synthetic atf in a t-5?

[Jozey]

like the title says.i've heard yes and no.what you guys think and if yes what are you running?

 

[Sicarius428]

Redline D4.
Kevin

 

[IntenseBlue]

The 85-up model V8 transmissions, designated World Class, require ATF. Pre-85 and 4cylinder use gear oil.

 

[HISSIN50]

I also run D4. I dont know why people say not to run synthetic. When they do, I ask why and I dont seem to get an answer.

 

[IntenseBlue]

I think I misunderstood the question. I'd go synthetic.

 

[PuterAmI]

Pre-85 and 4cylinder use gear oil.

No.
The 83/84 Non-WorldClass T5 also used ATF according to the owner's manuals.

The below webpage is wrong in this regard.

http://www.allfordmustangs.com//Detailed/349.shtml

 

[sunil6784]

After I switched mine to synthetic, it started making a slight ticking noise and my 5th gear synchro started grinding. Then again, I don't know if the tranny fluid had ever been changed in 70,000 miles. If its been taken care of, I say go for it. No doubt synthetic is better.

 

[Jozey]

thanks for the info guys.geuss i'll give it a try.

 

[n8rsk8r]

Mobile 1 full syn. baby!

 

[timewarped1972]

I also run D4. I dont know why people say not to run synthetic. When they do, I ask why and I dont seem to get an answer.

in all the stuff on the web i have read, i read one thing pertaining to why you are not supposed to use synthetic in a t-5.

this article said that the type of material used on the blocker rings or those discs in the tranny that eventually wear ( has something to do with the part that slows the gear down for the syncro) are not designed for synthetic and that synthetic can make them slip causing pre mature syncro wear........

that is what i READ, i have no clue if it's true or not, but that was the reasoning behind it.......

as for the original question, i'm running regular dex3 in mine...

 

[Mustang5L5]

I also run D4. I dont know why people say not to run synthetic. When they do, I ask why and I dont seem to get an answer.

Because the crappy T-3650 will clunk into gear if you DON'T run synthetic.

I run Royal Purple synthetic in my T-3650, because i have to.

 

[Michael Yount]

Amsoil ATF in mine....3.5 years/20k miles

 

[HISSIN50]

Mike, I actually was commenting how I have read the same argument that TW actually posted. A lot of old timers still think like that, but it seems to me that the synthetics are often designed to be run with manual trannies and that more than a few trans vendors recommend the use of a synthetic.

We are used to thinking of synthetic motor oil being 'slippery' but I dont feel that 'slickness' is innate or inherant to a synthetic trans fluid necessarily.

MHO.

 

[DmnStr8]

My battle worn T5 shifts much smoother now that I put mobile one ATF in it.

Could have been just the fresh ATF but it doesn't seemed to have hurt it. In fact my shifts are mush smoother and require much less effort.

 

[timewarped1972]

it does get confusing, i suppose one has to look at who's running what and the milage they get out of something and come up with their own answer......ofcourse thats hard to do because everyones tranny is subject to a different enviroment and use.

i had run across the article about the synthetic in a t-5 while i was researching the difference between all the different atf's out there.

when i put the t-5z in, i had 1 qt of dex3, and 2 of mercon5, thats what i put in it. after i drove it around the block and made sure everything was ok i started thinking about it, started reading about the different atf's, the "ocd" kicked in and i found myself at autozone buying 3 qt's of dex 3........lol.....so i guess mine got a pre break in flush

maybe by my next oil change i'll have figured out what i want to run in it, synthetic or regular dex3. then if one decides on synthetic there's which brand or type as they all have claims of their own.

i would immagine if synthetic was bad for a t-5 there would be a bunch of real busy tranny shops all of a sudden. the info that said not to use it said it was only the t-5 tranny's that it was not good for, again, mention of the type of friction material used.

then again, 500 years ago they thought the earth was flat, and some people still swear putting a car battery on concrete will make it discharge fast........

 

[Michael Yount]

Not sure where any confusion about synth vs. non-synth ATF showed up. The synthetic lubricants adhere to all the same specs (usually exceed them) that the non-synths do. They are completely interchangable.

The confusion sometimes seems to be whether to run ATF vs. TRADITIONAL gear/rear end lube. And as someone posted earlier, all WC t-5's were designed to use ATF --- NOT traditional 75w-90 gear lube.

Synth vs. non-synth ATF in your WC t-5? Toss a coin...

 

[Sicarius428]

Hanlon motorsports(huge tranny rebuilder and parts supplier) suggested using D4 in the T5 so who am I to argue. hehe.
Kevin