is there any type of synthetic lube i could use in my t-5???? right now im running dextron 3 in it but if there is something better i'd like to use it.. opinions and input welcome

 

Mobil 1 makes a synthetic ATF.

 

ATF in a T5? I dunno...

I'd just use some synthetic gear oil.

 

Depending on whicj year you have 86+ it should take ATF. I use M1 gear lube in mine because I dont like ATF in my manual. M1 makes either. Chevron makes a good synthetic ATF too.

 

80w90 gear oil in a wc t5 is a very bad idea. i can tell u that from experience

 

i've run amsoil synthetic gear oil in t5s with no problems, even the ones that call for atf

 

what should my stock fluids be, so i know what to change to?

1984 borg warner 5 speed with lg4 rear end 3.23

 

why did they switch to atf instead of gear lube?????

 

at our shop we fill our trannies with dextron and throw in some lucas, but they are bus trannies (345 allison, etc)


:/edit - we also ship our buses to florida from where I am, Ohio. Alot of highway driving but once in the mountains theres alot of downshifting/upshifting, and we only had one tranny rip out and that is cause the driver shifted from 5th to 2nd and let the clutch out (duh.)

 

Your trans calls for gear oil.

If you 86+ guys dont want to live life on the edge like Ede and I with gear oil then I suggest going down to the dealer and getting a few quarts of Syncromesh. Its slightly heaver oil then ATF but way thinner then gear oil and is used in most 93 and up GM manual tranmissions/transaxles.

 

what would be best to run for duribility/longevity?

 

I agree with SSC. On a pre-ATF T5, go get some GM Synchromesh juice. It's what Tremec recommends for their TKO and I'm using it in mine.
Good Stuff.
-Rich-

 

i drained my tranny recently and it was red, its dex, but the tranny has a history, it was rebuild by gm at the dealership so it must have been refilled with dex b/c it had a problem with the oil and it messed up the tranny, i only know cause the original owner kept just about all the reciepts, amazed the hel outta me. but now i have penzoil dexron 3 or 4 in it, and it works fine the fluid wasnt really dirty when i drain it so i guess it was doing ok.

 

i ran amsoil gear lube in my wct5 with no problems.

 

I run half & half Mobil 1 synthetic ATF and either Mobil 1 or Red Line synthetic gear lube in my 2nd design T-5. Only been running it that way for about 60k miles and about 5 years though, too early to tell about long-term effects. The PO ran straight Red Line gear lube in it for however long.

What is this "edge"? I'm not aware I'm living on one.

 

jeebus what an old thread hehe

 

Correct me if I am wrong but arn't the one two syncros and the three, four blocker rings made with a friction material symilar to that in automatic trannys, in an WC any way and that was the biggest reason for running ATF, proper operation and service life on the syncros?

I run 2 quarts of mobil one and one quart of G-Force Lube

Ryan

 

Redline syn. ATF has worked well in mine for 4 years with no prob.

rad8tion

How do you like the G-force set-up?

DM

 

From http://www.5speeds.com/t5/index.html

"The WC boxes had 1st, 2nd, and 3rd speed gears riding on roller bearings instead of solid shafts. The countergears saw an upgrade to tapered bearings. The bronze synchro rings were replaced by fiber lined rings and dual cone designed rings to improve ring surface area. GM started using WC boxes as early as 1988 in the Camaro / Firebird line but still kept NWC boxes in S-10's and Astro Vans. By the mid 1990's most of the GM T5 installations were all World Class."

The roller bearings that 1st, 2nd, and 3rd gear ride on are needle bearings. From what I have read, this is one of the biggest reasons they switched to ATF. These needle bearings do not get enough lubrication with heavyier fluid.

'82-'87 F-body's were Non-World Class and used 80-90w gear oil. With all the people that run ATF in there '86/'87 T5, I am sure that ATF probably doesn't hurt a NWC. Especially since it is similar to a WC.

'88 and up F-body's had the World Class T5. ATF was used.

 

I've alwasy run Castrol Dexron Mercon III and never had a problem. In my t-5 and t-56.

 

I just rebuilt my 2nd design T5 a few weeks ago ran 300 miles with 80 90w and switched over to straight Sncromesh. It works alot better especially when shifting cold although that wasent ever a big issue I can say it makes a difference.

 

I love it (well having a syncro for secoun is nice too)
It is a little noisey not to bad though kinda sounds like an old muncie rock crusher. about 150 miles on it now so not sealy broken eather

ryan

 

I am going to change the oil in my 84 T5. Years ago the corvette guys trick was to add some posi track lube in with the 80/90 gear oil [in manuel trannys] posi lube comes in a small bottle from from GM it is a additive and should be added to all posi rears. [comes in a small bottle about 4 oz ] they used to say it helped shifting a lot. You older guys may remember this trick or may have heard of it. I personally have never tried it in a tranny, but I think I'm going to, don't see how it could hurt for us early T5 people.

 

At first I tried 80/90W in my NWC T-5 and it used to grind when cold. So I called up Gearzone.net to ask them about it.

First thing they told me was NOT to run gear oil. They said use Dex III or better yet Mobil-1. I did, and it was much better. I'll never use 80/90 again. (at least not on my T-5's)

 

Nice to hear that. I was considering them.

DM