Re: Rear End/NV3500 Lube

From: Rader (rlr@bbt.com)
Date: Wed Oct 08 1997 - 14:22:03 EDT


Sam Parthemer wrote:

> the NV3500 proprietary fluid [...]
> $15.75 a QUART!!! and your transmission takes 3.5-4 quarts.

  <groan> And I thought the Mobil 1 was expensive at $7 a quart...
But I suppose I expect this sort of thing with a factory fluid.

  I've got an annoying input shaft whine at around 2000rpm, and
I'd like to try a fluid change before messing with the dealer.
Not real loud, but I'm purposely being paranoid.

  What I now want to know is what makes the Mopar NV3500 fluid
special? I gleaned this out of the Info Sheet (Chris Siano):

* The NV3500 Transmission uses a fluid only listed as a part number
* in the Mopar manuals. With several calls to Detroit and talking with
* several engineers at Dodge, I found that this fluid is just a high
* quality motor oil. they could give me no reason why a good synthetic
* wouldn't work and said it sould be OK. I took the gamble and changed
* the fluid to Castrol Syntec 5w-50 like I run in the engine, and it has
* worked like a charm. I have a Mobile 1 ATF in the transfer case and
* Valvoline Synthetic 75w-120 in the axles. The thump when you let off
* the gas and the drivetrain reverses its load is much less with the
* thicker and better quality synthetics.

  Not much to go on, after all there could be some bizarre additive
package in the Mopar fluid. I guess the safe bet is to go with the
$16/quart fluid. Bleah.

  Say, does anyone know what size hex wrench fits the NV3500 drain
and fill plugs? It's a heck of a lot bigger than any of my Allen
wrenches, that's for sure.

  Ron



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