Allison® transmission owners are being held hostage. They are
being forced to purchase a transmission fluid that is costing more money than
they should be spending. They do, however, have options.
Allison® transmission has established the Technical Engineering
Specification 295 (TES-295) for automatic transmission fluids. When TES-295
products are used in Allison® transmissions and according to Allison®
recommendations as outlined in Allison® Service Information Letter 1099C, the
service life of these oils can be extended several times that of mineral oils.
This extended drain recommendation saves money for Allison® transmission
owners.
The only oil on the market, however, that is formally identified
by Allison® as a TES-295 product is TranSynd® Automatic Transmission Fluid,
which happens to be sold by Allison® in partnership with Castrol®. Other
companies seeking TES-295 approval are faced with formidable obstacles. Allison®
has not made its stationary test stand available to the competition and has not
established formalized field trial protocol. Outside companies, therefore,
without unreasonably heavy investments in an ambiguous test program, are locked
out of the market. And Allison®, by positioning itself as the only player, is
able to charge exorbitant prices for their product. As a result, Allison®
transmission owners who want to benefit from the potential savings realized
through extended drain intervals are being taken advantage of.
In response, AMSOIL closely examined TranSynd® and developed a
cost-effective replacement product named Torque-Drive™. Torque-Drive™ is a
premium synthetic transmission fluid based on the same type of chemistry as
TranSynd®. This is supported by the infrared (IR) scan and physical data
comparisons included here. Clearly, the testing shows no measurable performance
differences between Torque-Drive™ and TranSynd®. They do, however, differ in
cost. Allison® transmission owners save money with Torque-Drive™.
The Allison® extended warranty states that Allison® will only
cover repairs in which the transmission had been operated with TranSynd® or an
equivalent fluid which meets the TES-295 specification. Torque-Drive™ is, in
fact, based on the same type of chemistry as TranSynd® and is, therefore,
recommended by AMSOIL as a replacement for TranSynd® and for use in all TES-295
applications. And because it is not specifically designated by Allison® as a
TES-295 product, the AMSOIL warranty is in place to cover all lubricant related
failures.
All Allison® transmission owners would be wise to reevaluate
their use of TranSynd®, as well as their investment in the Allison® extended
warranty program. There is no justification for paying the high cost for
TranSynd® when an equivalent product is available for less.
 |
| AMSOIL Torque-Drive™
Synthetic Automatic Transmission Fluid is based on the same type of chemistry as TransSynd®. This fine, infra-red scan (IR), revealing a chemical "picture" of
both products, shows no measurable differences. |
Product Description Engineered to eliminate the deficiencies common to all conventional,
petroleum ATF's, AMSOIL Torque-Drive™ provides superior
performance and protection against thermal and oxidative degradation, sludge and
varnish formation, viscosity shear down, cold temperature oil thickening, poor
friction stability, high component wear and shortened oil life. Automatic
transmission operating expenses can be directly linked to transmission fluid
quality. Poor quality oils need frequent changes and they reduce the effective
service life of transmissions. Delivering the ultimate in oxidation resistance,
wear control and friction performance, AMSOIL Torque-Drive™ extends
lubricant life up to six times* and provides protection beyond that possible
from conventional ATF's. Vehicles stay on the road longer, unnecessary
labor and maintenance costs are reduced, and the return on costly transmission
investments is maximized. Immediate financial benefits are realized upon the
installation of AMSOIL Torque-Drive™.
* Depending on duty cycle, local conditions, oil analysis and/or
OEM recommendations.
Thermal and Oxidative
Stability Hot weather and operating conditions are no
excuse for poor transmission reliability. By delivering a slower than normal
oxidation rate, AMSOIL Torque-Drive™ prevents sludge that
blocks small valves, prevents varnish that restricts component movement and
reduces oil thickening that slows down shift times. AMSOIL
Torque-Drive™ lasts longer than conventional ATF's, protects better than
conventional ATF's and extends transmission life beyond that possible with
conventional ATF's.
Shear Stable Conventional automatic transmission fluids use petroleum oils with
viscosity index (VI) improvers added to increase the oil's operational
temperature range. Over time, VI improvers shear down, promoting premature wear
by leaving only a thin base oil to protect vital transmission components.
AMSOIL Torque-Drive™ does not contain VI improvers, which means
no VI improver shear down regardless of the operating environment. The
unmatched film strength of AMSOIL Torque-Drive™ prevents wear,
significantly increasing the transmission service life.
Friction Durability Oxidation by-products destroy the sensitive friction characteristics of
transmission fluids, resulting in the rapid degradation of shift quality. The
thermal and oxidative stability inherent in AMSOIL Torque-Drive™
assures consistent, smooth clutch engagement with no harsh shifting
throughout the life of the fluid. AMSOIL Torque-Drive™
maintains proper coefficients of friction, prevents clutch glazing and prevents
elongated shift times.
Extreme Temperature
Performance Transmissions operate in temperature
extremes. In hot temperatures, the synthetic construction of AMSOIL
Torque-Drive™ virtually eliminates oil evaporation and
delivers a better lubricating film than conventional oils for better
overall protection of vital components. Oil consumption is reduced and
transmissions require less maintenance.
In cold temperatures, AMSOIL
Torque-Drive™ easily flows, as it does not contain the wax found in
conventional ATF's. Cold temperature fluidity allows for the proper operation of
small, delicate, electronically controlled solenoids that affect gear changes.
Unlike conventional ATF's, transmissions using AMSOIL Torque-Drive™
have quick response times during cold operations and can be used immediately
upon start-up.
Product
Applications AMSOIL Torque-Drive™ is
recommended as a direct replacement for TranSynd® Synthetic ATF in heavy duty,
on and off highway automatic transmissions manufactured by Allison®, General
Motors®, Ford®, Voith® and ZF® or wherever the standards TES-295, C-4,
DEXRON® III, MERCON® or ZF® TE-ML 14C
are specified. Examples of operations that benefit from using AMSOIL
Torque-Drive™ include municipal or transit buses, garbage haulers, motor
homes, delivery vans, emergency vehicles, school buses, dump trucks, utility
vehicles, cement trucks, line haul trucks and tow trucks.
Where extended drain intervals are not specified by
the original equipment manufacturer (OEM), it is recommended that AMSOIL
Torque-Drive™ be evaluated with oil analysis at standard OEM drain
intervals or more frequently to establish proper drain interval. Where
extended drain intervals are recommended by the OEM, follow that recommendation.
This includes the recommendations set by Allison® in document #1099C, for
TES-295 fluids.
AMSOIL Torque-Drive™
Q&A
|
PHYSICAL DATA AMSOIL
Torque-Drive™
Synthetic Transmission Fluid |
| Physical Data |
Torque-Drive™ |
TranSynd® |
|
Viscosity @ 100°C, cSt |
7.41 |
7.36 |
|
Viscosity @ 40°C, cSt |
37.14 |
37.29 |
| Brookfield @ -40°C (cP) |
8411 |
8400 |
| Density @ 60°F (lb/gal) |
7.038 |
7.047 |
|
Flash Point °C (°F) (ASTM D 92) |
230 (446) |
232 (450) |
|
Pour Point °C (°F) (ASTM D 97) |
-55 (-67) |
-55 (-67) |
Four Ball Wear Test (40 kg, 75°C, 1200 rpm, 1
hr) |
0.45 |
0.45 |
|
Copper Corrosion (150°C, 3 hr) |
1B |
1B |
| Spectrographic Analysis |
|
|
| Boron (ppm) |
133 |
136 |
| Calcium (ppm) |
28 |
29 |
| Phosphorous (ppm) |
230 |
235 | |