Synthetic ATF

[nhkid28]

Does anyone use synthetic ATF?  I am thinking of switching over to Mobil 1 ATF.  Anyone with imput please respond.  Pros and cons.

 

thanks

[k1500chevy97]

Have you ever tried AMSOIL synthetic atf ???

 

here is some info on it

Amsoil atf

[Black02Silverado]

I'm running Amsoil's ATF.  I a complete power flush done when I had 12k on the truck.  I feel that it has improved the shifting and has really helped keep the tranny temps down. Not by a ton but down some. As anyone will tell you if you can reduce the temp in your AT it will help increase the life of it. I also feel better on the cold mornings. Synthetics are really good when the weather gets cold along with holding up to extreme heat and not breaking down as much as regular oil.

IMO I just feel better running synthetics.

 

[timk49]

I'm sold on the idea also. As I have said before on thes board I tow a teavel trailer up and over steep mountain grades. I fried the trans oil in my 95 Silverado a couple times. That truck just did'nt like to shift soon enough. I think I would have been much better off running synthetic oil in that truck.

I intend to flush the stock fluid out of my new truck this spring and and replace it with synthetic.

[cyrylyn]

what is a power flush?  is that DIY or dealer or ?  

 

I thought I could just disconnect the return from the ATF cooler, and drain the tranny.. and then fill it?

[Black02Silverado]

what is a power flush?  is that DIY or dealer or ?  

 

I thought I could just disconnect the return from the ATF cooler, and drain the tranny.. and then fill it?

The power flush is the only way to get all the old fluid out of the tranny. The torque converter holds a good bit of the fluid. You can take it to the dealer and have them power flush it or you can do it yourself. Alot of people don't feel comfortable doing it themselve's.

 

That entails, disconnecting the tranny cooler line that returns the fluid to the transmition from the cooler. Then once you dropped your pan and cleaned it up and installed a new filter and gasket and installed the pan, you then fill it up with fresh fluid. You need two people to do the job. One to keep the pan full of fluid and the other to watch the bucket as the old fluid flows into it. You then start the car and let the transmition pump do the rest.

 

Or you can take it to the dealer and let them do it. The last time I checked it cost $90 (at the local GM dealer here in NC) and that was you providing the fluid. They have a  oil baffel that holds the new fluid that they hook up to the cooler lines. They then start the vehicle and let the pump of the transmition pump the old fluid into the bafflel. As it is going into the bafflel there is a membrane that seperates the two fluids so that they don't mix. The new fluid is pushed out by the old fluid. The transmitions pump does all the work so there is no danger of overpressureization to the system. It is a really neat operation.  

 

[5.3LSilverado01]

I use Royal Purple MAX ATF. I'm really pleased with it!. Go by a local NAPA, they usually carry it and most of the guys that work there use Royal Purple.

[Jake99Z71]

I would vote for Amsoil ATF. I have recently tore my Allison 1000 down with 40K miles. I switched to Amsoil at 5K and tow once in awhile around 5 or 6K. Internals all looked great.

[SilveradoWV]

How long do the filters last? A few filters I have picked up at auto parts stores, say on the box to change every 15,000 miles? Does synthetic allow you to go longer than 15,000, if so where do you get filters recommended for however long you go? I assume the filters you get from the dealer will go the distance but not sure?

[danpat]

Synthetics are great but have one drawback you must be careful of.  Standard oils (motor, atf, and others) break down slowly over time.  Synthetics maintain for a longer period of time, but when they do breakdown they hit a wall.  When a synthetic hits this wall they have almost no lubricating properties.  I guess what I am trying to say is no matter what you use, nothing is better than changing it regularly.

[samuriarte]

The trans fluid from the manufac. is synthetic. It says something like "100,000" interval synthetic trans fluid" or something liek that

[timk49]

I would vote for Amsoil ATF. I have recently tore my Allison 1000 down with 40K miles. I switched to Amsoil at 5K and tow once in awhile around 5 or 6K. Internals all looked great.

Jake , why did you tear the Allison down?

[awdvkd]

samuriarte, it sounds like you are talking about trandsyn (spelling is most likely wrong) that is what Allison recommends with the allison.  I use Mobil 1 due to it is easier to locate and is availible everywhere, my truck is Mobil 1 from front to rear and I am very hard on it.  Also trandsyn is not a true synthetic it contains dino oil also.  All the other synthetics mentioned above are good oil but what happens when you unexpectedly need 4-5 guarts.  Plus Mobil 1 goes on sale reguarly around here and you can buy it dirt cheap, not like the others.  Plus if your loved ones drive the truck they only have to remember "put mobil one in" no matter what is low at the time, GOOD LUCK!