Just thought I would share my little scare today to see if this phenomenon was common. I changed filters and tranny fluid today. No issues with the filters. Really no issue with refilling the tranny with TranSynd. I measured the amount of Dexron III I drained so I was pretty confident of just how much to put in. Oh yeah, had to make an extension funnel thingie to not spill oil everywhere.

Anyway, drove MH to get the trans up to temp to check the level, and the shifts are banging hard. Plus when the jake brake kicks in it bangs really hard. I figure it's either all the passages refilling with fluid or the tranny ECU getting used to the different viscosity of the TransSynd. Sure enough, drove it stop and go, and some freeway miles and not it shifts like buttah, as only Barbara Streisand could say.

The hard shift, usually worst on down shifts, is normal after filter, oil or both has been replaced. This may take a couple of hundred miles to work all the air out, but it will be good as new eventually.

Peter

Thanks Peter, I thought one of you experienced guys would know if this was common.

Did you drive than change fluid again, on the AL-1000 Workhorse chassis, they say needs to be changed twice to get 100% change.

It takes 2 cycles of changing from Dexron to TranSynd to assume you have 100% Transynd. But this means you change the 2nd time at the Dexron time interval (again), and then can go to the TranSynd extended change intervals.

Or you run for a few miles and change the fluid a 2nd time (which is what I did). If TranSynd is as good as Allison says it makes sense to complete the change to TranSynd ASAP.

Also, fill the new filters to minimize how much air gets into the system.

quote:

Originally posted by Joe Gilbert:
Or you run for a few miles and change the fluid a 2nd time (which is what I did).

Yes you would. You need to run the engine and transmission with the 1st load for about a 1/2 of a day or so just so that it achieves operational temperature - then change it! Git-R-Done all in a single day!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: DriVer,

Sorry to disagree here, but when I spoke to Allison last year about changeing my fluid to Transynd they told me to wait 12,000 miles or 12 months whichever came first before making the second change. I also confirmed that with two Allison shops in my area. They said it takes that long for the old oil to get thoroughly mixed with the first Transynd change. If the second change is done sooner, you won't get as much of the dino oil drained out. They said you would only end up with about 80% Transynd rather than the desired 90 to 95%. The other thing all three people I talked to said emphatically was not to power flush the transmission. Power flushing could do major damage. I did my first change last April and will be doing my second one this April with approximately 8,000 miles covered.

Jack

I talked to a Spartan Rep in OCt 06 and he told me the same thing Jack just posted

Jack,

Your account is my recollection of what they told us at Camp Freightliner last year -- needs a full cycle between changes (12 mos) to mix the oils to get close to the 100% TranSynd point (for purposes of going to the longer service intervals with TranSynd).

No, I didn't do two changes back to back. I got 22.5 quarts out of it, and the stated capacity is about 26, so I'll just wait on the second. It is shifting really smooth now. It's not just my imagination, it is shifting smoother now than before I changed the fluid.

Bikeboy,

You clearly have better protection with the mixed TranSynd and Dexron relative to heat dissipation as compared to full Dexron; so use it as you would, and change it again at the Dexron interval with TranSynd. After this, you can go to the extended service intervals (36 mos for filters and 48 mos for fluid) for your next service.

What is the difference between TranSynd and any other synthetic tranny fluid, such as Mobil 1 ATF, other than TranSynd costs a lot more??

For one thing, Allison has certified its use in its transmissions, and it does not void the warranty.

quote:

Originally posted by Pusherman:
For one thing, Allison has certified its use in its transmissions, and it does not void the warranty.

Check this statement out, "if it did void the warranty Allison would have to provide the fluid (free of charge)" Check Magnuson Moss. It's been tried in court and if a fluid is certified by the provider of the fluid as being suitable then there's no reason why a person should not choose for instance Red Line or Amsoil which do not have a TES-295 rating.

Here's Allison's position.

TES- 295 Approved Fluids

When seeking a fluid for your Allison transmission that is TES 295 approved do not fall to the claims of some companies that claim that their product is TES-295 approved. The statements infer that these products "are designed to meet", "are equivalent to", "meet or exceed", etc. When determining whether or not a fluid is TES-295 approved, look and/or ask for one of two things:

The Allison TES-295 approval number

The Allison Approved logo

Here are the "only" TES-295 fluids.

AN-011001 Castrol Heavy Duty Lubricants "TranSynd"

AN-031002 BP Autran Syn 295

AN-031003 Cognis Corporation Emgard 2805

AN-031004 International Truck & Engine Company Fleetrite Synthetic ATF

AN-051005 ExxonMobil Lubricants and Petroleum Specialties Company Mobil Delvac Synthetic ATF

Here's the position from a competing fluid provider.

How will the use of (Amsoil) Torque-Drive™ affect the warranty coverage?

The use of Torque-Drive™ will not affect the standard Allison warranty for defects in material or workmanship and may only be challenged if there is clear evidence of a lubricant related failure, in which case AMSOIL provides full warranty coverage. Torque-Drive™ does not fulfill the Allison warranty requirements for those customers who have already purchased ETC. This is a separate contract that binds the parties according to its terms.

Customers who are considering purchasing ETC should give this careful consideration. ETC can be very costly ranging from $235 per unit for one year in school busses equipped with a 1000 model transmission to as much as $4,000 per unit for three years in transit busses equipped with a B500R. Allison customers need to ask themselves where the savings are if they have to pay big dollars for additional warranty coverage which forces them to use the most expensive transmission fluid available. If Allison customers consider Torque-Drive™ as an alternative, they will find that the standard Allison warranty for defects in material and workmanship is not compromised and AMSOIL provides additional warranty coverage for lubricant related failures indefinitely.

Here are some of the arguments pro and con about Transynd and competing fluids. Of course the choice is essentially yours and whichever suitable fluid you choose you should be fine.

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