ATF oil for gearbox.

[kaiser]

We seem to be unable to get the 402/403 Texaco oil unless we want to by from LandRover. Their prices are high, so I am looking at alternatives.
I went to the Jatco site, and they say nothing about which oils to use in their products, but they have many interesting bits of information.
Amongst these are that JATCO originally built gearboxes for Nissan. Now they build for a host of makes, including LandRover, Jaguar and, still, Nissan
I have got hold of an oil DEXRON III CALTEX ATF TEXAMATIC 1322S. Amongst all the approvals on the bottle it says Nissan ATF.
Can I use this in my box.?

[ColinW]

Originally Posted by kaiser

We seem to be unable to get the 402/403 Texaco oil unless we want to by from LandRover. Their prices are high, so I am looking at alternatives.
I went to the Jatco site, and they say nothing about which oils to use in their products, but they have many interesting bits of information.
Amongst these are that JATCO originally built gearboxes for Nissan. Now they build for a host of makes, including LandRover, Jaguar and, still, Nissan
I have got hold of an oil DEXRON III CALTEX ATF TEXAMATIC 1322S. Amongst all the approvals on the bottle it says Nissan ATF.
Can I use this in my box.?

The nearest Texaco product to the 402, is the Texamatic 7045E, which I used in my box some 10k ago, after extensive research and conversations with Texaco. Having said all that the 7045E meets the DexronIII G spec, and I am one of a very few on these forums, that truly believe that this reliance on the original 10yr old spec of the 402 is a load of hogwash. I have a friend who works for Castrol research, and he has the same opinion.

There is this urban myth that has been perpetuated, to such an extent that people are afraid to use anything else. The box was designed over 10 years ago, and the 7045E is as near as damn it the same spec, which happens to meet the latest Dexron spec.

Overfilling the box is a lot worse than using the latest specd ATF, which is what I suspect has happened to a lot of people.

Addionally, on a normal oil change, only about 55% of the oil in the box is changed, resulting in old contaminated oil mixing with new. That is why I flushed mine thro' twice. So I ended up with virtually 90%+ of the 7045E.

Colin

[miketata]

Believe it or not this also applies to OAT which was only introduced to extend service schedules and appeal to time-poor buyers. There is nothing wrong with using high spec green coolant, as long as it is changed every two years , and not mixed with OAT. In general, MGR service periods should be halved..(specially oil) rather than using specific products.

[ColinW]

Originally Posted by miketata

Believe it or not this also applies to OAT which was only introduced to extend service schedules and appeal to time-poor buyers. There is nothing wrong with using high spec green coolant, as long as it is changed every two years , and not mixed with OAT. In general, MGR service periods should be halved..(specially oil) rather than using specific products.

Excuse me, but what has that got to do with gearbox oil?

Colin

[capese21]

If you had a Ford you might just go to a Ford parts supplier, likewise if you had a Vauxhall then a Vauxhall supplier sound logical to me.

So why all the fuss about the correct parts and making out you cannot get them and will have to use a different part?

The correct ATF fluid is available form yes a Rover Parts Specialist called Rimmer Bros.

It is part number VYK000040 and cost about £23 with a bit more for delivery!!

It is not hard to get or vastly expensive.

[Kandyman]

capese the original poster kaiser is located in Johannesburg ZA so there might be a issues with getting the correct oil to buy or shipped out to him ?

Thanks

[crofts]

Originally Posted by ColinW

The nearest Texaco product to the 402, is the Texamatic 7045E, which I used in my box some 10k ago, after extensive research and conversations with Texaco. Having said all that the 7045E meets the DexronIII G spec, and I am one of a very few on these forums, that truly believe that this reliance on the original 10yr old spec of the 402 is a load of hogwash. I have a friend who works for Castrol research, and he has the same opinion.

There is this urban myth that has been perpetuated, to such an extent that people are afraid to use anything else. The box was designed over 10 years ago, and the 7045E is as near as damn it the same spec, which happens to meet the latest Dexron spec.

