ATF In Manual Trannies

["Al Powell" <APOWELL@agcom.tamu.edu>]

Re the ATF discussion - many manual transmissions have been designed 
to run ATF as a lubricant.  My dad ran a few late 50's Mercedes 
sedans (not fancy ones, 200 series 4-doors)...and each of them with a 
4-speed manual transmisson used ATF as the lubricant.

At the time (60's and early 70's) this was a VERY unusual idea to the 
'Murican mechanic, so it generated a lot of questions.  But there 
were unquestionably a number of manual transmissions - then and now - 
made to run with ATF as the lubricant.  No big surprise, is it???

Avi's comment about using ATF in midwinter in the upper-central US 
doesn't really surprise me, either.  Consider the flow characteristics of 
even the thin ATF oil at -20 degrees.  Even under continued service, 
a car transmission probably wouldn't warm up much past 30-40 
degrees F.   Don't know that I'd try it myself, but I wouldn't be a 
bit surprised if it worked - up till the time the weaher warmed up.

And no, I wouldn't try it in anything more exotic than a 60's pickup 
truck.....


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