leety

I've been taking stuff apart and successfully reassembling them since I was a little kid. Genetic mutation ;-) The puzzles are my favorite part of life. And the view down in there is beautiful???

Taking the shifter apart and top loading the fluid was big fun for me :-)

Yea it's fun to listen to all the opinions but I'm with you on this one 100% I got the one of the three I could readily get my hands on and that was the Pennzoil Synchromesh. Do you have a resource to get the actual stock Dodge oil or what the part number is for it? My ultra lame local Dodge dealer couldn't get me a radiator cap for my truck after completely botching a cooling system flush, for a stupid amount of money. I was so mad at them I didn't even take it back, I was afraid of what I might do and say LOL I'm still flushing the cooling system. The cooling system is filthy, I'm on round 8 or 9 flushes now. I lost track. It's slowly getting cleaner. My tranny is working as it should be so far, I'll do my darnedest to keep it that way, via correct fluids and leisurely gentle rowing always involving the clutch.

Sketchy at best!

Yea I'm with you. I just looked into them. I'm not really feeling them either. The fewer number of parts, especially moving parts, the fewer things can go wrong. Also they are likely made in China and that alone is suspect. I found in one review on Amazon how the threaded part just broke off under little pressure in the oil pan. Bad day right there. Gonna stick with the stock drain bolt. It's not like I'm drinking the stuff daily and need a tap for it LOL. Also, the mysteries of what you may run into off road make that not too appealing.

Great info thanks. I'm in So Cal mainly in Los Angeles, but sometime in Owens Valley, so the only cold I see is when I optionally decide to go visit the cold for winter adventures. We almost never see below zero temps, even in the snowy places we visit, so I think I'm good with the Delo ambient temperatures wise for the time being. I usually change my fluids more frequently that recommended, like around the timed it looks dirty, I guess I'm kind of OCD about fluid cleanliness. I generally like synthetic oils for most engines though. I believe the Delo 400 CK that I have is a blended oil. http://www.deloperformance.com/en-us/products/Delo400XLESAE15W40.html. For what I'm doing with the truck it should be fine. I like Amsoil but that stuff is pricey. I'm considering moving to it after a few rounds with the Delo. This truck was loaded with dirty fluids in all nearly all systems when I got it. First I have to get every system nice and clean flushing with less costly fluids. Once the house keeping is over I'll reconsider my choices of fluids for the long term, which may be more expensive, or not depending.

Thanks, that's super good to know. Where did you get that quick release drain valve for the pan? And which one did you get?

Good to know!

My truck came with a K&N. I have to keep it an put it back on to pass smog, but I prefer the BHAF. The K&N left a kind of oily residue in the intake and likely in the turbo. Not sure if that's such a good thing.

Back in the day when I was driving my '69 VW but around town, the tailgaters got a nice shock when I hit my perfectly adjusted handbrake and quickly chirped my rear wheels, no brake lights with the quick handbrake chirp LOL. That would put an end to their madness immediately. The tailgaters in the grocery store line get a face full of long hair when they get too close, I do that as if I didn't notice them there of course. I have no tolerance for tailgaters, either on foot or on wheels.

And that my friends is the point of the exercise! There is rarely a singular correct answer to these types of questions. The more info I get, the more data I have to work with in my analysis and decision making process. We each have to do what we feel comfortable with and that's not always going to be the same thing. This is a fantastic group, in that all of the opinions are backed up with the real world testing, which is where the rubber meets the road.

I meant 12quarts. I bought 4 gallons so I'd have some extra just in case. I have a small leak. I meant 12 qts LOL. Good trick I'll do that.

When it comes to driving on public roads, I live in the highest concentration of self centered, free range, idiots in the country. The majority of people in the greater Los Angeles area have no clue how to drive. And just when you think it's bad enough, on those rare days, when it rains all bets are off. The dumbest become even dumber in the rain.

I've seen a lot of info in this forum about engine oil but didn't run across any focused discussion on the topic. If anyone knows of one please direct me to it, if there isn't one now would be a good time for one. I'm planning to change my oil in the next few days. My local parts shop recommended Delo 400 15w40 oil and WIX XP filter (see picture) The fella at the parts shop also said something about using a thinner viscosity in winter. I do go to where it's cold but it's not exactly cold in Los Angeles. I'm hoping some of you that live in cold climates will know about this first hand. Let me know if this is the oil and filter I purchase are suitable and/or if there is a better option. Everything is returnable :-) Also is there some procedural steps that would be good to follow outside of the the common steps - Does this drain plug need a new washer seal etc? 1) pull drain plug 2) change filter 3) reinstall drain plug 4) refill 12 qts/3 gals of oil

I went ahead and changed the fluid and top loaded 6 Qts. of the Pennzoil Synchromesh in it. The old fluid was very clean and the inside of the tranny was clean as well. It was a fun little project taking apart the shifter assy for the top loading :-) Seems to be shifting fine, well it was before, but I feel like I have the right amount of the right fluid in there now rather than not enough of possibly the wrong fluid in there. Thanks everyone for your input. Much appreciated.

And that my friend is why I decided to go Pennzoil Synchromesh, until I'm very convinced that something else is better.

