well im helpin a buddy rebuild his 904.. i havnt done a automatic since school so its a nice refresh for me too. were to the point where were ready to start soakin some bands and clutchpacks.. but ive been tryin to see what fluid u guys use... new mopar we use atf+4 at our shop but that $#!+ exspensive

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'72 Valiant DD for over a decade-225-Disc brakes, big T-bars, big Sway bars f/r, carter bbd/super six, GM HEI, 2- 12" subs in trunk, 1000w amp...
'77 cherokee cheif widetrack-360-33x12.5 tires-no lift. keeps driveway dry-project/backup DD/mudder

k buddy of mine said dex is fine... any thoughts

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'72 Valiant DD for over a decade-225-Disc brakes, big T-bars, big Sway bars f/r, carter bbd/super six, GM HEI, 2- 12" subs in trunk, 1000w amp...
'77 cherokee cheif widetrack-360-33x12.5 tires-no lift. keeps driveway dry-project/backup DD/mudder

I use type F in mine.

Richard

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Part of Tyrde-Browne Racing

The ATF+4 is what mother mopar recommends now.

Regarding cost: unless you're tearing down your transmission on a regular basis, it is not like you are going to do regular oil changes, but even if it was, the cost of new parts/job is far greater than using the best lube you can get to prevent damage and extend the transmission's life. At least that is excuse I use for filling my 904 with Red Line synthetic transmission oil.

My opinion: See past the initial cost, and go for what you think is the best in the long run!

BTW: Dexron is NOT ok, you must use the oil specified by mopar for your year/transmission, or use the new mopar ATF+4, which is a synthetic oil that mopar says replaces all older oils.

Olaf

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Aspenized

Check your transmission dipstick. Most of them have the fluid type stamped on them. My 76 aspen uses Dexron, my 85 D100 uses Dexron II. I think the latest version is dexronIII/MercronIII, which I use as it is the easiest to find. You can use the newer version in the older transmissions.
Type F is a ford spec and is not usually recommended as it can cause rough shifting. The ATF-+ is used in the overdrive trans and requires
frequent changing. My 99 Dakotas change cost $100. My 85 has 130,000
miles and have only added fluid when I changed the radiator.

The (objectively) best Torqueflite-compatible trans fluid on the market until recently was Chrysler Mopar ATF+4. It is misunderstood by some to be "too slippery". In fact, ATF+4 is a significantly better fluid in every way than Dexron -II, -III, or -IV and ATF+ (+2, +3), and it does not cause, promote, or aggravate slippage. It maintains the specified viscosity across a temperature range that's wider at both the hot and cold ends, its lubrication and antiwear properties are better, it's more resistant to oxidation, sludging and varnish formation, and it smells better. It might even taste better, I don't know. There's an extremely detailed Chrysler Engineering paper comparing every aspect (except taste) of ATF+4 vs. ATF+3, ATF+2, ATF+, and Dexron-III/IV.

Then along came GM's Dexron-VI, which is another extremely high performance fluid (where "performance" refers to all the things a trans fluid has to do...lubricate both metal-and-metal and metal-on-friction without screwing up the frictional elements' ability to grab and keep hold of the metal, remain stable when cold and when hot, resist foaming, resist oxidation, etc).

The RWD Torqueflites really don't need anything more exotic than a good-quality ordinary Dexron (present spec is the newest Dexron VI, though you might still find some older or off-brand Dexron IIIe or other previous Dexrons on the market). I do run ATF+4 in mine, and they all seem happy with it. But the main point here is you really don't need to sweat it. You don't need to spend unnecessary money on exotic-brand fluids or special "race" fluid.

Fact is, Type-F is an archaic fluid with seriously inferior performance by just about every measure. It gives a harder shift. Torqueflites will hold up fine with Type-F, which is mostly an illustration of how rugged the Torqueflite is. There are much funner ways of demonstrating that a Torqueflite is robustly enough engineered to withstand abuse than to use an (objectively) inferior fluid.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

My pals in the awl bidness say that a current spec Dexron/Mercon fluid should work fine in a 727 or 904.

They also said that if the dipstick says use Type F, use it. Otherwise leave it alone. It was developed for a specific application. The gurus say it can mask wear symptoms (fixed compatitively easily) to the point where when it is detected, a major re-build is required. Type F is a poor subsitute for a tranny shift kit, if all that's needed are quicker, firmer shifts.

Collectively we put this history together. Ford's first corporate wide use, 3 speed automatic transmission was called, the Cruisomatic. The first generation became known as the C6. It was very robust but was a power hog. Ford developed the C4 for small block and I-6 use. Somewhere around 1966-68 Ford decided to make the C6 a little more efficient and slimmed down the clutch packs. To make up for this, Ford needed a higher viscosity fluid. This fluid became known as Type F.

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You can't fix stupid. - Ron White

Dextron is not ok? That's funny since it's worked fine for 30 plus years until something else was invented.

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Rob

It is enough that Jesus died and that he died for me.

Sorry StrokerScamp, that did not come out the way I intended, what I meant was to focus on the factory specifications for the specific transmission rather than some unspecified advice.
Seems that's exactly what I gave...

Olaf.

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Aspenized

Arrrgh. Olaf, you tax patience when you post flatly incorrect statements like this without any basis.

Fact is, Dexron is okay in every last automatic transmission ever factory-installed behind a slant-6 engine. Dexron replaced the old Type-A/Suffix-A fluid as the factory fill in about 1968. Dexron II, III, IV, etc. were the successive recommended service fluids as those newer Dexrons came on the market over the years. ATF+4 is definitely a better fluid than any Dexron except the new Dexron-VI; I don't have data to compare Dex-VI vs. ATF+4, but it is very likely Dex-VI is at least as good as ATF+4 in most all respects. Chrysler specified ATF+ (+2, +3, +4) in all their transmissions starting in '89 when the A604 was released, so as to have just one kind of fluid for all their transmissions. This was done because while a Torqueflite will be happy on Dex or ATF+, the A604 will quickly die if fed Dex. Chrysler didn't want Dex on the shelves of dealer parts departments.

If you find a quality brand of ATF+4 for a reasonable price, use it.
If you find a quality brand of Dexron-VI for a a reasonable price, use it.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

I bought a case of this stuff http://www.redlineoil.com/product.aspx?pid=52&pcid=9 on sale. The trans had over 100k on it prior to the install of the Transgo 2 shift kit. It worked great for a while.

Looks like it's time to go through the trans and put a little looser stall torque converter in it.

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1968 Plymouth Barracuda Convertible Super six

RedLine makes good stuff, but the fluid needs to match the application. When you're done repairing the transmission, it'll be worth your effort to buy a correct fluid for it.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Looks like SOMEBODY is using the search button.....

Yeah…me again.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

I run type F in my 727 in the van. Been in there since '99 or so. Never have changed the filter. Bolted it to the 360 I built in '01. Engine has 150K+ on it. No problems Trust me I have beat on it. Never has weighed less than 5800lbs. 2200 stall, and a nut behind the wheel!

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'72 Duster 198 stock cam, 3:23's Hookers on jack stands for 8 years in the driveway
'79 Maxivan 360 Offy Qjet Comp RV cam/rusting in the driveway.
93 D350 160HP Cummins Auto Dually Clubcab needs a injector pump
2005 Golden Couch Buick