Looking to change transmission fluid in 1997. Best choice? Also capacity

 

Auto or manual tranny?

I used Amsoil Torque Drive in our MN6...




This worked great for putting it in..

 

am brain dead! is a manual, my concern is all the talk about the paper blocking rings and syn oils. thanks

 

IF Bill Curlee used it and was satisfied... I would too...

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...ans-fluid.html

 

YES! Its an excellent replacement for the DINO fluid in ANY MN6/MN12 manual.. Its compatable with your trans..

Bill

 

I have also used amsoil in my trans since I have owned the car and have been pleased with it so far

 

Old fashioned Dex III is all that is actually needed. I am running Valvoline Dex/Merc in my (early) '98 and the car shifts just fine, no synchro issues, no ant-Venom mod - only mod is a shorter shift lever. It worked fine down to around 0F this last winter with no "cold weather" balkiness. But do get a small pump like the one shown. I got mine at Advance Auto - less than $10 as I recall. You can get the Dex/Merc almost anywhere - got mine in a gallon jug from Walmart as I recall and it did not take all of it. Be careful not to buy anything that meets Dex VI - that's a definite nono in a manual box per GM.

BTW, the T56 is never going to shift like a Miata, that's why Tremec did a lot of work to lighten up the shift for the later 6060 tranny used in the C6.

 

When you fill one with Pennzoil syncromesh it does worked great in my 02 Z06.

 

used redline and I like'em

 

Just as long as you know it does not meet Tremec's spec. for the T-56, go for it.

 

your 02 also ain't got the paper rings

 

I used O'Reily's generic Dex III for my 99 FRC. You need to be careful at the store, as there is a Dex III trans fluid and Dex III compatible trans fluid.

I'm not mechanically savvy enough to tell you if the paper blockers or whatever they are will actually be affected by a synthetic trans fluid like the Red Line or Amsoil. All I know is that I haven't read of anyone complaining after changing their transmission fluid with Dex III.

For those who don't know, the transmissions in early C5 Corvettes, approximately '97 - '99 or '00 had paper blocker rings which would wear out faster if synthetic transmission fluid was used. I believe Red Line has made the claim that their synthetic formulation will not damage paper blocker rings. There are many people who swear by synthetic trans fluid, while there are only a few that say that it will cause damage. My position is that there's no reason to take that risk. Dex III is fine and I'm happy with my transmission performance after changing the fluid last month.

I bought a gallon and a quart just to be safe. The quart is sitting unused and unopened in my garage.

Froggy has a video on youtube that takes you step by step through the process. It's very straightforward. Transmission fill and drain are both just forward of the differential under the car. (Not under the hood) Jacking the car properly is probably more complicated than the transmission fluid change.

 

At 700rwhp and a locked triple disk converter at wot, I've had 0 issues using Valvoline Maxlife full syn fluid. Next service I will probably switch to Redline though. I road race the car too.

 

Locked triple disk converter? OP was asking about a manual.

 

new clutchless manual?

 

the two popular choices are PAO vs ester

in brand names that's PAO amsoil and ester redline

pros and cons are

Ability to withstand heat/oxidation. PAO:Good Ester:Good-Excellent

Hydrolytic stability. ie.water absorbs into the oil. PAO:Excellent Ester:good

Additive solubility. PAO:Poor Ester Excellent

Seal Swell. PAO: Poor Ester: Excellent

Vis. PAO: Excellent Ester:Excellent

Film Strength, PAO: Good Ester: Good

both of these maintain viscosity better than group 1-3 oils

amsoil also spends a LOT more on marketing than redline