Hi all,

My NV4500's pto covers are leaking fluid so I'm planning to pull them and reseal them. I'm looking for suggestions on what type of rtv to use and how best to clean out the case of the trans while I have them off? Also, any opinions on wether or not a filter is worth the money? They kits are $100 from quad, seems like a good idea but I'm not sure if it's a gimmick or not? Also I've heard there should be a magnet somewhere in the case and that I need to clean it off? Where is that? Should I add anymore magnets? What type? Sorry for all the questions, just want to be prepared. 

Thanks!

Magnet is on the PTO cover on one side. Just pull covers off and wipe it clean. Pretty simple.

Any recommendations on what RTV to use on the pto covers? I had new gaskets put on when we had the trans out but they both leak. I'm trying to avoid that happening again....

Also anyone have opinions on adding a filter?

The right stuff is as good as it gets for a sealant and the best filter would be to slap a simple magnet on the pto cover and do your regular maintenance.

I use high temp permatex RTV now, but I've used all sorts of stuff and never had an issues.

Most any will work on the pto cover of a tranny as long as the surface is clean, dry and oil free and specific for the proper temp range.

This is the sealant I use on most applications.  I've even made an oil pan gasket with it on a Mitsubishi engine I was over hauling, it never leaked. 

Absolutely... I use the same thing on differentials and gear cases as well. No issues...

Ultra Grey or Ultra Black.  I "believe" the grey is slightly more oil resistant but not positive as I've used both with positive results.

 

Get a couple cans of brake cleaner, NOT carb cleaner.  Brake cleaner is best degreaser as carb cleaner leaves a residue behind.  And bring out a roll of paper towels for the job too since towels hold oils in the cloth.

 

Pull the PTO covers, fully draining the fluid.  Scoop out the remaining portion of fluid sitting in the sump area of the housing by hand.  Look everything over and make sure no large metal chunks come out with the oil.

 

Clean off everything you removed with the brake cleaner.  Wire wheels help but wire brushes work too.  I like to make sure the bolt threads are free from dirt, oil, and silicone as well.

 

Take the paper towels and cover the gears inside the housing so no degreaser spray gets on them and contaminates the remaining oil.

Then with the gears protected, spray cleaner on some paper towels and clean the housing surface.  You may need to use a wire brush or razor blade to get off whatever may be stuck on the surface.  Just be-careful as a razor will actually scratch the metal surface deep enough to cause problems.  Spray in the bolt holes too in order get out any trapped grease.

 

Then with everything sparkly clean, apply a 1/4" bead of silicone on the housing surfaces circling the bolt holes.  Dont apply to PTO covers.  Give the RTV a few minutes to settle and then bolt on the PTO covers.  Snug the bolts down evenly and then come back and tighten them in a star pattern.  The RTV will or should squish out evenly.

 

Let it sit overnight and then refill.  Should have ZERO leaks.

 

Filters are kinda goofy as there's no oil pressure moving oil through the filter.  I instead got me a couple more rare earth Neodymium magnets available at the hardware store and placed them in the PTO covers.  More magnets to hold any metallic debris.

 

Thanks a million! That's exactly the kind of info I was looking for! Now I just have to decide if I really need to do this right now as I will be giving up some pretty fresh OEM fluid for amsoil....I've read of quite a few having excellent results, but I'm still scared lol. I'm sort of counting on it helping my shift quality a little as it has for others. 

Any opinions on wether I should switch to try and help with my gear noise and slightly hard and notchy shifting? Keep in mind I do also want to get it cleaned out good because it's been a little sparkly in the past when checking the level. I'm guessing the magnets must either be missing or coated with metal since they aren't catching everything. I don't know if the metal particles could be from the new input shaft and bearing or 5th gear nut retainer or if it's normal or what, and I also wonder if that could be part of the cause of the slightly hard/notchy shifting....and I also want to fix the leaks. I'm just scared shifting could get worse with amsoil instead of better, but I've read of many people who say it did improve. I guess what I'm asking is, are my reasons to drain it good enough? Is it worth trying to improve the shifting? I know it's old and not gona be perfect, but I wanna take the best care of it that I can, and I assume hard, notchy, noisy, slight clunks into gear are all things that are not too good for it....

Most hard shifting in not lube issues but clutch problems. If the clutch is not fully disengaging then the input shaft is still spinning some what, creating trouble for shift and engaging the syncro rings. This is kind of the reason people change fluids and then still things get worse because the issues was never addressed. 

If the fluid is darker and full of metallic dust then you should have a sample analyzed to see if its soft metals or bearing material. 

Like with my OEM transmission the lower 5th gear had to be replaced because of the fact I wore the hard facing out of the inner hub of the gear where bearing rode. What was shocking was when I got it open up there was no metal in the fluid and just light dust on the magnet.

 

In your case are you get a good sample from inside the transmission and not a junk sample from the fill hole threads? I normally take a windshield fluid bottle (1 gallon) and using a funnel I can drain the entire transmission into the bottle and then look at the fluid condition as a whole. Let is stand over night and let the particular settle then you can see how much carbon fiber was wore off. 

Edited August 25, 20168 yr by Mopar1973Man

Thanks for the replies guys. I do not believe this is clutch or pilot bearing issues as I dealt with a bad pilot bearing with this truck before and so I know what that feels like and how it acts. This is just occasionally slightly hard to get it gear at a stop or very slow roll. All it takes is a little playing with the shifter or slight blip of the throttle to get it to drop in. Its also not consistent at all, very random. As far as the metal, the first time I drained it at 250k i dont recall seeing any metal flakes, it was just dirty. The second time I drained it a few thousand later for the clutch it looked almost the same. Only lately when I checked it by loosening the plug and letting a drip run out did I see a few sparkles. I should add that Ive never cleaned the magnet becasue I did not know about it....So maybe it was just crap from the threads. I would basically just like to get the leaks stopped and I read of some good experiences with the Amsoil and I can get it for $13.30 a qt right now so that got me thinking that maybe I could help prolong the life of my trans by draining it, giving it a good cleaning, and trying out the amsoil...I just dont want to do all that and have it be worse obviously...I guess I was hoping to hear more from guys that had good results lol. But that doesnt really do anything other than make me have higher hopes. Seems all the transmissions are different. I'd like to just go to valvoline synth 50 wt, but I'm still scare of that. Not enough testing data yet for me...

There's plenty of "what fluid can I run in the NV4500" threads out there on the internet.  A Google search will probably give you all the opinions you're looking for.

I know, I think I've read most of them by now. :-( Learned way more about oil than I will probably ever need to know. I just don't know what to do....I should probably just chance it and switch to the Valvoline 50 wt. My trans is about to hit 260k anyway and local napa can get it for around $120 for 5 gallons....

13 minutes ago, KATOOM said:

There's plenty of "what fluid can I run in the NV4500" threads out there on the internet.  A Google search will probably give you all the opinions you're looking for.

 

 

No, you are not bound to name brand synthetics nor high priced lubricants... 

Lol I could have called your liking my that post Mike. Problem is I don't have a temp gauge to compare numbers for you guys. Someone wanna foot the bill? JK.... or am I? 

Edited August 25, 20168 yr by leathermaneod

I'm pretty sure you're way overthinking it. 

There is no fluid that is going to make it shift like new again. At 250K it's likely the syncros are getting pretty worn down. Will you see a nominal improvement? Maybe, but it could all be in your head after you change it.  Run whatever you feel like, and I'm sure it'll be ok. At some point it'll have to be rebuilt anyway. 

 

BTW I am not footing the bill! 

14 minutes ago, TFaoro said:

BTW I am not footing the bill! 

 

No kidding...