Fluid specs?

dualRange_turbo85

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I have a 1985 F350 6.9/ 4 speed manual/ DNE2 overdrive/ banks turbo. I have been searching for days now trying to find a definitive thread about what fluids to use in my truck. Could some one point out some threads that show fluid requirements? Here is what I plan on using based on what I've found, please correct me if I am wrong...


Engine- 15w-40
Manual trans and rear differential - 80w-90 or 85w-90
Coolant- NAPA green premix that meets ASTM-4895 and add DCA-4?

Where do I get DCA-4?

What fluid do I use in the Doug Nash DNE2 unit?

Thanks in advance!
 

PwrSmoke

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The service/owners manual is always the first/best source. Though 1985 vintage oil specs are very obsolete, they can give you the basic viscosity requirements for a starting point. Any 15W40 API SM/CJ4 is suitable for the engine. Because the more recently developed oils that did not exist at the time the original owners manual was written, you also have the opportunity to avail yourself of the 5W40 oils, which offer much improved cold/cool weather performance. Ditto for the Shell Rotella T5 10W40 SM/CJ4. In certain climates and operational conditions, you can use a 10W30 HD oil (rated SM/CJ4). Bottom line is that any name brand of 15W40, conventional or syn, is suitable.

Gear oil? You got the base 1985 certs already. The transmission spec'ed a GL4 80W90 (low EP additives to reduce bright metal corrosion) and the axles a GL5, which has more then 6.5% EP (Extreme Pressure additives, sulphur and phosphorus) Those are somewhat outdated distinctions these days because most GL5 gear oils (since a '95 reformulation) are suitable for use in transmissions (and say so on the bottle) where a GL4 is spec'ed. You can do one better. There are now manual transmission oils that are especially made for manual gearboxes and some have the right viscosity to work in place of an 80W90 GL480W90 and the rear axle. I'll let you read the labels on those. Some are designed to replace ATF where spec'ed in manual gearboxes and some will replace the 90 grade oils. The T19 in an old Ford is not a hard trans to make happy oilwise and you can pretty much use any 90 grade GL5 gear oil (as long as the label backs that up by saying it's suitable to replace GL4). Some of the later manuals have very complex oil requirements, hence the fancy MT oils. The rear axle was spec'ed for a 80W90 or 85W140 (depending on the application and axle) but again you can avail yourself of modern technology. A commonly available 75W140 synthetic covers you very nicely for all weather and load conditions and will offer a reduction in rolling resistance (read uptick in fuel economy) over an 85W140 conventional oil. If your truck only sees moderate loads, a 75W90 syn will offer even more significant reductions in rolling resistance.

Coolant is easy. The green stuff and add an SCA (Supplemental Cooling Additive). Most of use use Fleetcharge (found at Tractor Supply and other places) which has the proper SCA.

I have no idea what a Doug Nash uses. US Gear bought them, so that would be a good first place to start.
 

chris142

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I'm running redline MT90 in my t19. As for the engine I use whatever 15w40 I have on hand. They are all fine for our engines and imo theres no "BAD" 15w40 made. I have Walmarts 80w90 in the rear axle. I have not changed the front yet.
 

C_Luft

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If you can find caterpillar extended life coolant get that it's good for 300,000 miles and it already has sca in it and your near a napa warehouse grab a coolant filter kit(napa# 4019) if don't already have one.
 

dualRange_turbo85

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Thanks for all of the replies. It seems that nobody has the answer for what fluid to use in the Dual Range unit, well I finally found it! Here it is to share directly from the original installation manual:

"Fill the Dual Range with 80-90 wgt. gear lube or equivalent (approximately 32 ounces). Recommended oil change is (1) year or every 20,000 miles."

Here is the link, page 11.

http://www.dieselwarden.net/temp/usgear/Dual Range.pdf
 

PwrSmoke

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Great find! I have filed that PDF away for future reference. Grasshopper has snatched the pebble from many hands today!
 

FarmerFrank

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I put synthetic 80-90 in my dn box just because of the small amount it holds. Couldn't imagine driving that truck without it so I better take care of it.

Have you gotten yours to shift right yet or are you still figuring it out?
 

snicklas

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I believe that website belongs to the member here by the name of The Warden.........
 

The Warden

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The service/owners manual is always the first/best source. Though 1985 vintage oil specs are very obsolete, they can give you the basic viscosity requirements for a starting point. Any 15W40 API SM/CJ4 is suitable for the engine. Because the more recently developed oils that did not exist at the time the original owners manual was written, you also have the opportunity to avail yourself of the 5W40 oils, which offer much improved cold/cool weather performance. Ditto for the Shell Rotella T5 10W40 SM/CJ4. In certain climates and operational conditions, you can use a 10W30 HD oil (rated SM/CJ4). Bottom line is that any name brand of 15W40, conventional or syn, is suitable.
Jim's of course correct, but one thing to add just to be safe...whatever oil you use, make sure it has a "C" rating (the current is CJ-4; IIRC earlier variants are better for our IDI's if you can find them, but a search will tell you more than I can). For the longest time, the only multigrade oil available that was diesel rated was 15W-40 (with SAE 30 and SAE 40 being the other choices), but as Jim pointed out, other choices are available.

With that having been said, any oil that does not have a C (CJ-4, CI-4, CH-4, etc) is not rated to handle the extra soot that diesels put in oil and makes the oil so black so quickly.

Take a look here for some more info on the subject: http://www.api.org/certification-pr...iesel/Publications/MOM_GUIDE_ENGLISH_2013.pdf

Hope that helps some...good luck ;Sweet

I believe that website belongs to the member here by the name of The Warden.........
Yep, that's me! I aggregated the PDF data that jaluhn83 gathered in his "Doug Nash/U.S. Gear Info" thread...I can't claim credit for finding the original files, but I thought having them hosted so others could access them if need be was a good idea...
 

dualRange_turbo85

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I put synthetic 80-90 in my dn box just because of the small amount it holds. Couldn't imagine driving that truck without it so I better take care of it.

Have you gotten yours to shift right yet or are you still figuring it out?


No I have not, but after reading that the DNE2 unit should not be shifted under 25mph I realized the problem I think... my speedometer is broken! So I think that is the problem. Would this cause a hard shift?
 

FarmerFrank

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No I have not, but after reading that the DNE2 unit should not be shifted under 25mph I realized the problem I think... my speedometer is broken! So I think that is the problem. Would this cause a hard shift?

Idk who told you that, but you can shift a Doug Nash box at any speed.

Get going in a gear, shift the box. Wait 2 seconds after you flip the switch and ease off the throttle while feathering the clutch. Bam. It should shift.
 

dualRange_turbo85

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Idk who told you that, but you can shift a Doug Nash box at any speed.

Get going in a gear, shift the box. Wait 2 seconds after you flip the switch and ease off the throttle while feathering the clutch. Bam. It should shift.


I read it in the manual I believe and several threads about it. Anyways, the moment you pull the switch for the overdrive it instantly slams into gear and the entire truck shutters and grinds..
 

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