performance ATF fluids, which ones?
 

I'm going to service the transmission on my 84 300SD and wanted to know what ATF has anyone used here? I was considering using Royal Purple ATF but it's so hard to come across in NJ that I have sourced other performance ATF's:

B&M Trick Shift ATF
Castol Synthetic High mileage ATF
Mobile 1 synthetic ATF

Are there any others or even basic ATF's that you guys recommend?

TIA,
Chris

Dont really need royal purple or b&m or mobil 1.

I have been running my autotranny on castrol and works fine.

I used SuperTech Dexron3 Mercon. Was working well before. No change in shifting. Did find that the AT pan gasket should not be over tightened. Too tight can break the gasket as the pan is not totally flat where it touches the gasket and can tend to cut through the gasket. '85 300SD.

An excellent fluid that we use in all our vehicles is Valvoline Dexron VI (its backwards compatible) Full Synthetic. Its not expensive, and they have it at NAPA.

M-1 works pretty good, so does their MTF which does wonders to your diff and T case.

The new Mobil 1 Synthetic ATF "Multi-Vehicle Formula" is not good for our older transmissions, its not advised to use this stuff. Not to mention it costs waaay too much!

I use amsoil for all of my fluids (including atf) just because I can have it delivered to my house, and it is well rated. I also use wix filters for everything including AT filter. They seem like a good brand with more pleats than others.

And no im NOT one of the ten million amsoil dealers...

Red Line
 

I like the design of the Wix filters with the entire thing being pleated paper, no risk of cotton gin waste! :D Any opinions on these? Think they filter any better than the average filter? Baldwin filters makes one that looks just like a Wix, are they made by the same people?

I completely agree about the wix filters. I have never seen a baldwin for sale up here so I couldn't say if they compare. But yes, no floor sweepings here.

I also use Amsoil for all my fluids. I buy it right at the warehouse in Portland, Or. no shipping, no sales tax :D. Iam not a Dealer.

There are a lot of good oils out there, it`s what works best for you.

I do know when I changed the trans. to Amsoil syntheic ATF it shifted so much smoother. I also changed the K1 kit at the same time.

Charlie