[Malibu]

Saw this on Amazon at a reasonable price. I was always looking for sales on Valvoline for my turbo 400.


https://www.amazon.com/ACDelco-10-92...aps,123&sr=8-1

[1968GTO421]

Found this on-line, hopefully it is helpful.

https://gmserviceinsights.com/use-th...mission-fluid/

I'll continue to use Type F fluid in my modified TH400 (to be safe)

https://shop.valvolineglobal.com/pro...yABEgLb3vD_BwE

JMHO

[1969GiPper]

I just had my THM400 rebuilt by a transmission engineer that works at the GM Tech Ctr in Warren, MI. He recommended that I use Valvoline Max Life Full Synthetic ATF. He said that Type F is basically B&M Trick Shift.

[jerry455]

I don't ever remember seeing this fluid. Dexron VI was supposed to be a replacement for everything that came before it.

[Gator67]

This is just Dextron III, right? Hope so, because that's what I put in my T56 Magnum (calls for Dextron III ATF).

[Schurkey]

Originally Posted by jerry455

I don't ever remember seeing this fluid. Dexron VI was supposed to be a replacement for everything that came before it.

http://ww2.justanswer.com/uploads/he..._Dexron_VI.pdf
The GM bulletin (revision D) says:

DEXRON®-VI can be used in any proportion in past model vehicles equipped with an automatic
transmission/transaxle in place of DEXRON®-III (i.e. topping off the fluid in the event of a
repair or fluid change). DEXRON®-VI is also compatible with any former version of DEXRON®
for use in automatic transmissions/transaxles.

Doesn't say squat about compatibility with Type A, or Type A Suffix A.

There may be a newer version of this bulletin.

Originally Posted by Gator67

This is just Dextron III, right? Hope so, because that's what I put in my T56 Magnum (calls for Dextron III ATF).

There is no "t" in Dexron.

III (H) is the latest/best version of Dexron III, but without the Dexron tradename.

There was also III (F) and III (G).

Are you seeing the pattern? Major changes get a numeral upgrade, and a letter upgrade. Minor changes get a letter upgrade only--from Type A to Type A Suffix A, to Dexron (B), Dexron II (C), Dexron II (D), Dexron II (E), Dexron III (F), Dexron III (G) and finally Dexron III (H). GM did very little to acknowledge the letter upgrades, most folks don't know about 'em.

This number/letter system was wounded after Dexron III (H), when they dropped the Dexron trade name and started using only "III H", or in the aftermarket "Dex-Merc" or some-such. And then they more-or-less skipped to Dexron VI (J), perhaps to align with the year it was introduced (2006) while skipping the letter "I" because in some fonts it looks a lot like the number "1". The number/letter system then fell apart completely after Dexron VI (J) due to incompetence, complacency, and poor/needlessly complex engineering.

Dexron HP is not backwards-compatible.

Dexron ULV is not backwards-compatible.

There's now so many different and non-compatible non-interchangeable yet frightfully expensive and exotic tranny fluids* you'd think the world has gone crazy.




*THESE kind of "Tranny Fluids" do not include Bud Light. Drink that crap at your own peril.

[1968GTO421]

Originally Posted by 1969GiPper

I just had my THM400 rebuilt by a transmission engineer that works at the GM Tech Ctr in Warren, MI. He recommended that I use Valvoline Max Life Full Synthetic ATF. He said that Type F is basically B&M Trick Shift.

Just to clarify for many folks, Ford came out with Type F fluid (ATF) in the later 1960's for use in their trannys. Before that GM's Type A (ATF) was the most common fluid for automatics. Type A became Dexron in c.1967.

In the 1990's B&M had a company take the old Type F fluid (Ford had a newer fluid c.1981) since it had less "slippage" and repackage it as "TrickShift" to help give their transmissions (and kits) a firmer shift. So Type F preceded "Trick Shift.

Many Thanks to 1969GiPper for pointing this out.

[Sirrotica]

Originally Posted by 1968GTO421

Just to clarify for many folks, Ford came out with Type F fluid (ATF) in the later 1960's for use in their trannys. Before that GM's Type A (ATF) was the most common fluid for automatics. Type A became Dexron in c.1967.

In the 1990's B&M had a company take the old Type F fluid (Ford had a newer fluid c.1981) since it had less "slippage" and repackage it as "TrickShift" to help give their transmissions (and kits) a firmer shift. So Type F preceded "Trick Shift.

Many Thanks to 1969GiPper for pointing this out.

The reason the type F firmed up the shifts was very simple, it has a higher viscosity than Dexron had. A transmission guy I knew back in that era told me that simply put, GM held tighter tolerances than Ford did, hence the same as building and engine with looser tolerances, you up the viscosity to provide more cushion between the moving parts. The higher viscosity can also increase pressure, as it works in both instances of an engine and an automatic transmission.

I have no absolute proof, but was told the friction modifiers in type F were also better as far as slippage, so it worked 2 ways to help improve shifts.

FWIW, I've used type F in every GM transmission I've owned as well as ciustomer cars that were going to be used hard, since I knew about B&M Trick Shift fluid in the 1971-72 era.

[Schurkey]

A guy at my local transmission shop told me that Type F was invented by Ford because unlike the rest of the industry using paper/resin clutch and band material in the automatic transmissions, Ford was using asbestos as a friction material.

The paper/resin friction material was grabby, so the fluid had friction modifiers to reduce the "grab".

The asbestos friction material was slippery, the fluid was intended to firm-up the shifting to reduce the slippage.

Type F has less wear protection (greater wear) on the various moving parts in a transmission, along with reduced heat capacity compared to the Dexron formulation.

Eventually, Ford went away from the asbestos-based material, so they had to use a Dexron-like fluid which they termed "Mercon". Now we have Dex/Merc fluid for sale that meets some of the older specs for tranny fluid.

For the record...the Dexron formulation did away with the whale oil used as an ingredient in previous fluids; Dexron used "synthetic" sperm-whale oil. NOW you know why burnt trans fluid smells like smoked fish.