View Poll Results: Which fluid is best for a M12 T56?
Redline D4 ATF
53
8.85%
Royal Purple Syncromax
179
29.88%
GM Syncromesh
154
25.71%
OEM Dexron III ATF
213
35.56%
Voters: 599. You may not vote on this poll
Which T56 fluid?
08-31-2005, 04:05 PM
#41
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Originally Posted by black00TA
why does gm says our cooling system doesent need to be serviced for 100,000 miles?
why does gm say our plugs and wires are good till 100,000 miles?
why does gm say our dif fluids need to be changed every 7,500 miles??
honestly, if we listend to GM we wouldnt be here today....
why does gm say our plugs and wires are good till 100,000 miles?
why does gm say our dif fluids need to be changed every 7,500 miles??
honestly, if we listend to GM we wouldnt be here today....
FYI... there is a TSB on the dexcool and many places are flushing out the cooling sytems and replacing with regular coolant.
100,000 of normal driving for the plugs and wires.
A differential fluid change at 7,500 miles doesn't seem like a bad idea.
Honestly... if GM listened to US, the f-body would still be here today.
Acura says that I should change the oil in my Integra GS-R every 7,500 miles. But I guess they don't know what they are talking about either. I mean... Honda engines never last, right?
08-31-2005, 04:46 PM
#42
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Regular Dextron III is the only tranmission fluid that you need. The synthetic fluid will eat away at the blocker rings.
Ending the speculation: Blocker rings, who's had them fail?
Unfortunately, there was another going at LS1.com that I started, but since they've restarted their BBS, it's not available anymore.
Too bad, as I remember that one having more feedback on people that had run synthetic in 98-00 F-Body T-56's without problems.Nearest I can remember, Royal Purple's Max ATF had two people who reported very early degredation of operation after installing that fluid...so I'd say steer away from the RP Max ATF. You can see in my thread above that Brains from this board used Redline D4 and says it killed his tranny...however I know from the LS1.com thread that there were users there that had used Redline D4 for years, and driven agressively as well, and had no problems.
Dino Dexron III is going to be the absolute safest bet...however how much more risky, and to what benefit, the alternate lubes being used is a question I don't know will ever be positively known...
...GM's Synchromesh PN 12345349 I can't remember ever having received complaints (usually only praise)...so I'd say if your looking for the safest "upgrade" to dino Dexron III, that'd be it.
While I don't own a F-Body (and probably never will - unfortunately), I think if I did, I'd go with one of the lubes MolaKule offers from over at BITOG...can't post the name here since it's not allowed.
Chuck
09-13-2005, 09:59 AM
#46
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hawaiiboysz- Basically, you buy 4 quarts. Drive it around until it's hot, then take the lower drain plug out with a ratchet, let it drain, put the plug back in, and then fill (making sure the car is level) until it comes out of the top fill hole.
To fill, either take the shifter off and fill through there, or get a piece of tubing, run into the filler hole, and fill from above.
It should be a pretty easy job.
Chuck
To fill, either take the shifter off and fill through there, or get a piece of tubing, run into the filler hole, and fill from above.
It should be a pretty easy job.
Chuck
09-23-2005, 02:21 PM
#48
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I've run Redline D4 for about 2 years and I'm rough on it. It is a weekend car and has one purpose! 
I've also tried the Royal Purple and it shifted poorly.
John
I've also tried the Royal Purple and it shifted poorly.John
09-28-2005, 01:35 PM
#50
Launching!
donts DO NOT USE: 
LUCAS OIL stabilizer, there is a recent tread regarding this
sintetic ATF, this is because the sintetic is SO GOOD the sincrhonizers does not work.
LUCAS OIL stabilizer, there is a recent tread regarding this
sintetic ATF, this is because the sintetic is SO GOOD the sincrhonizers does not work.
09-28-2005, 02:20 PM
#51
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sintetic ATF, this is because the sintetic is SO GOOD the sincrhonizers does not work
Chuck
09-28-2005, 08:59 PM
#53
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Have used RP since 8k mark in engine/trans/rear; currently car has 70K. Changed trans fluid again at 60K. Am starting to be concerned about 2nd gear; occasionally difficult to move shifter into that gear. Recently (67K) switched engine to Redline and noticed SOTP improvement.
09-30-2005, 02:41 AM
#54
Originally Posted by Rob Hood
Have used RP since 8k mark in engine/trans/rear; currently car has 70K. Changed trans fluid again at 60K. Am starting to be concerned about 2nd gear; occasionally difficult to move shifter into that gear. Recently (67K) switched engine to Redline and noticed SOTP improvement.
