Changing tranny fluid

[Jay Darst]

Bob,

By all means, change to Synthetic.

The correct and recomended fluid is Castrol Transynd. It is actually
manufactured by BP(British Petroleum, the same BP stations you see
all over the US). You may save yourself some money as the "Castrol"
name plate is expensive. I have a 5 gallon bucket of " BP Autran Syn
295 " with a part# 709707. Paid $139.90 for it. This is the EXACT
same stuff. BP makes it and Castrol markets it under their label.
(I have a very good friend in the petro business who is also very
well connected)

Because of the trans retarder producing severe heat and the fact
that the MTB654CR is rated for only 300HP and 950 Ft.Lbs. of torque,
it is my opinion that you need to take EVERY precaution you can to
prolong the life of your transmission.

Here is an article I found...

April 3, 2001 - Oklahoma City - Since Allison Transmission
introduced it in June 1999, the synthetic automatic transmission
fluid (ATF) TranSynd has proven itself in demanding motorhome
applications.

TranSynd, a co-branded ATF exclusively formulated by Castrol for
use in heavy-duty Allison Automatic Transmissions, extends oil drain
intervals for Allison automatic transmissions by up to 300%.

A nonretarder-equipped motorhome using 100% TranSynd can enjoy
Allison's recommended general duty interval at 100,000 miles between
oil changes. Severe duty motorhome applications using 100% TranSynd
can achieve 50,000 miles between oil changes. In either
applications, operators will get the substantial benefits of fewer
oil changes compared any other fluid recommended by Allison for
general or severe duty.

"Today's transmissions operate at higher temperatures and in far
more demanding conditions than in the past," says Lynn Gibboney,
manager of Tactical Marketing for Allison Transmission. "TranSynd
offers as much as four times longer oil drain intervals compared
with other automatic transmission fluids. In addition, the product
reduces fleet costs relating to maintenance, labor, filter
replacement and oil disposal."

TransSynd extends oil change guidelines for Allison transmissions
to 100,000 miles/48 months for general duty and 50,000 miles/24
months for severe duty. This compares to recommended changes for
conventional transmission fluids of 12,000 miles/6 months for severe
duty and 25,000 miles/12 months for general duty. TranSynd, which
is designed for use in most medium- and heavy-duty automatic
transmissions, also reduces maintenance cycles, increasing vehicle
up-time and fleet revenue.

Engineered for Allison Transmission by Castrol, TranSynd
dramatically extends drain intervals and lowers maintenance costs.
While TranSynd brings value to all motorhomes, it is especially
beneficial for use in those neededing a long lasting, proven ATF
solution.

Because TranSynd functions within wider operating temperature
ranges, it is ideal for use year-round in all climates. TranSynd
also is much more resistant to thermal breakdown than other fluids.
This ensures superior protection of transmission components and
extended fluid and transmission life.

TranSynd is not subject to the degradative properties of most
conventional fluids. In fact, in fleet test studies the product has
demonstrated dramatic performance over other ATFs in severe
applications. Perhaps most impressively, this includes an extension
of oil drain intervals by 300% and a reduction of fleet maintenance
hours by 75%.

Tests have shown significant operational benefits of TranSynd over
other products. These include:

Superior wear resistance


Greatly extended drain intervals

Superior protection of transmission components

Dramatic oxidation reduction

Far less sheardown

Significantly improved viscosity stability

Improved shift quality

Extended transmission life

Considerably reduced overall transmission life cycle costs

Lower fleet operating and maintenance expenses

TranSynd is bringing a whole new level of functionality and
performance to motorhome applications, one that is enabling
motorhome automatic transmissions to operate more efficiently,
productively, and for significantly less cost.

TranSynd meets the Allison TES-295 Transmission Fluid Specification
for Severe Duty and Extended Drain Intervals. The product is also
approved to the General Motors DEXRONb IIIG Specification.

For more information, sales literature and spec sheets, contact your
Allison distributor, authorized dealer, visit us at
http://www.allisontransmission.com, or fax your request to Allison
Transmission at 1-800-252-5ATD, or write Allison Transmission, P.O.
Box 894, Speed Code PF8, Indianapolis, IN 46206-0894

Allison Transmission is the world's leading designer, manufacturer
and seller of medium- and heavy-duty automatic transmissions for
trucks, buses, off-road and military vehicles and RVs.

Welp, there you have it!
Jay Darst
85PT40 6V92 and MTB654CR
Springfield, IL

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "Bob Lawrence"
wrote:
>
> Hi guys,
> Want to get your feeling about changing the tranny fluid.
> My bird has 130k on it and I don't find any records of the
previous 3
> owners changing the fluid.
> Since we live in our bird fulltime and maybe take a trip once
every
> other month for a 3 dayer, no problem.
> This Fri I'm going to get the oil changed (5k on engine rebuild)
and
> change the tranny fluid.
> We will be traveling fulltime in 18 months and want to know if we
> should change to synthetics.
> I have notice the tranny temp gauge going up in stop and go
traffic
> and I have read the synthetics cut down on the heat factor.
> Is it worth the expense ($8.00 a quart)and how long does it last
> before needing rechanging?
> Should I just stay with the conventional stuff in there now
(changing
> it out, of course).
> What think you?
>
> Bob Lawrence
> 84 pt36
> Tacky Tacoma, Wa. with 556 days till fulltiming on the road.
>