Synthetic Tranny fluid debate...

[CRUZTAKER]

The day is nearly here to drop off the car at performance tranny shop. As usual I did my homework over the last few weeks and tried to make all preparations.

I chose the best T/C, the Precision Industries stallion 3000, I chose the J-MOD upgrade, and I chose the best lube I could find......

Or so I thought.

For days I have recieved conflicting reports on this board on my intentions of using Synthetics in the trans, and more specifically the ROYAL PURPLE MAX ATF.

After a nice phone call to the good folks at Precision Industries, and an even longer one to the folks at Royal Purple, and a few to key vendors to this site.....

I have put the non-sense behind me and WILL be using the Royal Purple as I had originally decided to do so before the warning PM's started rolling in.
There is no problem using synthetics with the PI CONVERTERS nor our transmissions in any way. And the Royal Purple totally exceeds the requirements of Mercon-V.

WooHoo....can't wait to hit the track!!! :burnout:

[Krytin]

Thanks for doing the "leg work" Barry! Good info!

[RF Overlord]

And the Royal Purple totally exceeds the requirements of Mercon-V.

Barry:

I DO believe you, but if RP ATF meets/exceeds the spec for Mercon V, why don't they SAY so on their web site? It would probably cut down on the mis-information and the number of phone calls they have to answer...

[purelux]

Redline used to do the same thing it's on the bottle but not on the site that it is mercon V compatible. My brother had a 93 sho and the shop said not to use a synthetic that they didn't and they don't make a difference. 8 months later on the rebuild atx tranny and it was shot. Also if they don't use or know anybody using syn I wasn't sure how they knew it had no effect. They also said the rebuilt had all the upgrades available to that tranny done over the years it was used and they didn't have a shift kit available through their sources. After the tranny went they ended up using a tranny out of a 95(there were improvements done in 94 and finally in 95 last year of the v6 sho) Suprisingly the car drove better than when we bought it or on the last rebuild ever did. Summation always do your own research and you can't always trust a shop many of these guys are still stuck in the 60's technology wise. I used redline syn on my 98 towncar and immediatly noticed an improvement and my fluid was in good condition and only about 60k on the car, the sho was at only 61k when the 1st tranny was replaced and only around 70 actually a few under when the 2nd was put in.


Barry:

I DO believe you, but if RP ATF meets/exceeds the spec for Mercon V, why don't they SAY so on their web site? It would probably cut down on the mis-information and the number of phone calls they have to answer...

[CRUZTAKER]

......if RP ATF meets/exceeds the spec for Mercon V, why don't they SAY so on their web site?
Good question RF,

.....because they cannot.
I was told that because of automobile warranty issues, and liabilities, until FORD (IN OUR CASE) actually recognizes their blend as conforming to THEIR standards, this statement cannot be made.

Their blend actually scales higher than what is recommended, and that is the whole problem, Royal Purple will not lower their standards to conform to that requirement. It's as if Ford were to say we were required to use 91 octane only to be within their requirements. And although 94 octane is better, it IS NOT what is recommended by the manufacturer. Kinda queer if you ask me.....

[MERCMAN]

Glad you got it resolved Barry!!! :up:

[metroplex]

94 octane is not "better" than 93 octane. Use 94 octane only if your tune requires it!

I'm using a modified form of SCT's timing and I'm getting away with 89 octane. It retains the mass of my wallet each time I hit the pump.

BTW

I just changed the ATF with Castrol Mercon-V, regular $3/qt stuff at Walmart. Changing the ATF on our 4R70Ws isn't an ordeal at ALL.

If you think it's bad, you should have tried changing it on the old AODs w/ Ford's filter kit. Cork gasket = PITA to use.

Our elastomer re-usable gaskets are a godsend in terms of ATF maintenance and the TC drain plug makes life all that much easier when draining the ATF.

11 qt of Mercon-V and the tranny is happier. I also removed the lower spring on the 1-2 accumulator and re-adjusted my trans pressure so it feels stock at low throttle, but at WOT it breaks loose the rear wheels.

[CRUZTAKER]

94 octane is not "better" than 93 octane. Use 94 octane only if your tune requires it!
It was an analogy Metro.....a facetious analogy man....:rolleyes:

[metroplex]

It was an analogy Metro.....a facetious analogy man....:rolleyes:

With all due respect:

I didn't see how it was an analogy, if you're talking about an oil/ATF made by a company that does not meet a certain spec on paper, but "unofficially" it meets a certain spec (just because the oil manuf didnt want to pay for the tests), it has nothing to do with Ford recommending 91 octane and you using 94 octane.

If the military decided to use unofficial spec oil for their motors, there'd be he77 to pay when something broke.

IMHO if it doesn't say "Meets/Exceeds Mercon-V" on the label (doesn't matter what their website says) I would not use it in my 4R70W regardless of what unofficial spec it meets. Amsoil likes to slap on fake spec #s (Remember the Daimler spec screwup? I called Damiler and checked only to find that a certain spec # that Amsoil claimed it met for one of its oils, was non-existent) so watch out.

AFAIK, only Redline D4 ATF and Amsoil ATF supposedly meet/exceed Mercon-V. I could not find anything on RP's site that said its ATF met/exceeded Mecon-V other than:
http://www.royalpurple.com/techa/tranxref.html

It's "suitable/preferred" for Mercon-V :rolleyes:

On their Max ATF page:

Max ATF® is recommended for all automatic transmissions requiring Ford Mercon® or GM Dexron® III transmission fluids.

Nothing bad will happen to your tranny, its just that the Friction Modifiers and additive package required for Merc-V spec is more "advanced/recent" than Mercon/Dexron III. You can feel the shifting difference in an AOD/C6/4R70W when using Mercon and Mercon-V. Mercon-V will give crisper and positive shifts. Mercon almost feels vague in the AOD, C6, and 4R70W.

Just my 2 cents of course. :D