Royal purple Max ATF

Any thoughts on this fluid, or anyone running it in their trans? I have a bunch on the shelf bringing it to a shop that supplies amsoil.. What do you think? My trans maintenance is pan drop fluid/filter every 30k or 2-3 years..

Dan B wrote:

Any thoughts on this fluid, or anyone running it in their trans? I have a bunch on the shelf bringing it to a shop that supplies amsoil.. What do you think? My trans maintenance is pan drop fluid/filter every 30k or 2-3 years..

If you search through the forum you might find my old posts about switching to Dexron VI. Dex 6 is a fully synthetic transmission fluid. The only problem (not really a problem) is that when you switch over to Dex VI you **cannot** switch back. For my money and driving I would switch to Dex 6 and not look back.

It's funny Albert what I'm seeing is dex 6 is compatible with both dex 3 & rp max atf but max atf is not "technically" compatible with dex 3..over the last couple days I've dug up some very old various forum posts (2003-ish) with attached compatibility literature saying max atf compatible with dex 3, but now all of a sudden it ain't? I called Royal purple and it sounded to me that the dude was trying to tell me in a covert way it's perfectly fine in our 4t65-e but licensing ($$) was in the way of him telling me much more just my impression.. Im gonna run max atf with the zzp aluminum pan that ougtta keep the trans cool & happy

I replaced my trans pan and filter several thousand miles ago and used Dex VI - smooth as silk. I did not do a flush - just pan and filter service.

Dan B wrote:

It's funny Albert what I'm seeing is dex 6 is compatible with both dex 3 & rp max atf but max atf is not "technically" compatible with dex 3..over the last couple days I've dug up some very old various forum posts (2003-ish) with attached compatibility literature saying max atf compatible with dex 3, but now all of a sudden it ain't? I called Royal purple and it sounded to me that the dude was trying to tell me in a covert way it's perfectly fine in our 4t65-e but licensing ($$) was in the way of him telling me much more just my impression.. Im gonna run max atf with the zzp aluminum pan that ougtta keep the trans cool & happy

The real issue probably is that GM isn't policing the Dex 3 standard anymore, so the Dex 3 label actually can't be licensed, and claims that one fluid or another are Dex 3 compatible are the responsibility of the company making or blending that hydraulic fluid; if you go to a GM dealer for transmission service (say, a flush and fill) they are going to use Dex 6, and Dex 6 supersedes Dex 3 as the published standard for *all* of the GM transmissions that used Dex 3 or Dex 2, works better and lasts longer. If it matters to you, the base oil in Dex 6 is synthetic. These changes happened while I was still daily driving my Riv, the service manager at my dealership ran them down for me. Valvoline MaxLife will 100% work and many members use it. Dex 6 licensed fluid is the stuff I used. Dump and fill every 50K miles or so.

That said -- the Royal Purple dude being coy about Dex 3 compatibility sounds to me as if he's pushing your psychological buttons to sell you on the fluid as much as anything else; the buttons he's pushing might be some combination of Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO) and Letting You In on The Secret (LYITS). But I'm not in his head so I really have no idea.

A little more detail: Valvoline states that MaxLife ATF transmission fluid is 100 percent compatible with DEXRON VI for mixing (topping off) or flushing a system. Also, for about the same price as MaxLife, Valvoline blends and sells a straight synthetic Dex 6. Also, the ZZP aluminum pan is nice, but be sure to never get into a situation where something smacks it, like road debris or a pothole/curb/whatever, I think they tell you that in those circumstances it may shatter. The drain plug, extra capacity, and cooling fins are worth something, though. Steel pans just dent for the most part unless scraped just hard and sharply enough to cut them open.



Peace out

Albertj

All Dexron is backwards compatible in all GM hydramatic transmissions. It is not in Allison transmissions.

albertj wrote:

Dan B wrote:

It's funny Albert what I'm seeing is dex 6 is compatible with both dex 3 & rp max atf but max atf is not "technically" compatible with dex 3..over the last couple days I've dug up some very old various forum posts (2003-ish) with attached compatibility literature saying max atf compatible with dex 3, but now all of a sudden it ain't? I called Royal purple and it sounded to me that the dude was trying to tell me in a covert way it's perfectly fine in our 4t65-e but licensing ($$) was in the way of him telling me much more just my impression.. Im gonna run max atf with the zzp aluminum pan that ougtta keep the trans cool & happy

The real issue probably is that GM isn't policing the Dex 3 standard anymore, so the Dex 3 label actually can't be licensed, and claims that one fluid or another are Dex 3 compatible are the responsibility of the company making or blending that hydraulic fluid; if you go to a GM dealer for transmission service (say, a flush and fill) they are going to use Dex 6, and Dex 6 supersedes Dex 3 as the published standard for *all* of the GM transmissions that used Dex 3 or Dex 2, works better and lasts longer.   If it matters to you, the base oil in Dex 6 is synthetic.  These changes happened while I was still daily driving my Riv, the service manager at my dealership ran them down for me.   Valvoline MaxLife will 100% work and many members use it.    Dex 6 licensed fluid is the stuff I used.  Dump and fill every 50K miles or so.

