Ah, the smell of ATF...
 

I hate automatic transmission fluid, I really do. Foul stuff, and seems to
be a more persistent stain than most. As such, the look, smell, and texture
of the stuff is permanently burned into my brain. So when it came time to
do a fluid change on the transfer case of my brother's 1994 Wrangler YJ, I
was naturally disappointed to see it required ATF. Damn I hate that stuff.

According to the shop manual, it has an NP231 transfer case in it (this is
with a manual 5 speed transmission behind a 4.0L engine) which is to be
filled with Dexron-II ATF. However, when I drained the thing, it didn't
have what I normally know to be ATF in it... instead of being a dark ruby
red, this stuff was more sort of a brownish color. Didn't look like gear
oil, though, or engine oil for that matter. It was still the right
thickness for ATF, and had a similar feel, but didn't stink nearly as bad
and wasn't even close in color (even for used fluid). I'm pretty sure the
transfer case was replaced after the accident, and that the fluid was in all
likelihood quite new. Plus I wouldn't think the repair shop would have put
in the wrong type of fluid... they seemed to be on the ball about most
everything, so I'm not sure what to make of it.

My question is, is there some type of specialized ATF-ish fluid that
frequently finds its way into the transfer cases of Jeeps in place of normal
Dexron-II ATF? Like something that might look and smell different that's
better formulated for transfer cases than regular old ATF? I went ahead and
refilled the case with a Dexron-II compatible fluid, but for future
reference I'd like to know if there's some better fluid to use. Thanks in
advance for any info!

Bryan

Re: Ah, the smell of ATF...
 

You must be old like me and remembering the smell of whale oil used
as ATF type "A" up until the bleed heart liberals told us to stop
killing whales and use a synthetic about thirty years ago. ATF type
"Ford", like the Dexron that replaced it, is Real petroleum.
God Bless America, ßill O|||||||O
mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/

The Hurdy Grubby Man wrote:
>
> I hate automatic transmission fluid, I really do. Foul stuff, and seems to
> be a more persistent stain than most. As such, the look, smell, and texture
> of the stuff is permanently burned into my brain. So when it came time to
> do a fluid change on the transfer case of my brother's 1994 Wrangler YJ, I
> was naturally disappointed to see it required ATF. Damn I hate that stuff.
>
> According to the shop manual, it has an NP231 transfer case in it (this is
> with a manual 5 speed transmission behind a 4.0L engine) which is to be
> filled with Dexron-II ATF. However, when I drained the thing, it didn't
> have what I normally know to be ATF in it... instead of being a dark ruby
> red, this stuff was more sort of a brownish color. Didn't look like gear
> oil, though, or engine oil for that matter. It was still the right
> thickness for ATF, and had a similar feel, but didn't stink nearly as bad
> and wasn't even close in color (even for used fluid). I'm pretty sure the
> transfer case was replaced after the accident, and that the fluid was in all
> likelihood quite new. Plus I wouldn't think the repair shop would have put
> in the wrong type of fluid... they seemed to be on the ball about most
> everything, so I'm not sure what to make of it.
>
> My question is, is there some type of specialized ATF-ish fluid that
> frequently finds its way into the transfer cases of Jeeps in place of normal
> Dexron-II ATF? Like something that might look and smell different that's
> better formulated for transfer cases than regular old ATF? I went ahead and
> refilled the case with a Dexron-II compatible fluid, but for future
> reference I'd like to know if there's some better fluid to use. Thanks in
> advance for any info!
>
> Bryan

Re: Ah, the smell of ATF...
 

You must be old like me and remembering the smell of whale oil used
as ATF type "A" up until the bleed heart liberals told us to stop
killing whales and use a synthetic about thirty years ago. ATF type
"Ford", like the Dexron that replaced it, is Real petroleum.
God Bless America, ßill O|||||||O
mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/

The Hurdy Grubby Man wrote:
>
> I hate automatic transmission fluid, I really do. Foul stuff, and seems to
> be a more persistent stain than most. As such, the look, smell, and texture
> of the stuff is permanently burned into my brain. So when it came time to
> do a fluid change on the transfer case of my brother's 1994 Wrangler YJ, I
> was naturally disappointed to see it required ATF. Damn I hate that stuff.
>
> According to the shop manual, it has an NP231 transfer case in it (this is
> with a manual 5 speed transmission behind a 4.0L engine) which is to be
> filled with Dexron-II ATF. However, when I drained the thing, it didn't
> have what I normally know to be ATF in it... instead of being a dark ruby
> red, this stuff was more sort of a brownish color. Didn't look like gear
> oil, though, or engine oil for that matter. It was still the right
> thickness for ATF, and had a similar feel, but didn't stink nearly as bad
> and wasn't even close in color (even for used fluid). I'm pretty sure the
> transfer case was replaced after the accident, and that the fluid was in all
> likelihood quite new. Plus I wouldn't think the repair shop would have put
> in the wrong type of fluid... they seemed to be on the ball about most
> everything, so I'm not sure what to make of it.
>
> My question is, is there some type of specialized ATF-ish fluid that
> frequently finds its way into the transfer cases of Jeeps in place of normal
> Dexron-II ATF? Like something that might look and smell different that's
> better formulated for transfer cases than regular old ATF? I went ahead and
> refilled the case with a Dexron-II compatible fluid, but for future
> reference I'd like to know if there's some better fluid to use. Thanks in
> advance for any info!
>
> Bryan

Re: Ah, the smell of ATF...
 

