[Z06] Just Changed Trans Fluid and...
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 3,816
Likes: 16
From: Anchorage Alaska
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10
Just Changed Trans Fluid and...
I recently changed out my transmission fluid; Car has 30K on the clock and I doubt the P.O. ever changed it, so I took the old stuff out and filled her up with Amsoil's synthetic ATF. I also put Amsoil in the diff. at the same time, but I doubt that is affecting the transmission.
Ever since, I've noticed the shifting requires more effort, and feels very notchy. Prior, the shifting was smooth as butter. I'm sporting a C6 shifter and ****... otherwise everything else is stock Z06 parts.
Is this normal? Was my shifting overly sloppy before, and the new fluid brought it back to where it should be? Or is something not right? I did notice my trans. only wanted to take 3.4 quarts, but I started to get fluid coming back out the fill port at that point. Car was completely level during the fillup, and I briefly lowered the rear during draining to coax as much old fluid out as possible. There are no fluid leaks that I can see.
I'm just puzzled... shifting seems to be a hassle now and I don't know why. Over the weekend I'll raise the car again and double-check the fluid level... is there something else I should look at? I probably have about 150 miles on the car since the fluid change.
Ever since, I've noticed the shifting requires more effort, and feels very notchy. Prior, the shifting was smooth as butter. I'm sporting a C6 shifter and ****... otherwise everything else is stock Z06 parts.
Is this normal? Was my shifting overly sloppy before, and the new fluid brought it back to where it should be? Or is something not right? I did notice my trans. only wanted to take 3.4 quarts, but I started to get fluid coming back out the fill port at that point. Car was completely level during the fillup, and I briefly lowered the rear during draining to coax as much old fluid out as possible. There are no fluid leaks that I can see.
I'm just puzzled... shifting seems to be a hassle now and I don't know why. Over the weekend I'll raise the car again and double-check the fluid level... is there something else I should look at? I probably have about 150 miles on the car since the fluid change.
Safety Car
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 3,726
Likes: 368
From: Montoursville Pa
Probably just the differences in the fluid, if you don't like the Amsoil........try some Redline D4ATE it made mine shift better.
than the Dexron.
Also if the car isn't level when you drain or fill it won't give up all the fluid or allow the stated amount to fill.
than the Dexron.
Also if the car isn't level when you drain or fill it won't give up all the fluid or allow the stated amount to fill.
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 3,816
Likes: 16
From: Anchorage Alaska
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 3,816
Likes: 16
From: Anchorage Alaska
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10
Yup, I'm positive each fluid went to the right place. I only had two quarts of diff. fluid, and four of the trans fluid. So, knowing I put more than 2 quarts into the transmission, it couldn't have been the diff fluid because I simply didn't have that much of it to begin with. The stuff I put in the tranny was a deep red color and didn't have that awful stink of gear lube!
Racer
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 328
Likes: 0
Yup, I'm positive each fluid went to the right place. I only had two quarts of diff. fluid, and four of the trans fluid. So, knowing I put more than 2 quarts into the transmission, it couldn't have been the diff fluid because I simply didn't have that much of it to begin with. The stuff I put in the tranny was a deep red color and didn't have that awful stink of gear lube!
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Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 3,816
Likes: 16
From: Anchorage Alaska
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10
A friend of mine just replaced the trans and diff fluids in his 06 GTO. He used Amsoil ATF in the trans. I asked him how the shifting changed, and he also stated that it is harder to shift, especially when cold. In my opinion, this is normal and I wouldn't be overly concerned with it.
In any case... maybe it's fine after all... it might not be "bad" just "different" and takes some getting used to. It DOES feel sportier; it feels like the shift feel moved a step towards the way my old Hurst shifter felt. I guess I'm just surprised that I could get such a drastic change from a fluid swap, and if anything I expected shifting to be smoother. I'll run with this for a bit and see if it grows on me. Thanks everyone, for the comments!
Racer
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 328
Likes: 0
Hmm, that sounds like my experience. THe last few drives have been in temperatures of 15-30 degrees; though the first drive of the year was at -5, and was before I switched fluids, and I don't remember my shifting being overly difficult. Initially I thought maybe I just wasn't remembering accurately, how the shifter felt, because the car was stored for 6 months.
In any case... maybe it's fine after all... it might not be "bad" just "different" and takes some getting used to. It DOES feel sportier; it feels like the shift feel moved a step towards the way my old Hurst shifter felt. I guess I'm just surprised that I could get such a drastic change from a fluid swap, and if anything I expected shifting to be smoother. I'll run with this for a bit and see if it grows on me. Thanks everyone, for the comments!
In any case... maybe it's fine after all... it might not be "bad" just "different" and takes some getting used to. It DOES feel sportier; it feels like the shift feel moved a step towards the way my old Hurst shifter felt. I guess I'm just surprised that I could get such a drastic change from a fluid swap, and if anything I expected shifting to be smoother. I'll run with this for a bit and see if it grows on me. Thanks everyone, for the comments!
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 3,940
Likes: 42
From: shavertown Pa.
I use mobil 1 products in my corvettes, I was going to try royal purpel in the Z, so I tried it in a new civic 5 spd first, I was very disapointed in the way the car shifted, so I went back to mobil 1, after that the trans shifted just like it did before the change, nice and smooth.
I use amsoil in my quad, I have nothing against it, but mobil 1 makes good prouducts that are designed for these cars, so I will stick with there prouducts for my 2 corvettes.
I use amsoil in my quad, I have nothing against it, but mobil 1 makes good prouducts that are designed for these cars, so I will stick with there prouducts for my 2 corvettes.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 2,786
Likes: 22
From: Cary NC
I use RP Synchromax and have very good results. Shifting got smoother. On 2 different Z06s. Use their gear oil and engine oil. I'm very happy with it. Have Blackstone Labs reports on the oil and it holds up very well. ymmv.
