Long life with carefree performance
is something
every transmission-repair
facility expects to have with transmission
fluid. And at one time it
was easy and carefree; now we are
seeing more and more manufacturers
requiring specific fluids for
their transmissions. Why?
In my opinion, this is half marketing,
half technology. Let me explain:
When automatic
transmissions started to become
common and popular in the late
1940s, many of the deficiencies of
earlier fluids (straight mineral oils,
mainly engine oil) showed that
fluids used in automatic transmissions
had to perform many demanding
tasks that were beyond
the capabilities of the available oils
of the time.
The tasks the fluids had to perform
were no small matter. They
had to transmit power to the
torque converters, while optimally
performing in the hydraulic control
system for shifting; friction
control and energy transmission
for bands and clutches; lubrication
of hard parts, bearings, bushings
and seals; and last, but certainly
not least, heat transfer for the removal
of all this generated heat as
the transmission changed speed
ratio between the engine and drive
wheels.
It quickly became evident that
ATFs would be the most sophisticated
and most difficult of all lubricants
to formulate. General Motors
took the lead in 1949, and the first
specification for automatic-transmission
fluid was issued for “Type
A” ATF. From 1949 until about
1960, most passenger-car automatic
transmissions required the use of
“Type A” or “Type A, Suffix A”
transmission fluid. Ford, however,
was not thrilled about specifying a
transmission fluid for use in a Ford
vehicle that was approved by
General Motors! So in 1961, Ford
released its fluid specification
(M2C33-D) that eventually would
evolve into the Ford Type F (1967)
and Type G for Europe (1972).
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