You must be old like me and remembering the smell of whale oil used
as ATF type "A" up until the bleed heart liberals told us to stop
killing whales and use a synthetic about thirty years ago. ATF type
"Ford", like the Dexron that replaced it, is Real petroleum.
God Bless America, ßill O|||||||O
mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/

The Hurdy Grubby Man wrote:
>
> I hate automatic transmission fluid, I really do. Foul stuff, and seems to
> be a more persistent stain than most. As such, the look, smell, and texture
> of the stuff is permanently burned into my brain. So when it came time to
> do a fluid change on the transfer case of my brother's 1994 Wrangler YJ, I
> was naturally disappointed to see it required ATF. Damn I hate that stuff.
>
> According to the shop manual, it has an NP231 transfer case in it (this is
> with a manual 5 speed transmission behind a 4.0L engine) which is to be
> filled with Dexron-II ATF. However, when I drained the thing, it didn't
> have what I normally know to be ATF in it... instead of being a dark ruby
> red, this stuff was more sort of a brownish color. Didn't look like gear
> oil, though, or engine oil for that matter. It was still the right
> thickness for ATF, and had a similar feel, but didn't stink nearly as bad
> and wasn't even close in color (even for used fluid). I'm pretty sure the
> transfer case was replaced after the accident, and that the fluid was in all
> likelihood quite new. Plus I wouldn't think the repair shop would have put
> in the wrong type of fluid... they seemed to be on the ball about most
> everything, so I'm not sure what to make of it.
>
> My question is, is there some type of specialized ATF-ish fluid that
> frequently finds its way into the transfer cases of Jeeps in place of normal
> Dexron-II ATF? Like something that might look and smell different that's
> better formulated for transfer cases than regular old ATF? I went ahead and
> refilled the case with a Dexron-II compatible fluid, but for future
> reference I'd like to know if there's some better fluid to use. Thanks in
> advance for any info!
>
> Bryan

Re: Ah, the smell of ATF...
 

In article <bnr6a9$736$1@nnrp.atgi.net>, The Hurdy Gurdy Man
<bryan@linux.webicommerce.com> writes:

>My question is, is there some type of specialized ATF-ish fluid that
>frequently finds its way into the transfer cases of Jeeps in place of normal
>Dexron-II ATF? Like something that might look and smell different that's
>better formulated for transfer cases than regular old ATF? I went ahead and
>refilled the case with a Dexron-II compatible fluid, but for future
>reference I'd like to know if there's some better fluid to use. Thanks in
>advance for any info!

The color change probably just indicated the oil was old. The T case is far
less picky about what kind of ATF goes in, unlike an auto trans.

Maybe at one point a drone at Jiffy Lube topped it off with 90 weight.
* * *
Matt Macchiarolo
www.townpeddler.com
www.wolverine4wd.org
http://wolverine4wd.org/rigs/macchiarolo_ml.html

Re: Ah, the smell of ATF...
 

In article <bnr6a9$736$1@nnrp.atgi.net>, The Hurdy Gurdy Man
<bryan@linux.webicommerce.com> writes:

>My question is, is there some type of specialized ATF-ish fluid that
>frequently finds its way into the transfer cases of Jeeps in place of normal
>Dexron-II ATF? Like something that might look and smell different that's
>better formulated for transfer cases than regular old ATF? I went ahead and
>refilled the case with a Dexron-II compatible fluid, but for future
>reference I'd like to know if there's some better fluid to use. Thanks in
>advance for any info!

The color change probably just indicated the oil was old. The T case is far
less picky about what kind of ATF goes in, unlike an auto trans.

Maybe at one point a drone at Jiffy Lube topped it off with 90 weight.
* * *
Matt Macchiarolo
www.townpeddler.com
www.wolverine4wd.org
http://wolverine4wd.org/rigs/macchiarolo_ml.html

Re: Ah, the smell of ATF...
 

In article <bnr6a9$736$1@nnrp.atgi.net>, The Hurdy Gurdy Man
<bryan@linux.webicommerce.com> writes:

>My question is, is there some type of specialized ATF-ish fluid that
>frequently finds its way into the transfer cases of Jeeps in place of normal
>Dexron-II ATF? Like something that might look and smell different that's
>better formulated for transfer cases than regular old ATF? I went ahead and
>refilled the case with a Dexron-II compatible fluid, but for future
>reference I'd like to know if there's some better fluid to use. Thanks in
>advance for any info!

The color change probably just indicated the oil was old. The T case is far
less picky about what kind of ATF goes in, unlike an auto trans.

Maybe at one point a drone at Jiffy Lube topped it off with 90 weight.
* * *
Matt Macchiarolo
www.townpeddler.com
www.wolverine4wd.org
http://wolverine4wd.org/rigs/macchiarolo_ml.html