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?
Staging Lane
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 61
Likes: 0
Originally Posted by NoMoreLS1
Regular Dextron III is the only tranmission fluid that you need. The synthetic fluid will eat away at the blocker rings.
Originally Posted by 5.0Camaro`
theres a drain plug on the lower part of the passenger side, use a 3/8th drive to take it off and drain the fluid. Then screw it back in and the filler plug is on the upper driver side, the tranny will take 4 quarts(prollly little less since you wont get all the old fluid out) you will need to pick up like a pump that will allow you to get the fluid into the tranny(like 3 dollars at autozone). It just screws on the top of the tranny fluid bottle and you pump it by hand to pull it threw a hose into the tranny. Fill her up till fluid starts coming out again, then put the plug back in and call it a day.
Justin
Justin
Originally Posted by minesfaster
So you dont change the tranny filter ? Is there one ? how do you tell if youre low on tranny fluid ? Sorry im new to the Manula transmission. Thanks nic .
if u pull out the fill plug and stick your finger in there, it should be just about level with fill plug. hence the "fill till spill"
and your car will also have to be lifted evenly to get accurate readings.
Cool thank you bro, also if it is low does that means there's a leak ? I dont have anything under my car when it's parked. If it need some fluid what should i use to add to it ? I dont know whats in there now i just bought the car.
Originally Posted by minesfaster
Cool thank you bro, also if it is low does that means there's a leak ? I dont have anything under my car when it's parked. If it need some fluid what should i use to add to it ? I dont know whats in there now i just bought the car.
you can use a pump to get the fluid into there. you can pick one up at your local autozone.
Just to chime in with my experience. 2002 Formula. 500miles- in went RL ATF and Diff fluid along with RL engine oil 5w-30. At 16K miles of freeway driving and I didn't even start getting on the throttle hard till almost 2K miles. I babied the car, doing only 55 on the freeway with varing speeds and oil changes every year, incl the tranny and Diff. Well, at the 16K mark, my tranny gave out. Under warranty, I got a new one. I have since put 1500K on the tranny and changed it out to AMSOIL ATF. What a difference. It shifts smooth and the SOTP fell was nice. So my vote goes for the AMSOIL in all of my cars in every component that takes oil. Even there grease is awsome. The coolant is 7 year green coolant. This is just my experience, I hope it helps.
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12 Second Club
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 4,273
Likes: 0
From: Bucks County, Pa.
Originally Posted by JJ2002
Is it ok to refill with regular dexron III if synthetic was used previously? I'm not sure what's in mine and I bought it used.
Should be no problem. I would just use a good name brand DexIII (i.e.; Pennzoil/Havoline/Q.S./Valvoline, etc.).
Originally Posted by JJ2002
Is it ok to refill with regular dexron III if synthetic was used previously? I'm not sure what's in mine and I bought it used.
just make sure ALL of the old fluid is out if u plan to switch from synthetic to non.
Teching In
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 44
Likes: 0
From: Rockland County, NY
Originally Posted by black00TA
you should have no problems what so ever.
just make sure ALL of the old fluid is out if u plan to switch from synthetic to non.
just make sure ALL of the old fluid is out if u plan to switch from synthetic to non.
12 Second Club
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 4,273
Likes: 0
From: Bucks County, Pa.
Originally Posted by JJ2002
There really isn't a way to remove all the fluid...so should I change it once and then change it again after two months?
Hmm, so being that my car is a 98, I should just stick with Dexron III, or is it worth it for me to upgrade to GM Synchromesh? My tranny has been fine, no problems, but I have never changed the fluid in it and now she has 52k miles on it.
Manny
Manny
Originally Posted by MannyZ28
Hmm, so being that my car is a 98, I should just stick with Dexron III, or is it worth it for me to upgrade to GM Synchromesh? My tranny has been fine, no problems, but I have never changed the fluid in it and now she has 52k miles on it.
Manny
Manny
just stick with dexIII
12 Second Club
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 4,273
Likes: 0
From: Bucks County, Pa.
Not to throw another monkey wrench into the works, but has anyone tried the Amsoil MTF (Synthetic Synchromesh Fluid) or ATD (Torque-Drive Synthetic ATF) ?? The MTF is a direct replacement for the GM synchromesh part #s, and the ATD is a Dex 3 replacement. Are we right back to square one since they are both synthetic and therefore considered useless/harmful to T56s? Any Amsoil dealers out there with any experience with these in our transmissions??
For those that say only DEX III, have you even ever tried anything else? I have had notchy transmissions before, and I switched to Synchromesh. The notchyness went away and things were nice and smooth.
For the person who called Tremec... When I bought my Tremec 3550 for my Mustang, they specifically told me to only run Synchromesh or it would void the warranty. I had already been running Synchromesh anyway, so I wasn't concerned. Unless there is some major things different between their aftermarket transmissions vs their OEM ones, I don't see why they'd change their minds.
Trust me everyone, if you have never tried Synchromesh, you are missing out on a very smooth shift. If you don't like it, switch back. I can almost promise you will wonder why it took you so long to switch in the first place.
For the person who called Tremec... When I bought my Tremec 3550 for my Mustang, they specifically told me to only run Synchromesh or it would void the warranty. I had already been running Synchromesh anyway, so I wasn't concerned. Unless there is some major things different between their aftermarket transmissions vs their OEM ones, I don't see why they'd change their minds.
Trust me everyone, if you have never tried Synchromesh, you are missing out on a very smooth shift. If you don't like it, switch back. I can almost promise you will wonder why it took you so long to switch in the first place.
I was on a road trip coming home from Palm Springs (visiting my buddy there) and my tranny got stuck in 5th gear. I noticed some really hard shifting between 6th and 5th for about 1K miles, but I figured "no big deal" and took the car to So. Cal. Well, on the way back, the shifter got locked into 5th gear while downshifting for traffic.
For the life of me, I couldn't get it out of 5th. I had it taken to a dealership nearby who was going to work on it. Come to find out, there is a part inside the tranny that seized up. Now I don't remember what seized up, but I could still drive the car in 5th gear only, I just couldn't use any other gear. The shifter was really lose in the 5th gear, I could move the shifter around with a little resistance. The dealership could not fix the problem because of a special gear puller that they didn't have, so they just put in a brand new tranny for me. Since than, I have put 1K miles on the stock tranny fluid and have since changed the fluid to AMSOIL ATF and it made a huge difference. It shifts smoother, feels nice. I had a new tranny put in about 2 years ago with 17K on the car, I now have 19K on the car and no problems yet.
For the life of me, I couldn't get it out of 5th. I had it taken to a dealership nearby who was going to work on it. Come to find out, there is a part inside the tranny that seized up. Now I don't remember what seized up, but I could still drive the car in 5th gear only, I just couldn't use any other gear. The shifter was really lose in the 5th gear, I could move the shifter around with a little resistance. The dealership could not fix the problem because of a special gear puller that they didn't have, so they just put in a brand new tranny for me. Since than, I have put 1K miles on the stock tranny fluid and have since changed the fluid to AMSOIL ATF and it made a huge difference. It shifts smoother, feels nice. I had a new tranny put in about 2 years ago with 17K on the car, I now have 19K on the car and no problems yet.
one thing i find somewhat odd is, that i use Honda ATF in my t56 and its amazing compared to others ive tried.
my friend uses synchromesh in his 5 speed integra....and supposidly many of them do.....hmmmm
my friend uses synchromesh in his 5 speed integra....and supposidly many of them do.....hmmmm