Any recommendations for ATF used in heavy racing applications in GM trannies? In this case, specifically the 4L80E that I’m building up (mostly transgo changes, good parts and PI vigilante 3200 stall, 3 disc converter) to go behind a turbocharged (and probably sprayed) small block in an f-body.

I’ve always seemed to have best luck with Type F in my autos in similar applications where they are beat on hard and regularly and have never had good luck with normal (correct dexron II or III) ATF. I found that the 4L60 in my K1500 which ends up doing a bit of towing and regular grunt work I can kill normal ATF in 2-5K miles (it would start shifting funny before I added a BIG cooler) and then swapping in some mobil 1 that got extended to 15-24K (and now seems pretty much indefinite with the big RV cooler on it, it gets changed before there is any noticeable change in the fluid or the way the tranny acts).

Anyone try any of the heavy duty truck/tractor hydraulic fluids that some people seem to like in racing applications? Any other ideas?

 

For HD & Road Racing, & anything that is worked hard, use LE (Lubrication Engineers) Monolec 7500. I & other trans builders have seen this hold up well in severe HD applications. Dave at Trans-Go knows of some that have had very good results with this fluid. I only started recommending it as of lately, as I wanted to see how the fluid did over a 2 to 3 year period as to how well it did.

 

heh... funny... that one was on my short list. Even funnier, I was going to call dave @ transgo today and ask if he had anything he liked and didn't have time...

Any good/recommended sources for the stuff? I'll have to check and see if any of our vendors up at the shop carry it.

 

Go to http://www.le-inc.com/products/Tf/TF_HeavyDuty.html for this fluid.

 

Well, lets see what happens...

 

Man, you must have some negative mojo with trannys. I have a 4L60E in my Silverado and I use the truck pretty much as you describe your use of the K-1500. The truck has ~100,000 miles on it. I have flushed and changed the fluid once and it still shifts just fine. Fluid looks good too. Frankly, in all the various cars I have had with autos over the years (Torque Flight, TH350, TH400, PG) I never paid much attention to the brand of fluid and I never had a problem that seemed in the slightest way related to the choice of fluid.

I guess YMMV. Maybe I am just lucky???

Rich