YAY! Fun ramblings, very informative! So based on @Mopar1973Man's basic requirements: Fluid must be GL-4 Fluid must be Synthetic How about this stuff? https://www.ravenol.de/en/products/usage/d/Product/show/p/ravenol-motogear-sae-10w-40-gl-4.html

Brilliant! Thanks to everyone for their comments and info. You guys are the best!!! I have a long trip to go collect a BigFoot camper around the corner so I'm going to put some Pennzoil in there for now. It's not too expensive and I could get my hands on it locally, barely. I'll make a plan to put some coolers and what not on it after my trip and I can further research my set up and oil selection then. I'm reasonably certain there is neither enough oil or the right type of oil in there. The dealer I got the truck from, a lil mom and pop joint in the middle of nowhere, fixed a leak in the tranny and I don't trust them on the fluid selection. The leek is fixed though so that's good. Once I put in the Pennzoil, at least I will feel like there's enough of something acceptableish in there for my trip. Getting the truck up to snuff is fun but a bit of work. With this group in the mix, it's way more fun!!!! I consider myself a steward of history with my older cars, so it's totally worth it. I ran across this article you posted in a cummins forum: https://highgeartransmission.wordpress.com/tag/nv5600-6-speed-transmission/ This is where I found your post. http://www.cumminsforum.com/forum/98-5-02-powertrain/2172521-diy-nv5600-fluid-change-refill-through-shifttower.html Was this more or less what influenced you to go with the 50 weight and are you using the Mobil Delvac 50 weight as recommended in the article?

Now that is load!!!! Tell me more about your fluid please "Mobil 50 SAE GL-4"?

How often should the fluid be changed?

"...it's a truck transmission, and not in a Porsche!" And that's all part of the fun of it!!!!! Thanks for the cogent responses!!! Each vehicle is a purpose built machine. I actually enjoy the long leisurely slightly vague rowing through the gears on this tranny. To set this up as a short shifter would take all that fun out of it. The only mods I seek are to support best gas mileage and longevity.All of your comments are supper helpful! I agree I enjoy the leisure rowing through gears on this tranny, I find it relaxing really :-) Wow 294,000 that's impressive!!!! Gear matching is one of my specialities, that and driving fast, backwards LOL. Dad taught me how to match gears when I first started driving. Not only is it fun, but having the feel for that makes trannies last exponentially longer. My dad had an old Toyota dually and I almost NEVER used the clutch on that when shifting LOL. I had a 1962 Volvo P130 that had a bad clutch slave for several months (no $ to fix it) I drove through Topanga Canyon from Pacific Palisades to Pierce College every day to get to school. No clutch at all. I started her up off the line in 2nd gear and matched all the way too and from. A girl's gota do, what a girl's gota do, to get where she's gota go. Those were great experiences!!! Is this the correct stuff? https://www.amsoil.com/shop/by-product/transmission-fluid/manual/manual-synchromesh-transmission-fluid-5w-30/

Hi I have this most wonderful transmission in my truck. I'm trying to learn more about it and this is the best place for that!!! For starters, the truck has just under 100k miles on it. 1) FLUID TYPE: What fluid is best to use (The tag is saying Texaco STF 1874 Chrysler P/N 04874464) 2) FLUID TYPE: How much Fluid does it hold? 3) FLUID : Is there an additive that is advisable? 4) TRANSMISSION COOLER: Is there some sort of manual transmission cooler add-on for the trans that would assist in extending the life of the unit? I understand there were few of these made and the company that made them is out of business. Therefor my goal is to make it last as long as humanly possible. 5) How many miles can one expect a clutch to last on the NV5600? I know the answer is somewhat about how it was driven, but let's say worst and best case scenario so I have some idea. 6) The shifting feels a bit vague to me (not nearly as vague as a Porsche 914, which is fun) but still. I'm wondering if it would be a good idea to replace some high wear parts in the shifter or linkage assembly or if that's just how this system is. Don't get me wrong, I'm loving it!!!!! Call me silly I actually like a vehicle that requires more skills to drive that your average driver typically possesses!!! I have a reputation for driving a manual transmission in a way that makes it last beyond it's expected shelf life. As some of you know, it's all in the feel. Thanks in advance for spilling a small slice of your vast experience and wisdom on me as this awesome group always does.

My truck was clearly rode hard and put away wet with every ride. I expect issues as a result. It’s good to know how to identify and correct the issues moving forwards so the truck can last a really, really long time with as few operating disruptions as possible. I very much appreiate and value this site and your input and the input of other members/enthusiasts. Stewardship of the Dragon is far more fun with the help of ya’ll.

That sounds nutty. It appears to be a simple switch. I have a feeling the mounting tabs can get compromised if you take it out like that and it could create an issue. If you unbolt it there’s no impact on the tabs.

I saw that. I unbolted it and put the same one back in. I could see if you turned it to take it out that you would need to replace it, but it makes no sense that you would have to replace it if you unbolted it. Perhaps I'm dumb. But it seems like they are just playing games with making you replace parts for no reason. It seems to work fine. I'd love to know what the reason for replacing it is though, weather it's working or not. In one video there was something about changing it when you rebuild the hydro boost. I want to know more about this part, I find it fascinating!