Auto trans tech tip for friday- Fluid

Like engine oils, there are 2 basic types. Dino or synthetic.I do not read all of the technical info on each, so I won't pretend to be an expert on the comparison. I will simply offer an opinion based on my experience with both.
I am old school. I believe that most atf fluid is the same. If it is kept cool and kept clean, it will not disappoint, regardless of brand. Ironicly, I ran my first 10 sec et at the strip with wal-mart tech 2000 atf. Am I suggesting everyone run out and buy wal-mart atf? Of course not. They were close, it was cheap and I poured it in.
I have built transmissions for friends and family who used synthetic fluid. In almost every case, there was eventually a failure in the trans. Typically it was a gear related failure. They parts that should not have worn out ...did. The hardened planetary gearsets became rasor sharp due to wear.Very, very odd. I have seen this more than 10 times. These people have made the switch back to dino atf with no repeat problems.
I have spoken to alot of transmission experts that I know and trust. True professionals. They all seem to have mixed opinions regarding the 2 differnt types.
In summary, I recommend regular fluid changes using non synthetic fluid. It is a sure bet. Synthetic fluid , in my opinion, is questionable.
*As a side note, B&M trick shift fluid is not (last time I read the bottle) a good choice for lock up type transmissions. All c4's left the factory with lock up converters. Unless they(B&M) have changed, do not use this in a c4

 

First off Pete, I disagree!! Its Thursday. Thanksgiving!!!

I have not ran into that with ATF, as a matter of fact, my transmission buddy recommended it because of its ability to withstand heat better. He agrees that regular changes along with the filter is a good idea.
I personally am starting to wonder about synthetics in some things such as the diff. Im on my 3rd d44 now as you can tell, im not making that much power. Just alot of runs on them and its been pin wear outs, clutch packs going and last time the pinion broke. Never u-joints, axles etc.
You may be on to something about this lubrication thing.
And happy thanksgiving!!

 

I believe Pete and take his word. He's been intimately involved in this business for many years, has read alot, and more importantly has seen ALOT from experience. He breathes, eats and sleeps this stuff. So he knows what he's talking about. No synthetics in the trans or the rear for me, either.

 

You are right.
I just copied all of the threads from c4 guru. I logged in today and saw an announcement that the website would be shutting down soon. I did not want to lose the 1/2 dozen (or more) tips I listed, so I copied and pasted them here. I spent quite a bit of time writing them

 

 

It's too bad that the Tech Tip section can't be updated. A year ago, I had written a tip on using the Ford FMX tranny filters for the 4+3 OD and submitted it.

It didn't show up after a few months so I PM'd one of the Admins and he told me that the password to get to that section to add tips has been lost and nobody seems to know how to get in (or if they even wanted to anymore).

That's too bad because there are some great tips like yours floating around that should definitely be in there

 

I repeat that tip to all the local guys. They appreciated it

 

....and to some not quite so local

 

The Tech Tips is definitely a section we need back, but that's out of my hands.

I've been after the Admins to get a Tranny Tech section, but no go on that one again.

 

Mojo, why? What's up their collective behinds that they can't advocate that???

I'd say they're a barrier to success. Thats ridiculous if I ever heard it. So, what say they??

 

With all the server changes in the last couple of years, some info was lost. That's all out of my hands, I'm not even sure of the exact reason except that nobody from the forum is able to add,edit or delete anything from the tech tips.

As for rebuilding that section, I'm not sure what the holdup or problem is.

We also lost the Performance Registry and the member locator.

 

hmmmmm......sounds like plain incompetence, and the admins are directly responsible.

that just solidifies my call that they are a barrier to success on this forum.

thanks for the explanation, Frank

 

Well the Admins aren't directly responsible. There is a Tech team out there not affiliated with the forum and I think most of the holdup is due to their backlog of work.

 

Frank, who hired the tech team? The folks who hired the team is ultimately responsible. And if lost, or information buildup, has been put on the back burner (how long now?), then we all still lose and the responsibility most definitely rests on the shoulders of those who situate themselves in demanding respect (ie, the admins) on this forum.

And if they can't find someone else to do the work in a very reasonable period of time (seems to me this passed quite some time ago), then they are incompetent and must be called on it.

We the people should have our eyes open to this and are obligated expect better performance from the so-called admins.

I expect the same performance from my superiors as they do for me. If they want me to act right, I expect them to act right.

Frank, this isn't directed anywhere near you, of course. Thanks for listening to my tirade for the day.

 

I agree with that statement, but on the other hand, you also have to remember that the entire Administartive Team as well as the Moderator Team have full time jobs and in my case, my hours don't fit in with a normal business day and email communication is for the birds.
I don't know what exactly Troy has in mind, or what the exact problem is, but I do know that the tech tips are not a priority, keeping the forum running is. I'm not sure if you've noticed(and since you are on as much as me, I'm sure you have), but we get some down time every now and then, sometimes it's known in advance(server upgrade) and sometimes it's not(server maintainence maybe?).
There have been times when I can't post at all and that gets frustrating when I have to do my job here.
I think maybe because the Tech sections of the forum are always so active and the majority of the membership, especially the newbies, don't explore the forum completely, that may be a reason for the delay in fixing the problem.

But again, this is only a guess based on what I've observed.

 

Sounds like a commie plot to me.Somebody call Joe Mccarthy.

 

Now I'm curious...I'm having my trans rebuilt by RPM Transmissions and wanted to switch to Royal Purple ATF. Any thoughts, anyone use this synthetic before--good/bad...

 

The views expressed were only my opinion. I would discuss it in detail with RPM trans and follow their advice. If you were buying it from me, I would say not to use it.

 

Better be prepared for a reeealy long distance phone bill

 

Pete K, I understand the underlying caveats of posting on the forum. I did contact RPM and they noted that they saw some problems with synthetic but recently have had a few customers that had positive results as well. That being said, for every article / post I read that says synthetics are good--equal amount of info noting the pitfalls. After reading your post and others --I still don't have that warm fuzzy. I guess I'm leaning away from synthetics. Can you recommend a solid ATF fluid besides the Walmart Tech 2k?