Best 4l60 trans fluid?
02-19-2019, 01:56 PM
#11
Old fashioned dex 3 is totally fine. I put 39-40 thousand miles a year in my Silverado. I use dex 6 for the extended drain interval. Synthetic for the engine too. Got tired of changing oil every month. Either way, make sure the level is correct after the service. That would cause more problems than the kind of fluid you use.
02-19-2019, 02:47 PM
#12
Use any fluid you want.
The benefits of one fluid over the other are typically only noticed in small ways.
The biggest being:
-lubricity. Type F for example lubricates like dog ****. Dex6 lubricates well. You'll pick up on this after teardown of multiple trans and inspecting bushings/pump gear wear
-Anti-Foam. HyGaard and Dex6 are the best at this.
-Temperature Stability/degredation. You'll notice a synthetic fluid will not scorch as eaily. You won't get the dark color and burnt smell as soon as with a non synthetic.
-Viscosity. Each trans fluid (and compressor oil, and tractor hydraulic fluid) will vary in viscosity. This can change converter stall characteristics by a couple hundred RPM and will SLIGHTLY (usually not noticable) change shift timing. This shift timing is not critical in a th400 or 4l80e trans with asynchronous shifts. But in a 60e where you have a specific combination of feed hole size and line pressure matched up JUST right to time the band release with 3/4 apply...then you're going to want to stick with one fluid according to some guys. IMO it's not a huge deal at all for shift timing.
The fact of the matter is...if you build the trans properly...you could put the cheapest Costco/sams club fluid in it that you can find...and it will be JUST FINE. A properly built trans has no need for gimmicky oil like B&M Trick shift, or something similar. Amsoil/redline/etc oils that sell for $11 a qt is a straight rip off.
Personally I recommend street cars use the cheapest Dex6 rated fluid they can find. Drag cars I tell guys to just buy 5 gallons of HyGaard...use 2 qts of Dex6 to get a red color (easier to see on the dipstick) and top off with hygaard.
I only recommend Dex6 for the anti foam and the slightly better heat resistance. If you find dex3 for $2 a qt on sale...don't hesitate to run it.
The benefits of one fluid over the other are typically only noticed in small ways.
The biggest being:
-lubricity. Type F for example lubricates like dog ****. Dex6 lubricates well. You'll pick up on this after teardown of multiple trans and inspecting bushings/pump gear wear
-Anti-Foam. HyGaard and Dex6 are the best at this.
-Temperature Stability/degredation. You'll notice a synthetic fluid will not scorch as eaily. You won't get the dark color and burnt smell as soon as with a non synthetic.
-Viscosity. Each trans fluid (and compressor oil, and tractor hydraulic fluid) will vary in viscosity. This can change converter stall characteristics by a couple hundred RPM and will SLIGHTLY (usually not noticable) change shift timing. This shift timing is not critical in a th400 or 4l80e trans with asynchronous shifts. But in a 60e where you have a specific combination of feed hole size and line pressure matched up JUST right to time the band release with 3/4 apply...then you're going to want to stick with one fluid according to some guys. IMO it's not a huge deal at all for shift timing.
The fact of the matter is...if you build the trans properly...you could put the cheapest Costco/sams club fluid in it that you can find...and it will be JUST FINE. A properly built trans has no need for gimmicky oil like B&M Trick shift, or something similar. Amsoil/redline/etc oils that sell for $11 a qt is a straight rip off.
Personally I recommend street cars use the cheapest Dex6 rated fluid they can find. Drag cars I tell guys to just buy 5 gallons of HyGaard...use 2 qts of Dex6 to get a red color (easier to see on the dipstick) and top off with hygaard.
I only recommend Dex6 for the anti foam and the slightly better heat resistance. If you find dex3 for $2 a qt on sale...don't hesitate to run it.
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