IMO I would trust the gm engineers on this one and just run the recommended syncromesh there is a reason they designed that fluid for the nv4500.

 

i bet the tranny guy would love to rebuild your tranny for free when it yards out after he told you to use atf 2+ years later.

 

This is exactly what I was thinking. I have never heard of anyone recommending ATF in any NV4500. I would only use it in an emergency type situation and change it asap. Buy the correct lubricant.

 

Use The right shit yes it's expensive but cheaper than a rebuild.

 

The NV4500 uses steel synchros. This is one of the reasons for the special synthetic fluid. It helps prevent them from friction welding parts together. Buy the correct fluid.

 

Amazing. The NV4500 has been around for 20 fucking years and people still give wrong info about them.

The synchros are carbon fiber composite. This is why they need a specific fluid (well, that and the fact they run hot). Suck it up and use the specified fluid, or don't and have it shift like old people fuck.

 

I was thinking the same thing but it never hurts to ask if it has been done before. I think I will stick with the OEM require stuff. The two people that gave me this advice normally service gear boxes and transmissions that run nearly 24 hours a day round the clock on industrial equipment. They are purchasing gear fluids by the 5 and 55 gallon drums at a time and can afford to use the best money can buy. They are also sending fluid samples off before oil changes. They are looking at complete fluid changes two or three times a year. Maybe they think a little different than us normal guys that only change fluids once every five or so years.

a little searching points out that some manual transmissions are running ATF.

http://www.redlineoil.com/product.aspx?pid=51&pcid=7

http://www.redlineoil.com/product.aspx?pid=115&pcid=7

http://www.torcousa.com/torco_product/atf.html

 

the m5od-r2 in my f150 uses atf, at 430 000k it's pretty worn out... but the only reason i think they spec atf is to make syncro's work better.

 

The guy I had rebuild my nv4500 for my CTD said it would be ok to run atf with lucas transmission treatment. It shifted like shit and would grind going into third. I changed to the correct fluid and it still shifted like shit. When I came back he said it was out of warranty. When I changed to a nv4500 from a sm465 in my k30 I put the correct fluid in. It has shifted like a nice modern transmission.

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I use BG synchro shift. I'll put atf in an auto and some tcases....

 

I use BG synchro shift.

My trans guy recomended this as well when he rebuilt my NV4500.

 

I have used the following in my NV4500:

Royal Purple Max Gear
Mobil 1 Synthetic 20W-50 Motor Oil
Castrol Syntorq

I was just like you. I spent $$$ converting my truck to an NV4500 but couldn't stomach $100 on gear oil for some reason...

The trans ran fine on the Max Gear and the Motor Oil. I too had a shop tell me that all they use is synthetic motor oil. While the motor oil does not attack the synchros, it does not have the high pressure additive that the gear oils have. It's a gamble.

I later put the syntorq in and the trans did operate better as far as I could tell. If the price scares you, the best thing I can tell you is to not purchase it from a dealer.

I just bought 2.5 gallons of syntorq from midwestgear.com for $75. In the past I got 5 quarts from Blumentals (ebay) for $50.

It helps to shop around.

 

there is a huge difference between ^^^^^ and atf.

almost every chain drive tcase and a lot of smaller mt do run atf but they have fluid pumps in them, the heavy oils don't pump for shit in those pumps. the older heavy trans don't have pumps and the heavy oils stick better to the components.

 

you can also use AMSOIL gear lube at 1/2 the cost of the factory stuff