09-30-2005, 02:59 PM
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I tried the RP Synchromax and it shifted worse than dino Dex 3. Would like to try Redline D4, but most tranny places (including Tremec tech) advise against it. What I don't get is if synthetic is so bad for T56s, why does GM sell it in dealers and isn't Mobil 1 factory tranny fill in C5s/6s?? BTW I have a 2000 Z28. Edited for this; my bad, I just found out that the GM/Pennzoil/QS Synchromesh is in fact not a synthetic fluid, and Vettes are not factory filled with Mobil 1 tranny fluid, but good old mineral Dextron 3.
Last edited by dailydriver; 10-12-2005 at 05:38 PM.
09-30-2005, 04:24 PM
#56
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After a lot of thinking on the subject, I think there are just way too many unknowns on whether synthetic is acceptable or not for 98-00 F-body T-56's.
Each and every T-56, even new, is going to be different...different clearances (however minor), different fill levels, different climates, and then add in different driving conditions can all cause each T-56 to wear and consequently behave differently when going from dino Dex. III to a synthetic lube.
I think that's why there is just such a big spread of responses on running synthetic lubes in the T-56's...one person can't stand how it feels with the original dino Dex. III, changes it with dino Dex. III again, still doesn't like the feel, and then adds lets say Royal Purple Synchromax. It shifts wonderfully and he never looks back even after 70,000 miles...
...then you've got someone who has a fine shifting T-56, replaces the dino Dex. III in it with Synchromax, and the tranny develops problems soon after.
Why the big spread of results????
One thing for sure is that the synthetic lubes have more additives that would help reduce wear, in addition to having better base oils...however if the synthetic in a particular T-56 causes shifting problems, it doesn't matter about either of those 2 plus's, it'll cause the trans to fail and dino Dex. III that would have made the trans shift properly would have been better.
Guess the only way to really go about the switch from dino Dex. III to a better built lube - but not necessarily a guaranteed to shift better lube - is to buy the fluid your thinking about using, put it in there, and use it. If you get bad shifting, then you need to change. If it shift OK, just roll on knowing your using a better built lube than dino Dex. III.
What other option is there (other than to just keep using dino Dex. III)?
Chuck
Each and every T-56, even new, is going to be different...different clearances (however minor), different fill levels, different climates, and then add in different driving conditions can all cause each T-56 to wear and consequently behave differently when going from dino Dex. III to a synthetic lube.
I think that's why there is just such a big spread of responses on running synthetic lubes in the T-56's...one person can't stand how it feels with the original dino Dex. III, changes it with dino Dex. III again, still doesn't like the feel, and then adds lets say Royal Purple Synchromax. It shifts wonderfully and he never looks back even after 70,000 miles...
...then you've got someone who has a fine shifting T-56, replaces the dino Dex. III in it with Synchromax, and the tranny develops problems soon after.
Why the big spread of results????
One thing for sure is that the synthetic lubes have more additives that would help reduce wear, in addition to having better base oils...however if the synthetic in a particular T-56 causes shifting problems, it doesn't matter about either of those 2 plus's, it'll cause the trans to fail and dino Dex. III that would have made the trans shift properly would have been better.
Guess the only way to really go about the switch from dino Dex. III to a better built lube - but not necessarily a guaranteed to shift better lube - is to buy the fluid your thinking about using, put it in there, and use it. If you get bad shifting, then you need to change. If it shift OK, just roll on knowing your using a better built lube than dino Dex. III.
What other option is there (other than to just keep using dino Dex. III)?
Chuck
10-12-2005, 10:51 AM
#59
11 Second Club
rockland standard gear is the company who rebuilt my t56 for me
the are also the guys that bild all of linginfelters race trannies
the guy who persnonaly built my tranny told me to run syncromesh that i got from them and i would tend to believe him with those sort of credentcials
i will never run anything else and my tranny shifts like butter at 6600rpm never given me a bit of trouble
the are also the guys that bild all of linginfelters race trannies
the guy who persnonaly built my tranny told me to run syncromesh that i got from them and i would tend to believe him with those sort of credentcials
i will never run anything else and my tranny shifts like butter at 6600rpm never given me a bit of trouble
10-12-2005, 05:28 PM
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I spoke to the techs at Tremec today and they still say that mineral Dex 3 or GM/Pennzoil/QS Synchromesh are the only approved fills for our T56s, with the D3 taking precedence over the Synchromesh (at least for cold weather). The only excecption he gave was for Vipers they suggest a Castrol Synchro synthetic to combat the heat from having a totally enclosed tranny with no air circulation.