LT5

Just got done installing these products and i am extremely happy with the performance difference.

1. Royal Purple "HPS" motor oil 5-30. Noticed the engine sounds different and runs better.

2. Royal Purples "Syncromax" for manual transmission. Worked great in the T-56....the car goes into every gear WAY easier and has no hesitation at all.

3. Royal Purples max gear.....can't really say there was any real life feel here....(its a rear end how are you gonna tell) but i can tell you the car has more power and is alot smoother.

I am not sponsored or anything by anyone....im just simply stating the mods that i did this week.....between the motor oil, the tranny fluid, and the rear end oil.....this car pulls harder....is smoother....shifts better everything. I would definitly recommend these as a serious upgrade. I bairly get on the gas now and the car is alot smoother, has more power, and runs like a champ. Thanks Royal purple

bw_hunter

Not unreasonable. I suspect the same response from any synthetic oil vs mineral based oils. Here's a link to a dyno test on ws6.com showing what you found on your own.

when I switched to synthetic oils in the engine, trans and rear I picked up almost 2mpg on the highway. I promptly lost that gain by switch to 275 width sticky tires up from the standard 245 section tires...

Injuneer

Always a controversial topic.

Tremec - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

LT5

Yeah when i got this LT1 6 speed my main goals before adding power to the motor or anything at all was and still is "efficiency" in the entire care. So to me fluids were first. Next im thinking lightweight rims, aluminum drive shaft....but mainly coming up i really want to get the most out of the ignition.....going to be looking at the entire MSD ignition for it....even considering the timing set when doing that to.....the one with a belt....not a chain lol.

shoebox

Good luck with that.

bw_hunter

Great point. I never saw that nor did any searches for that. Mine's per-Tremec and this wouldn't have been on the radar...

Thanks!

Injuneer

How about an Auburn posi unit, as used in the early 4th Gens - same position by the manufacturer. Do not use synthetic.

Maintenance and Warranty | Auburn Gear Aftermarket

You're going to find many people who have used synthetic and indicate "no problems", which is a sort of subjective evaluation.

I have a heavy duty Eaton clutch type in my 12-bolt. Eaton says:

FAQ for Differentials

My diff had to be changed immediately after delivery, because Strange forgot to use a unit with the ABS reluctor machined in. Strange and I agreed on a shop to do the replacement, at Strange's expense, and with Strange warrantying the replacement. We agreed on a nearby shop run by a guy who I knew had 30 years of hands on experience with rear axles.

This guy did the most amazing job I have ever seen, doing everything by "touch" - no instruments. And when he got done, he used synthetic lube. He said I would have no problems. 17 years later, and the rear has remained reliable and totally silent. The original 3.73's were swapped out with 4.11's by Second Street Speed, and they used synthetic lube. That was maybe 13 years ago.

My concern with the T56 is the claim by Six Speed Inc. that they exposed the stock T56 blocker rings (which apparently are some sort of paper or fiber facing) to Royal Purple synthetic gear lube, and the observed deterioration of the blocker rings. This goes way back, and I can't remember where I even saw that info, and I don't think Six Speeds is around any more.

My T56 loved Dexron-III, and held up very well to 767 flywheel HP, including 5,000-6,000 clutch (McLeod Street Twin) dumps on a sticky track with sticky tires.

bw_hunter

Injuneer,
Since yours is a '94, was your T56 a Borg-Warner part or a Tremec unit. Mine is a Borg Warner and has been...touch wood...bulletproof. I had heard mixed reviews on the Tremec T56, mostly around the synchros...but it was all subjective stuff.

Injuneer

My 94, which I purchased new, had the Borg-Warner T56. On the side near the fill plug was an orange sticker indicating "Use Dexron IIE ATF Only". In the 60,000 miles I put on the car before pulling the engine for the stroker build, I never had a problem with it. It was reused on the stroker (767 flywheel HP, 755 lb-ft), with a McLeod Street Twin clutch, a Mark Williams 3" chrome-moly driveshaft, and a ballistic nylon blanket for bell housing containment. Ran another 20,000 miles, including track abuse, no problems.

Decided to switch to an auto trans, sold the T56, clutch, hydraulics, cross-member, Pro 5.0 shifter, and ballistic blanket for $2,400 to a guy doing a T56 conversion. After his shop finally got the instal done, after months and months, he had some bearing noise, and had the bearings and other minor parts replaced. I returned the $400 it cost him.

I also owned the original T56 out of George Baxter's record setting 1997 30th SS convertible. That trans was also a Borg-Warner (see photo below), and the orange sticker now read "Use Dexron III ATF Only". The trans was out of my sight once, when a member here got stuck in Colorado with a T56 failure, and we shipped my T56 to him so he could drive back to the east coast. Then another friend wanted to borrow it to see if his original T56 had a bent output shaft, causing some strange vibrations. When we installed it in his car he insisted on using some Honda ATF, that was supposed to be some sort of miracle fluid for the T56. He drove with it for 3 weeks, and when he gave it back, he told me it was making strange noises. Have no way of knowing if it failed do to something in the way it was used by two other people, or if the Honda ATF was the thing that did the damage. I eventually sold it at a reduced price, making the buyer aware it was "making noises". He had it rebuilt.

Borg-Warner sold the complete T56 design and production line to Tremec around 1997/98, and the facilities were moved to Mexico. I believe that while the trans cases said "Tremec", the tailshaft housings still said "Borg-Warner". It was sometime around here that the blocker ring problem was addressed. The B-W design used "solid paper backers" for the blocker rings. Tremec at some point started using "fiber" backers.... not sure if it was "fiber" or "carbon fiber".

In any case, I tend to respect the input of the engineers that design a part, particularly when overall, it is a very reliable and successful product. Even as a degreed, and licensed professional engineer (mechanical), I'm not going to second guess them without a thorough technical investigation. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

bw_hunter

Thanks, Injuneer, that's very informative. The reason I asked was not to challenge the engineers but to clarify the timeline in my mind. I work for a paper company that was a supplier to BW through the 80's up to 1996. They cancelled the contract right about the time of the sale to Tremec. We were not able to secure the contract with Tremec due to our pricing being too high...

Probably not a cause of any synchro problems with later transmissions but interesting (to me..)

Chimera96

The points Fred makes are also my understanding regarding the use of "synthetic" fluids in pre 1998 T56 and all Eaton & Auburn LS differentials

My 94-97 tremac T56 was purchased new in 2005 from D&D. I had them install billet keys and the steel 3-4 shift fork at the time of purchase and asked them what material the "blocker" rings were? They replied that my T56 was built in late 2004 and did have the carbon blocker ring material vs the original paper. They continued in saying I could run a Dex 3 compatible synthetic because of the carbon blockers if I wanted to but the sticker on the trans still said Dex 3. I have run Dex 3 in it since new

The issue, as I understand it and based on the same notes Fred posts, is synthetics have various additives in them that over time react with certain components of a transmission or LS differential. In the case of pre 1998 T56 these additives broke down the paper blocker rings and in the differentials the friction surfaces of the cutch or cone material was compromised.

The engineers of these products spent time vetting out what fluids work and in Tremac, Eaton & Auburn specifically say to use mineral based fluids. I defer to their expertise vs marketing claims from a given lubricant/fluid.

Just my $.02