Cascade Crew

aaron_sK · Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 8:44 am Post subject: Juice for old-school T-5

Old (83) non-WC T-5: does it need ATF, or 70wt gear oil? Book says gear oil, interwebs say just about everything under the sun.

I was thinking Royal Purple 70wt, but I figured I'd ask the experts first.

d00012 · Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 9:51 am Post subject:

This book says 80w/90 GL lubricant. I think 70wt should be fine.

I know 85+ uses ATF.

blue89 · Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 10:33 am Post subject:

WC-T5 = ATF

Twilightoptics · Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 10:51 am Post subject:

Quasi-Traction · Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 7:54 pm Post subject:

aaron, I have a Non-WC T-5 in mine, and I run a 50/50 mix of 80W gear oil and ATF. Still haven't broken mine yet, and I ain't exactly nice to my trans.

Rod also said he runs gear oil in his non WC.

Just something to note. Lots of diff opinions about what's the right stuff on the internet.

Dewey316 · Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 8:10 pm Post subject:

Quasi-Traction · Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 8:12 pm Post subject:

Twilightoptics · Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 8:20 pm Post subject:

Quasi-Traction · Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 8:25 pm Post subject:

are you suggesting I ought to run a straight amount of either ATF or gear oil and not mix the two?

Dewey316 · Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 8:28 pm Post subject:

Quasi-Traction · Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 8:31 pm Post subject:

therein lies the problem john. Heard both Gear oil and ATF are proper for non WC T-5's.

I've read both are correct, and the jury seems to be out about what's the proper one.

so I "tony-ed" it and ran both.

Dewey316 · Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 8:40 pm Post subject:

It should say on the tranny. Mine has a label on, saying that it needs Dexron-III.

Quasi-Traction · Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 8:49 pm Post subject:

no label on mine. Also yours is a 1990 trans. Hense, its a WC. I know for a fact mine's a non WC, and I removed it from an 85 z/28.

rjmcgee · The Hammer Joined: 08 Jan 2004 Posts: 2320

Twilightoptics · Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 9:09 pm Post subject:

The only internal differences of interest between a w/c and non are the first and second gear synchros and the countershaft has tapered bearings rather than barrell bearings. Both have a small plastic pump on the end of the counter shaft. All t5 in my humble limited professional opinion should use ATF. It's not a sloppy trans like old four speeds. There are tapered bearings on both t5 main shafts that require end play and have much tighter tolerances.

rjmcgee · The Hammer Joined: 08 Jan 2004 Posts: 2320

Twilightoptics · Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 9:53 pm Post subject:

They changed to ATF to lube those tighter tolerances and run through the passages better. Also the ATF seems to allow the synchros to work better.

aaron_sK · Posted: Sat Jun 27, 2009 12:19 am Post subject:

Wow, you guys are about as decisive as the rest of the forum posts I've been reading on this.

Either way I will probably run ATF. It's cheap, I slam shifts a little bit (well alot) so easier shifting is better, and Paul said so, so I can blame him if it F's up. Laughing

mrpopo573 · Posted: Sat Jun 27, 2009 1:38 pm Post subject:

My tranny calls for ATF and half the contour guys run gear oil instead. I chose Amsoil ATF and it changed everything for the better.

Alphius · Posted: Tue Jun 30, 2009 12:05 pm Post subject:

I first ran gear oil in my Non-WC T-5, cause that's what came out of it when I rebuilt it. It shifted really hard and seemed to rob too much power.

I dumped the gear oil out and put ATF in it, and it's been fine for about 30,000 hard shifting miles.

Run ATF. It won't break nothin' and it'll shift way better. Laughing