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ATF for `57 Hydra-matic

7K views 18 replies 8 participants last post by  MeligN 
#1 ·
I'm finishing up rebuilding a Hydra-matic for a `57 Pontiac, I believe they are called Jet-away. I was wondering what kind of automatic transmission fluid I should fill it up with. It is my first transmission rebuild, actually the first transmission I ever opened up as well, and I've already installed the clutches. I soaked the clutches in regular ATF that my school has, and was thinking that I should probably stick to that same type of ATF.
 
#5 ·
Do a search, this topic has been done over, and over, and over, and over. In summary, older GM trannys can use any fluid. Type F is preferred by most in performance applications 'cause, at least according to the advertising hype, it allows firmer shifts due to quicker clutch engagement.

You really picked a winner for your first tranny rebuild! Those things have two fluid couplings a couple of clutch packs, a cone brake, definitely the strangest and maybe the most complicated unit made by domestic companies.
 
#6 ·
I did do a search but couldn't actually find anything. Maybe I didn't use the right keywords. Yeah that tranny is pretty awesome to work on. I did it in my autotrans & transaxle class. When I asked my professor if I could take it in to work on instead of what everybody else was doing he told me sure but he wasn't sure if he knew too much about it. Once he saw it he freaked out and told me he had never seen one before. Then when I opened it up and he saw all of it guts he said he had no clue. He told me I was trying to revive a dinosaur while everybody else was feeding their dogs. Then he gave me his best wishes and left me for dead. I was proud to call him over when I finished buttoning it back up and tell him "all done". I used an old 64 book that I bought from the same guy who sold me the kit. Then I grabbed one of his new transverse trans and rebuilt that in a matter of hours. I have'nt seen my grade yet but I did all of my homework so he better give me a good grade.
 
#7 ·
All of the old fluids have been updated chemically.


The old fluid in the hydramatics had whale oil in it. Whaling was out lawed , so new fluids had to be invented.

Chances are your hydramatic has been rebuilt once with newer materials. Dexron III works well in most Domestic auto applications. Use type F if you like. Neither is going to cause the tranny to slip & burn up if the tranny is in good operating condition.

The metal parts don't care what fluid is in there for lube.
 
#9 ·
The Castrol Type 'A' transmission fluid was introduced in 1949. It then
evolved to Type A with a suffix. Eventually, it became Dexron I, then
II, and now III.

Therefore you may use Castrol Dexron III/Mercon for your application.

Consumer Relations
Castrol North America
1-800-462-0835


I asked Castrol.


Chris
 
#10 ·
fat50 said:
The Castrol Type 'A' transmission fluid was introduced in 1949. It then
evolved to Type A with a suffix. Eventually, it became Dexron I, then
II, and now III.

Therefore you may use Castrol Dexron III/Mercon for your application.

Consumer Relations
Castrol North America
1-800-462-0835


I asked Castrol.


Chris

============== good info. Go ask the oil company , what an idea! LOL
 
#11 ·
Another thing that I'm wondering about is the fluid that I used to soak the clutch plates in before I installed them. I soaked them in the same fluid that the other students were using for their clutches. The trans they were working on also were GM, so I'm hoping it'll be alright. I just hope I don't mess it up by mixing fluids.
 
#12 ·
No problem. There isn't that much difference between fluids. I have even heard that you can use 10W engine oil in a pinch although I have never done it. You use Vaseline on various parts during assembly and that doesn't do any damage so the tiny amount of fluid saturating the disks doesn't matter.
 
#13 · (Edited)
Makes tons of sense.
I can't believe how difficult it is to find tranny assembly lube in Los Angeles, at least at your Pep Boys and Auto Zone I figured I should be able to walk in and pick up some Dr. Tranny's Assemblee Goo, but everybody looked at me like "dude, we're not into that sort of thing pervert".
So type A is Dexron III/Mercon and type F is for firmer shifts, what about using type AF, would that be a safe all around solution?
 
#15 ·
Transmission Fluid

MeligN said:

So type A is Dexron III/Mercon and type F is for firmer shifts, what about using type AF, would that be a safe all around solution?
MeligN,

It sounds like you have been getting some pretty good advice. Unless you have an original automatic transmission that calls for Type 'F' you will probably be just fine with Dextron III in your "new" transmission.
 
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