Synthetic Transmission Oil

[Curt Sprenger]

FYI...Talking with the Dartco Allison shop this
morning. They do not recommend synthetic oil in the older
transmissions. Their experience is the older gaskets do not like the
synthetic and the gaskets start leaking the stuff.

Curt Sprenger
1987 PT38 8V92 "MacAttack Racing"
Anaheim Hills, CA

[Ray]

Hey Curt,
What do you think constitutes "old"? I recently bought a 92 Wanderlodge and it
already has synthetic in it... Thanks, Ray

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, Curt Sprenger wrote:
>
> FYI...Talking with the Dartco Allison shop this morning. They do not
> recommend synthetic oil in the older transmissions. Their experience is the
> older gaskets do not like the synthetic and the gaskets start leaking the
> stuff.
>
>
> Curt Sprenger
> 1987 PT38 8V92 "MacAttack Racing"
> Anaheim Hills, CA
>

[Curt Sprenger]

Ray,
What constitutes "old"?

WE'd need to search out changes in gasket material that stand up the the synthetic, and what year Allison started using the gaskets in both new and trans. builds. I'll try to remember to ask the Allison dealer that question.


A rebuilt trans., depending on the rebuild year could have the new compliant material. 

I know for sure the local Allison shop does not recommend the synthetic for our '87 HTB748.

Curt Sprenger
1987 PT38 8V92 "MacAttack Racing"
Anaheim Hills, CA

On Wed, Oct 21, 2009 at 8:45 AM, Ray <"selahthunder@yahoo.com"> wrote:

 

Hey Curt,

What do you think constitutes "old"? I recently bought a 92 Wanderlodge and it already has synthetic in it... Thanks, Ray

--- In "WanderlodgeForum%40yahoogroups.com", Curt Sprenger wrote:

>

> FYI...Talking with the Dartco Allison shop this morning. They do not

> recommend synthetic oil in the older transmissions. Their experience is the

> older gaskets do not like the synthetic and the gaskets start leaking the

> stuff.

>

>

> Curt Sprenger

> 1987 PT38 8V92 "MacAttack Racing"

> Anaheim Hills, CA

>

[mbulriss]

Curt,

They ought to put a new pan gasket on when they service the tranny. My 83 PT40
had Amsoil synthetic in the tranny (as well as the engine, differential and
genset) for most of the 9 years I owned it after I changed it over in year 1.
The only leak I had was the slobber tubes.

Sounds like more anti-synthetic folklore to me.

Mike Bulriss
1991 WB40 "Texas Minivan"
San Antonio, TX

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, Curt Sprenger wrote:
>
> FYI...Talking with the Dartco Allison shop this morning. They do not
> recommend synthetic oil in the older transmissions. Their experience is the
> older gaskets do not like the synthetic and the gaskets start leaking the
> stuff.
>
>
> Curt Sprenger
> 1987 PT38 8V92 "MacAttack Racing"
> Anaheim Hills, CA
>

[Curt Sprenger]

Mike,

I'm not pulling this info. out of a hat...it comes from a well established Allison dealer. Their experience with transmission issues is far greater than the forum.

Curt Sprenger
1987 PT38 8V92 "MacAttack Racing"
Anaheim Hills, CA

On Wed, Oct 21, 2009 at 10:51 AM, mbulriss <"mbulriss@yahoo.com"> wrote:

 

Curt,



They ought to put a new pan gasket on when they service the tranny. My 83 PT40 had Amsoil synthetic in the tranny (as well as the engine, differential and genset) for most of the 9 years I owned it after I changed it over in year 1. The only leak I had was the slobber tubes.



Sounds like more anti-synthetic folklore to me.



Mike Bulriss

1991 WB40 "Texas Minivan"

San Antonio, TX

--- In "WanderlodgeForum%40yahoogroups.com", Curt Sprenger wrote:

>

> FYI...Talking with the Dartco Allison shop this morning. They do not

> recommend synthetic oil in the older transmissions. Their experience is the

> older gaskets do not like the synthetic and the gaskets start leaking the

> stuff.

>

>

> Curt Sprenger

> 1987 PT38 8V92 "MacAttack Racing"

> Anaheim Hills, CA

>

[mbulriss]

OK then,... how about this piece of mis-information, in the form of a Service
Advisory *direct* from Allison Corporation as far back as 2001:
http://www.allisontransmission.com/docum...ev%20E.pdf

I assume your HTB748 is part of the HT 700 family of transmissions, just as
MT654CR was part of their MT 600 family of trannys. I note from the Allison
chart that the first recommendation from Allison is for the synthetic fluid, and
yes I will assume Allison has more experience than the forum.

SI will also note that my local Allison house told me to "get that ATF cr*p out
of there and put C-4 in - that's what we use". Some people live in the past and
'do it the way we have always done it'. I chose to go with the manufacturer's
recommendation.

Sorry for trying to help.

