Royal Purple Syncromax

[Ghettoracer]

I'm going to change my manual trans fluid and the GM stuff is about the same price as the Royal Purple SyncroMax. Has anyone used this stuff in their gearboxes? I heard it works better in the long run. Once I drained it, where do I put the SyncroMax fluid in? The top where the dipstick is?

[pocket-rocket]

Yes, where the dipstick is. I've never tried it myself. I did try some Mobil 1 synthetic transmission fluid before. It was less then 200 miles that I took that stuff out and put GM Synchromesh back in.

[Superdave]

I used it until recently, good stuff.


BTW, ask for Penzoil Syncromesh.. Penzoil makes syncromesh for GM but it's half the price before re-branding. usually $6/bottle around here.

[SofaKingWeToddDid]

i wouldnt just drain and fill it either. i would take it to a shop and have them use their fluid machine thinggy on it. basically it cycles the new fluid into the whole transmission getting 99% of the old stuff out from between the clutches and stuff.... no matter what if you just drain it, that old dirty fluid will be in there between the gears and this and that.... then mixed into the new fluid, and ur really runnin like 75% new and 25% old or something like that... of thats good enough for you, hey its good enough for me.

[Ghettoracer]

I have a little procedure I do when I change manual trans fluid. The reason why I asked if there was a fill tube. I drain it as usual and then I attach a pump tube to the fill tube. While its still draining I go through all the gears while the pump or you have a buddy pumping. I usually add 1/2 quart of new trans fluid and keep draining and pumping. Once its all gone I go through all the gears again and I close the drain plug. I add the new fluid and go through your gears again and your done. Its about 95% clean 5 % dirty at the end. I learned that from a good buddy of mine and a master mechanic years ago.

[Superdave]

If you've ever taken apart one of these trannies you'd know that there is no reason to do anything special.. just jack up the front of the car a foot or 2 off the ground, remove the plug and let it drain by itself for 30-60 minutes then put the plug back in/fill 'er up.

[SappySE107]

The shop deal is only good for automatics, as it will flush the torque converter. Manuals don't have all of that stuff to mess with.

[jmgtp]

I haven't found a better fluid than the GM/Pennz Synchromesh. I tried Mobil1 stuff and Redline. I think I left the Redline in for a total of 2 hours. If you are shifting good on the GM/Pennz Synchromesh I would stick with that.

[IsaacHayes]

Yeah the machine is for automatics... When I flushed my auto I just had someone be by the ignition switch, I had the cooler line off the radiator pouring the fluid into a bucket and another person handing me fluid to add in the dipstick tube. When the fluid coming out was clear I had them shut off the car. If you do it right just idling you can flush it that way without starving the trans for fluid.

[Schurkey]

Yeah the machine is for automatics... When I flushed my auto I just had someone be by the ignition switch, I had the cooler line off the radiator pouring the fluid into a bucket and another person handing me fluid to add in the dipstick tube. When the fluid coming out was clear I had them shut off the car. If you do it right just idling you can flush it that way without starving the trans for fluid.

Damn right. I cannot figure out why able-bodied people would pay insane shop charges to perform a simple and straight-forward procedure.

The "machine" that changes automatic trans fluid is there NOT because it does a better job, but because it's simple and can be handled by trainees and other semi-literate bozos.

Fluid exchanges using fancy and expensive machines are a HUGE PROFIT item for repair shops.

The only things I'd add is that a person should 1) drop the pan and change the filter FIRST. Refill with four or five quarts of ATF; and 2) when you open the hydraulic system at the cooler--pull the RETURN tube (the cooled fluid going back to the transmission) so you're flushing the old fluid out of the cooler as well as out of the transmission.

[SappySE107]

Those machines aren't free and they are easier to deal with as far as waste management goes. I don't know what kind of shop experience you have, but its all about time, and that machine saves quite a bit of it.

You should flush the system first with the old filter, then drop the pan, change the filter, and add new fluid. Otherwise you are breaking in that nice new filter with old fluid.

[MMGT1]

Sappy has it right. If you are planing to supply the fluid you'll need about 20 quarts to do the job. They need 14 bottles to do the flush then when the pan is dropped they will need 6.5 bottles to re-fill the trans. If there is no dip stick they will have to connect at the rad to do the flush. The flush machine I use every day can do the flush either through the dip stick tube or through the lines, whatever is necessary.
We charge around $125 for a pan service and $129 for a flush. We charge $199 if a customer wants a dual service on the trans.

[Ghettoracer]

You know on automatics, its just easier to drop the pan, drop the filter, bump-start the ignition twice, and drain it all out. Same results. Not trying to bash your shop or anything, but why charge $125 when you get the same results without the machine? Especially in today's economy, people are going to do auto work themselves than take it to a shop. That's why many mechanics are getting laid off.

[Schurkey]

Those machines aren't free

You got that right. Grossly overpriced considering what they do.

and they are easier to deal with as far as waste management goes.

How tough can it be to "manage" a drain pan full of old fluid?

its all about time, and that machine saves quite a bit of it.

Maybe. My take on them is that the whole selling point of the "machine" is that it doesn't require the human involved to do much thinking.

You should flush the system first with the old filter, then drop the pan, change the filter, and add new fluid. Otherwise you are breaking in that nice new filter with old fluid.

That's crazy. Where is the old fluid coming from? I don't know how YOU change filters, but I drained it out when I changed the filter.

Drop the pan, change the filter. All the old fluid that was in the pan, and the grey clutch material is GONE. Clean the pan, re-install, and refill the pan with fresh fluid--and drop the cooler tube. Start the engine--which enables you to remove all the old fluid from the torque converter and the trans cooler. NO fluid is returning to the pan, therefore NO contaminated fluid goes through the filter. Clean fluid is added through the dipstick tube. There is no dirty fluid that ever touches the new filter.

If you're "flushing" the trans with clean trans fluid, doing it your way wastes an extra ~5 quarts of fresh fluid that could potentially be re-contaminated with all the residue that sinks to the bottom of the pan. Better to remove the residue BEFORE adding any fresh fluid.

[HayesPerformance]

I have used the Royal purple in many applications (from Grand prix's to Skyline's ) and I am very happy with the results.

Don't get me wrong, The GM stuff is good too........