Changing tranny fluid to synthetic

[mbulriss]

Bob,

I was going to send this to you offline to prevent inflaming the
syn/non-syn forces, but in reviewing the info I decided it was general
information pertinent to all, so decided to post it here.

While I personally agree with your synthetic choice, I would look for
a less expensive (and more careful) shop. You said the Amsoil cost
$15 bucks a quart. I thought that sounded real high, so I pulled my
new catalog and looked it up. The good news is they got to do it
twice, so you got nearly a full flush and it cut your cost per quart
down by about half, or slightly under suggested list price.

I don't know if they sold you the Amsoil ATF or the Torque Drive
(Transynd substitute) but the published list price on those is
$8.65/qt for the ATF and $35.90/gal (or approx $9/qt) on the Torque
drive. Their actual cost was in the $6-6.50/qt range in the smallest
purchase quantities available and in the $5/qt range purchased in the
smallest 1-2.5 gallon container quantities. The Amsoil preferred
customer program would allow you to purchase at those lower prices.
At their prices, they still made money.

Did you go with synthetic in the motor also?

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


--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "Bob Lawrence"
wrote:
>
> Well, I decided to change to synthetic fluid.
> The shop I took it to (M&M)in Tacoma put Amsoil in it, changed the
> internal filter and the external filter.
> Drove off down the road also after getting the engine oil changed and
> noticed rig wouldn't change gears.
> Tried for several blocks..no luck.
> Took it back..they dropped the pan and found the pickup tube that had
> an o ring replaced had a cut in it. This it turns out let the fluid
> from the tranny get picked up and returned to pan without getting into
> the tranny.
> They replaced the o ring and the filter again (10 blocks on new fluid).
> They had to replace the filter and Amsoil again at their cost.
> I think with the second flush in 3 hours that most of the old ATF would
> have been removed.
> Anyway, problem solved.
> Amazing that an o ring can cause the tranny not to pick up fluid.
> The Amsoil cost $15 bucks a quart.
> Cost of $450 for tranny fluid change and $300 for oil change. Not cheap.
> Bob Lawrence
> 84 PT36
> Tacoma, Wa. (Where still raining)
>