td5 Auto gearbox oil-synthetic????

[Kandy]

g'day all,
I have done the searches/ google etc. etc. for this thread and have not come up with anything definitely to satisfy my fanatical? quest to define THE synthetic oil for the Auto in my machine. I have real concerns about throwing anything which "might suit" into an auto and this does not mean just the specifications of the oil---- I have learnt over time that specs and brand are uniquiely different in gearboxes and I know this will apply to autos.
There are2 questions in this thread-----
1. Which is the synthetic oil members on this forum are using in their auto trannys
2. How the hell do you get ALL the oil out of the gearbox????:(:)Steve

[George130]

Can of worms!
My box which not standard. I have a box out of a D2 (computerised) that has been converted to valve control and fitted with heavy duty everything needs a full synthetic. I'm running transmax z. Standard oil change will not get all the oil out. only half. To empty the torque converter you have to remove the box and drain it.

[Kandy]

HI edd,
Dont understand all that about computrised and valve control and Transmax Z is a synthetic D111 BUT I am asking about a definitive response from a D11a owner who is using (hopefully to there great satisfaction) a full synthetic d111 brand that works 1000%. Specs are specs and brands are brands--- my experience has been that the specs may be right but the brand has an effect on the functioning of the trans. box-----.:)

[Disco Steve]

edd's right the drainplug will not get ALL the oil out. And most people are running different oils. as you said there are specs and brands but i'd see what LR specify.

[Kandy]

edd's right the drainplug will not get ALL the oil out. And most people are running different oils. as you said there are specs and brands but i'd see what LR specify.

LR Rave disc just specifies ATF D11d ? or D111. Im interested what particular synthetic ATFD111 suits the Auto gearbox ZF4HP22. TransmaxZ is a D111 synthetic BUT it did not suit my old 200Tdis' LT77 man. gearbox even though the specs were right, but Redline MTF did.
Surely there is a way to get ALL the oil out??? without removing the autobox. Can it be sucked out as can be done with engine oils??:)
Steve

[ak]

Penerite full synthetic, better to change the oil in the Auto box more regularly than what LR recommend. As said above you will get varied opions. Just don't put anything cheap and nasty in that Auto box.

[tombraider]

Penerite full synthetic, better to change the oil in the Auto box more regularly than what LR recommend. As said above you will get varied opions. Just don't put anything cheap and nasty in that Auto box.

Second that....

Fantastic in our D2 Trans....

And you'll never drain the lot without disassembly.

Better to drain what you can....

Refill.... Run a while.....

Drain again and refill.....

Expensive, yes, but the Converter and cooler lines as well as the valve body hold a fair bit that doesnt drain out.

[rjhjstr]

Penerite full synthetic, better to change the oil in the Auto box more regularly than what LR recommend. As said above you will get varied opions. Just don't put anything cheap and nasty in that Auto box.

Had this very discussion with the Penrite technical people a few weeks ago and was told NOT to use their full synthetic but to use their BMV (semi-synthetic). In the end I went with the Castrol Transmax Z as it is the only readily available synthetic ATF that is actually approved by ZF (see details under Technical info on ZF website)

Russell

[Kandy]

Second that....

Fantastic in our D2 Trans....

And you'll never drain the lot without disassembly.

Better to drain what you can....

Refill.... Run a while.....

Drain again and refill.....

Expensive, yes, but the Converter and cooler lines as well as the valve body hold a fair bit that doesnt drain out.

Thanks for that guys, if Penerite (sic) synthetic ATF D111 is the one of choice and doesnt upset the tranny then great. Im a big fan of Redline oils but I havent heard of anybody using it the autobox so Penrite will do me.
Thanks Tombraider, I thought that might be one way to go with constant changes but funnily enough Ive just noticed a small leak of red stuff when giving underneath a good clean following a trip to Fraser Is. Maybe the box will be coming out after all so will convert to Penrite then.
:)Steve

[Kandy]

Had this very discussion with the Penrite technical people a few weeks ago and was told NOT to use their full synthetic but to use their BMV (semi-synthetic). In the end I went with the Castrol Transmax Z as it is the only readily available synthetic ATF that is actually approved by ZF (see details under Technical info on ZF website)

Russell
Hi Russell,
Just caught that post as I replied, what was their reason for not using their full synthetic? How long have you had the Castrol Tran Z in and have you noticed any changes in the trannys operation, ie smoother, etc. Another thread or opinion I read somewhere they noticed a real difference/improvement when they put in a full synthetic but didnt say what oil it was!
How did you switch to the Castrol, as Tombrader suggested?
Steve:)

[rjhjstr]

Steve
Below is extract from the email that I received from the Technical manager of Penrite

"The friction characteristics do differ for each fluid. BMV is a DEX3 type of fluid but uses a slightly modified chemistry package to enable the ideal gear shifts to occur in ZF 4 and 5 speed boxes (especially the latter)"

I changed the gearbox oil simply by draining and refilling. I know that this will only give about 50% synthetic but I figure that next time I service the box I'll repeat the process and that should take me up to 75%. Can't say that I've noticed any difference in the changes as the box was always very smooth. I'm just chasing the increased operating temperature ability of the synthetic as I tow a heavy caravan.

Russell

[Pedro_The_Swift]

Transmax Z will do triple duty in ACE, PAS and the Auto.

[George130]

Sorry haven't been on for a while. My box is out of a D2. Supposedly all of the internals have been modded and are not standard so I have a D2 ZF case with custom guts. It was the guys who built it that told me only to run Transmax Z. It was also the only full synthetic that I could get.

[Kandy]

Sorry haven't been on for a while. My box is out of a D2. Supposedly all of the internals have been modded and are not standard so I have a D2 ZF case with custom guts. It was the guys who built it that told me only to run Transmax Z. It was also the only full synthetic that I could get.

Thanks Edd and all,
Transmax Z has the more common vote but Tombraider using Penrite and some "Penrite experts" saying not to use their full synthetic just adds to the confusion?. Anyway my thinking is now stick to the LR specs, D111 ATF, any good synthetic Im sure will do it as opposed to my old experience with a manual box LT77, crap box, and just tricky on which oil went in.
Funnily enough my rear transmission oilseal seems to have packed it in so in replacing that I will switch to Castrol TransmaxZ on replacing the oil and will do so again ( just a sump drain)after a run of 500k or so and that is supposed to replace 75% of the old mineral D111.
My box currently changes quite smooth anyway, (a slight clunk on R sometimes which wasnt there on buying the vehicle last year) so Im not expecting any dramatic improvement with a synthetic, just the knowledge that the qualities of synthetics are superior:)
Steve

[George130]

Goos to see you have a solution.