Reading Oil Manufacture Dates

**Kidbeen** · 9th March 2018, 06:47 PM

I was given a 1/2 full bottle of Valvoline ATF by the previous owner of my Defender. He said that is what he used and to stick with it. I am planning to change the gearbox oil so had to go out and purchase some more of it. It then occurred to me that I should check when the half full bottle had been manufactured. Unable to read it myself I phoned Valvoline's technical line.

For the old bottle with the round lid he said the top number was the time it was made. Then he referred to the number under it and said the 344 was the day of the year. Then he stated the oil was made in either 2004 or 2009. He was not convincing. He also said if the oil was opened it only lasted two years and if unopened 4 years. He said I should not use the oil as it was out of date and that it undergoes a change which I did not understand.

So today I went out and bought another couple of one litre bottles. When looking at the date data on the new one it says 7.46 on the top number and 344 as the first 3 digits in the number below. So the 344 day of the year for the old bottle cannot be right and I think he was a bit clueless.

Does anyone have experience reading these dates?

**101RRS** · 9th March 2018, 07:44 PM

I thought LR changed the spec for the R380 from ATF to MTF94 (you need a modern equivalent now) in the mid 90s.

I had a new Disco at the time that had ATF as OEM fluid and I can remember the change on a service bulletin. At the next service it was changed to MTF and after that I changed to Castrol Sytrans.

So I would be checking if ATF is still appropriate for your gearbox.

Garry

**rick130** · 10th March 2018, 09:13 AM

Originally Posted by garrycol

I thought LR changed the spec for the R380 from ATF to MTF94 (you need a modern equivalent now) in the mid 90s.

I had a new Disco at the time that had ATF as OEM fluid and I can remember the change on a service bulletin. At the next service it was changed to MTF and after that I changed to Castrol Sytrans.

So I would be checking if ATF is still appropriate for your gearbox.

Garry

You can still use it Garry, but IMO a dedicated MTF is better.

JC has said a few of his old customer cars actually shifted better with an ATF, but most people find a 75w80 or 75w-85 shifts better overall, and much better at higher temps and loads.
An MTF has better friction modification for the synchros, and should give better great and bearing protection.

**Kidbeen** · 10th March 2018, 01:01 PM

Originally Posted by garrycol

I thought LR changed the spec for the R380 from ATF to MTF94 (you need a modern equivalent now) in the mid 90s.

I had a new Disco at the time that had ATF as OEM fluid and I can remember the change on a service bulletin. At the next service it was changed to MTF and after that I changed to Castrol Sytrans.

So I would be checking if ATF is still appropriate for your gearbox.

Garry

Mine is a 1995 model. As I said the previous owner (a Landrover man through and through) told me to continue using the Valvoline ATF.
I also asked the Landrover boys are my independent business and they said to keep using it.
However, yourself and Rick130 are probably quite right with what you say.

**101RRS** · 10th March 2018, 01:21 PM

Originally Posted by Kidbeen

However, yourself and Rick130 are probably quite right with what you say.

We are right - lol

ATF has the viscosity to provide good gear changes but it does not really provide the lubrication required for a hard working manual gearbox. In the early 90s Landrover considered that manual gearbox oils were inadequate (too thick) for their new gearboxes so specified ATF as an interim measure until a suitable oil could be developed. That happened with the development of Caltex MTF 94 which LR then specified for the R380. Castrol then followed up with SynTrans. These later oils were thin enough for the gearboxes but provided the required level of lubrication in hi load conditions.

But if ATF works for you then stick with it - I am sure old ATF that has been stored well will be OK.

Garry

**Kidbeen** · 10th March 2018, 06:10 PM

Originally Posted by garrycol

We are right - lol

ATF has the viscosity to provide good gear changes but it does not really provide the lubrication required for a hard working manual gearbox. In the early 90s Landrover considered that manual gearbox oils were inadequate (too thick) for their new gearboxes so specified ATF as an interim measure until a suitable oil could be developed. That happened with the development of Caltex MTF 94 which LR then specified for the R380. Castrol then followed up with SynTrans. These later oils were thin enough for the gearboxes but provided the required level of lubrication in hi load conditions.

But if ATF works for you then stick with it - I am sure old ATF that has been stored well will be OK.

Garry

Yes, the gear changes are still nice and smooth despite the 266,000 klm but as you say lubrication may be an issue. Yeh, the technical guy at Valvoline has lost all credence in my eyes. Surely they must be able accurately say when oil was made by the numbers on the bottles. How would they ever do a recall?

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