Mike Bulriss
1991 WB40 "Texas Minivan"
San Antonio, TX

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, Curt Sprenger wrote:
>
> Mike,
>
> I'm not pulling this info. out of a hat...it comes from a well established
> Allison dealer. Their experience with transmission issues is far greater
> than the forum.
>
>
> Curt Sprenger
> 1987 PT38 8V92 "MacAttack Racing"
> Anaheim Hills, CA
>
>
>
> On Wed, Oct 21, 2009 at 10:51 AM, mbulriss <mbulriss@...> wrote:
>
> >
> >
> > Curt,
> >
> > They ought to put a new pan gasket on when they service the tranny. My 83
> > PT40 had Amsoil synthetic in the tranny (as well as the engine, differential
> > and genset) for most of the 9 years I owned it after I changed it over in
> > year 1. The only leak I had was the slobber tubes.
> >
> > Sounds like more anti-synthetic folklore to me.
> >
> > Mike Bulriss
> > 1991 WB40 "Texas Minivan"
> > San Antonio, TX
> >
> >
> > --- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com,
> > Curt Sprenger wrote:
> > >
> > > FYI...Talking with the Dartco Allison shop this morning. They do not
> > > recommend synthetic oil in the older transmissions. Their experience is
> > the
> > > older gaskets do not like the synthetic and the gaskets start leaking the
> > > stuff.
> > >
> > >
> > > Curt Sprenger
> > > 1987 PT38 8V92 "MacAttack Racing"
> > > Anaheim Hills, CA
> > >
> >
> >
> >
>

[sfedeli3]

Mike, Curt and others- All that I can contribute here is my own experience with
Transynd. The tranny pan and housing was dry as a bone until I switched over to
Transynd in July, 2008. It started to drip and spray the towed within about 8K
miles of the switch and became progressively worse. Seepage was actually coming
from the retarder and two other gaskets including the one between the retarder
and tranny housing. What occurred is the result of a very good quality fluid
(high film strength and low pour-point) combined with old, dry gaskets. It could
have been coincidence, but my "consultant" at Penn DD/Allison also made the
statement that the older tranny gaskets seem to weep when you change over to
Transynd. I have an MTB654CR in the coach. I'm going to stick with the Transynd
now that the old stuff is all flushed out- but if I had it to do over again, I'd
never make that switch. The new stuff does not run any cooler and made
absolutely no difference in shift quality- despite what is promoted by the
dealers.

Shane Fedeli
85PT40
Hershey, PA

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "mbulriss" <mbulriss@...> wrote:
>
> OK then,... how about this piece of mis-information, in the form of a Service
Advisory *direct* from Allison Corporation as far back as 2001:
> http://www.allisontransmission.com/docum...ev%20E.pdf
>
> I assume your HTB748 is part of the HT 700 family of transmissions, just as
MT654CR was part of their MT 600 family of trannys. I note from the Allison
chart that the first recommendation from Allison is for the synthetic fluid, and
yes I will assume Allison has more experience than the forum.
>
> SI will also note that my local Allison house told me to "get that ATF cr*p
out of there and put C-4 in - that's what we use". Some people live in the past
and 'do it the way we have always done it'. I chose to go with the
manufacturer's recommendation.
>
> Sorry for trying to help.
>
> Mike Bulriss
> 1991 WB40 "Texas Minivan"
> San Antonio, TX
>
> --- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, Curt Sprenger wrote:
> >
> > Mike,
> >
> > I'm not pulling this info. out of a hat...it comes from a well established
> > Allison dealer. Their experience with transmission issues is far greater
> > than the forum.
> >
> >
> > Curt Sprenger
> > 1987 PT38 8V92 "MacAttack Racing"
> > Anaheim Hills, CA
> >
> >
> >
> > On Wed, Oct 21, 2009 at 10:51 AM, mbulriss <mbulriss@> wrote:
> >
> > >
> > >
> > > Curt,
> > >
> > > They ought to put a new pan gasket on when they service the tranny. My 83
> > > PT40 had Amsoil synthetic in the tranny (as well as the engine,
differential
> > > and genset) for most of the 9 years I owned it after I changed it over in
> > > year 1. The only leak I had was the slobber tubes.
> > >
> > > Sounds like more anti-synthetic folklore to me.
> > >
> > > Mike Bulriss
> > > 1991 WB40 "Texas Minivan"
> > > San Antonio, TX
> > >
> > >
> > > --- In
WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com,
> > > Curt Sprenger wrote:
> > > >
> > > > FYI...Talking with the Dartco Allison shop this morning. They do not
> > > > recommend synthetic oil in the older transmissions. Their experience is
> > > the
> > > > older gaskets do not like the synthetic and the gaskets start leaking
the
> > > > stuff.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Curt Sprenger
> > > > 1987 PT38 8V92 "MacAttack Racing"
> > > > Anaheim Hills, CA
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
>