That said -- the Royal Purple dude being coy about Dex 3 compatibility sounds to me as if he's pushing your psychological buttons to sell you on the fluid as much as anything else; the buttons he's pushing might be some combination of Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO) and Letting You In on The Secret (LYITS).  But I'm not in his head so I really have no idea.

A little more detail: Valvoline states that MaxLife ATF transmission fluid is 100 percent compatible with DEXRON VI for mixing (topping off) or flushing a system.  Also, for about the same price as MaxLife, Valvoline blends and sells a straight synthetic Dex 6.  Also, the ZZP aluminum pan is nice, but be sure to never get into a situation where something smacks it, like road debris or a pothole/curb/whatever, I think they tell you that in those circumstances it may shatter. The drain plug, extra capacity, and cooling fins are worth something, though.  Steel pans just dent for the most part unless scraped just hard and sharply enough to cut them open.



Peace out

Albertj

Ha I actually considered the pan clearance issue, that why I held off till new suspension install to give it a better chance of surviving.

Good on you. I read that people who have the ZZP pan like it because it helps keep transmission fluid cooler.

Considering the low stance of our cars, I'd much rather do what I did: add a stacked-plate cooler in front of the RH side of the condenser... That's going to pull more BTU's out of the tranny fluid than a fluted pan. Also, I haven't yet gone to Dexron 6, but I just can't help wondering if the stupid thing would run better on Type F, like my Turbo 400's always have...

Eldo wrote:

Considering the low stance of our cars, I'd much rather do what I did:  add a stacked-plate cooler in front of the RH side of the condenser...  That's going to pull more BTU's out of the tranny fluid than a fluted pan.  Also, I haven't yet gone to Dexron 6, but I just can't help wondering if the stupid thing would run better on Type F, like my Turbo 400's always have...    

You kind of have to go to Dex VI if only because GM no longer polices the standard for Dex III.

Eldo wrote:

Considering the low stance of our cars

Are you kidding? We have like 8" of wheel gap

ADDvanced wrote:

Eldo wrote:

Considering the low stance of our cars

Are you kidding?  We have like 8" of wheel gap

The stock suspension is compliant and has long travel.

albertj wrote:

ADDvanced wrote:

Eldo wrote:

Considering the low stance of our cars

Are you kidding?  We have like 8" of wheel gap

The stock suspension is compliant  and  has long travel.

When I acquired my '97 both the oil and trans pan were banged up. My uncle (a WWII veteran) owned the car and he was very unlikely to have abused it.

KenBluder wrote:

albertj wrote:

ADDvanced wrote:

Eldo wrote:

Considering the low stance of our cars

Are you kidding?  We have like 8" of wheel gap

The stock suspension is compliant  and  has long travel.

When I acquired my '97 both the oil and trans pan were banged up. My uncle (a WWII veteran) owned the car and he was very unlikely to have abused it.

My oil pan was banged up by a mechanic who didn't want to figure out how to lift the engine to replace the accessory and serpentine belts. My GM dealer replaced it during a service visit. The factory transmission pans are thin and will be at least dinged by road jetsam.

It is no coincidence that the Riv only weighs about a ton and a half. My Volvo S80 is 16" shorter, 2" narrower,and 400+lbs heavier than the Riv. Only 26 pounds of that difference is the engine.

Quote :

It is no coincidence that the Riv only weighs about a ton and a half. My Volvo S80 is 16" shorter, 2" narrower,and 400+lbs heavier than the Riv.  Only 26 pounds of that difference is the engine.

I've actually weighed the car with me in it.  Deducting my avoirdupois, with a nearly full fuel tank, the 1997 supercharged car with everything but the moonroof weighs 3750...   Only 150 lbs less than my '81 Eldorado.

Eldo wrote:

Quote :

It is no coincidence that the Riv only weighs about a ton and a half. My Volvo S80 is 16" shorter, 2" narrower,and 400+lbs heavier than the Riv.  Only 26 pounds of that difference is the engine.

I've actually weighed the car with me in it.  Deducting my avoirdupois, with a nearly full fuel tank, the 1997 supercharged car with everything but the moonroof weighs 3750...   Only 150 lbs less than my '81 Eldorado.

Deduct the fuel and you get to 3650-ish. (gasoline = ~6 lbs/gallon)

True, but 'they' always weigh a car with a half-tank or more.
Thus, even if I deduct another 5 gallons @ 6lbs per, we're still looking at 3700+...