the internet, telling him to use ATF +4.

It’s been several years that Dodge/Ram dealerships stopped using OE fluids in the NV4500/NV5600 and switched to ATF +4. It’s new to the OP, but not new.

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

I tested NV450 lubes in one Issue a long time ago (the 30-33 range). I still recommend Torco RTF.

 

[dpotter]

I found Redline MT-85 and it is one of the recommended oils to use. Thanks everyone for your help and information.

 

[crazy jerry]

That’s the OP’s point, the OE stuff isn't available and it’s the dealership not the internet, telling him to use ATF +4.

It’s been several years that Dodge/Ram dealerships stopped using OE fluids in the NV4500/NV5600 and switched to ATF +4. It’s new to the OP, but not new.

so which is it ?. your saying atf+4. internet is telling him mt85 . (a gl4 gear oil i assume)

originally did the trans use atf or gear oil ?

 

[AH64ID]

so which is it ?. your saying atf+4. internet is telling him mt85 . (a gl4 gear oil i assume)

originally did the trans use atf or gear oil ?

I’m not telling him to use ATF +4, the dealership is. I simply acknowledged that the dealerships changed what they put in the NV4500, that doesn’t mean I agree with it.

A GL-4 75w-90 is the original, and proper, fluid to use in a NV4500. There are several options available, MT85 happens to be one of them.

 

[dpotter]

In my 2017 with the G56, there was an opinion to overfill by 1 quart. Does anyone know if the 4500 has a similar recommendation?

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

You do not need to overfill the NV4500. However, many lubes allow it to get too hot, especially with the small trans tunnel in the Ram. Hence the original recommendation of Castrol Syntorq. I found that the closest for HP drag and temperature was Torco RTF, which has the extra advantage of not forming black sludge like the Syntorq does.

 

[SSchang]

I know it's a totally different application, but I have several Skidoo snowmobiles, and change the chaincase lube every spring. I always use Skidoo brand chaincase oil. For years the Skidoo chaincase oil was thick and stinky, like 75w-90 gear lube. Then 7-8 years ago, the bottles changed to "Full Synthetic" on the label, and the lube was much thinner and a different smell, much like an ATF without the red color. Could never find a dealer who new why Skidoo made the change, or what the benefit was.