Lubricants

[Wietse]

Hey all,

I am setting up a lubricants list to use on my '69 Coronet.
I would like to change rear axle oil, power steering oil and brake oil for a start as i am not aware of their last replacement and just want to make sure all is fresh oil.
ATF oil replacement is kinda hard as you can only replace it partially by draining the sump, but at least i will need some good oil for a top up or start flushing the transmission with new oil.

Mind you, I am in Europe and don't have the luxury of selecting all the Mopar and or other types of preferred lubricants you guys are using over there, i ended up with Kroon Oil.
Kroon Oil is a good manufacturer of lubricants and they actually have a Classic line of lubricants for older cars.

As per their recommendations through their website:

Auto tranny: Kroon ATF Dexron II-D
Power steering: Kroon Classic ATF-A
Rear axle: Kroon Classic Gear LS 90 (Sure Grip models) (MP 90 for others)
Brake system: Kroon Drauliquid DOT 3

Could you guys agree with a list like this?
I don't really have any arguments against the oils, just something you guys might know from experience.
Regarding the auto trans oil, they have other oils as well but do not show up in their recommended list for this car.
The 3 other types of ATF oil they have are Dexron VI, ATF-A and ATF-F.
I have seen so many brands and types flying by here on the forum so i kinda lost it.
Guess it's best to stick to a good brand and use this.

Any recommendations?

 

[PurpleBeeper]

Your list of lubricants looks 100% correct. To avoid any incompatibility it is best (if possible) not to mix fluids....basically, change ALL the fluid at once & then stick with the brand/type you choose.

For the transmission:
a. At least here in the USA, you can get a "complete transmission fluid change". I suspect you might be able to get this done in Europe too if you search for someone with the correct equipment. The equipment attaches to the transmission cooler lines (at radiator), you idle the engine, & the transmission pump pushes out the old fluid while it puts in the new fluid....100% change. The downside to this is that you don't get a new filter this way. IF the car has very, very old transmission fluid & filter, you might do this 100% fluid change & follow it up with a filter/transmission pan fluid change as well (using the exact same transmission fluid).
b. Do not mix types of fluids in the transmission or power steering....use 100% of one type & stick with it.

 

[Wietse]

I know what you mean regarding the fluid change.
Yes they also provide this kind of service here that does a 100% fluid change.
I will see if i can find any local shops who do this, if not i guess i will drain and drop the oil pan, change the filter and drain the torque converter if possible and do a refill.
Then after a few miles of driving drop the oil again as much as possible and refill one more time with new fluid.

I know i have a LSD in the rear axle, just not sure what type.
I have a suspicion there is a Sure Grip in there which got moved over from a '70 Coronet 500.
I will stick to the LS 90 grade oil as this is for a Sure Grip, guess any other (maybe more modern type) LSD will like this oil as well.

 

[PurpleBeeper]

I know what you mean regarding the fluid change.
Yes they also provide this kind of service here that does a 100% fluid change.
I will see if i can find any local shops who do this, if not i guess i will drain and drop the oil pan, change the filter and drain the torque converter if possible and do a refill.
Then after a few miles of driving drop the oil again as much as possible and refill one more time with new fluid.

I changed my mind on the transmission fluid. If the transmission has old fluid in it (80,000 miles/128,000 km) then just change the transmission fluid ( Kroon ATF Dexron II-D) in the pan + the filter.

I spoke with a very smart mechanic many years ago that showed me a technical bulletin from a major lubricant supplier. Transmission fluid forms some "waxes" (or something) when it gets old. This is not a big problem, BUT if you change ALL of the transmission fluid at once, these "waxes" don't dissolve in the new fluid & form a type of sludge inside the transmission, causing it to fail. This may not be exactly correct, but it's close.

Basically, he was telling me to either A) change your transmission fluid/filter regularly or B) only do a partial fluid change if the transmission fluid has not been maintained well. Most people never even think about transmission fluid at all.

 

[Wietse]

I heard similar story's regarding the oil changes on auto tranny's. (But on modern cars, to just drain it and refill the quantity that came out and repeat several times)
I will need a new filter and pan gasket as well before i do this.
I will get the brakes, steering and rear axle done first anyway.
Plus i just received a pallet of goodies as well for the car that require some work to get it installed as well