Overfilling the box is a lot worse than using the latest specd ATF, which is what I suspect has happened to a lot of people.

Addionally, on a normal oil change, only about 55% of the oil in the box is changed, resulting in old contaminated oil mixing with new. That is why I flushed mine thro' twice. So I ended up with virtually 90%+ of the 7045E.

Colin

Hi Colin
When I bought my CDTi auto in 2003 I made extensive enquiries about the box and the fluid. At that time the Rover dealer themselves treated the box as an unknown quantity. Now in 2007 we all know more about the Jatco box and it's reliability.
As for the fluid there have been instances of members using Dexron and having trouble. One of our erswhile members actually phoned 10 Rover dealers. Only one could tell him the correct fluid. Many garages will tell you 'we use Dexron, it's the same for all autos. I disagree and supplied my own fluid to my private Rover mechanic to use.
Further, as I have stated many times on here, when I contacted Castrol their reply was "We do not supply a fluid suitable for the Jatco box"
However I strongly agree with you that Texamatic 7045E is the 'later spec.' N402. This I am sure was not available when Rover drew up their reccommended lubricants info.
I do not know who stocks 7045E (haven't tried to buy) but in answer to the repeated queries of where to buy N402 (Part No VYK00040) I phoned my local Xpart (Marshalls, Cambridge) some 2 weeks ago to check for a member and they had 5x5litres in stock which is their usual stock holding. It is still about £23 /5 litres +VAT.
In answer to the Johannesburg member perhaps trying parent Co. Chevron (Havoline brand ?) may locate the above fluids .
Dave

[miketata]

Excuse me, but what has that got to do with gearbox oil?"


er absolutely nothing, but as you say , reliance on some of MGR's ten year old specs is hogwash

[ColinW]

Dave,
We have been round this loop so many times, it really is time we put this to bed.

First of all Dexron is a specification, and many manufacturers make to a variety of Dexron specs. In an effort to get Jatco to come clean and admit which oils they now specify, I repeadedly e-mailed them in Japan. Initialy, each time they replied "go to your local dealer".
In fact, one of their replies was "We are awfully sorry but we can only say , "Please use the carmaker recommended oil. Because carmakers, not we, are responsible for providing technical support to the customers."

I kept on and on, in fact getting quite rude at times, until eventually their final statement was, "We are awfully sorry but Dexron category is too wide, so we cannot mention if it is suitable or not."
In other words they are not prepared to put their heads on the block about their own products. quite disgraceful in my view.

Castrol, as I have said before, will never put their heads on the block either for not dissimilar reasons, particularly as they have done no research with that particular box, so they will never recommend any particular oil.

Having said that my friend at Castrol research, who has a PhD in the very subject, has said that any oil to the latest Dexron or the relevant GM spec will do. providing of course they are filled to the correct level. Oil technology has moved on, and I suspect that Jatco use a different oil in their latest boxes.

I'm afraid I get quite angry when I see forum members quoting all these urban myths, without one shread of practical and well researched evidence.

In my view, the Jatco box with new Dexron III E & above, is far more acceptable to burnt out original oil.


BTW. Texamatic 7045E is stocked at all Texaco stations, in 500ml bottles. It is the only ATF that is available.

Colin

[basham]

I am Glad at last some one with a bit of sense agrees, I had this same discussion a few weeks ago. I had phoned Texaco and Dex-tron and my mate who like yours has degrees and owns his own transmission shop and repairs every type of gearbox Jacto included says the same as your mate.
The original spec like you say is now 10 years old and Dex-tron-2 was the only thing available and was not to the correct spec, but now Dex-tron 3 has come on the market this is made to the spec for the Jacto box with another 2 more, 403 from land rover and Texaco's new one. Like your friend and mine says there is more chance of problems with overfilling and mixing new with old. When my box was done at my mates garage he bet it would be overfilled as every jacto box he had done was, which it was 1/2 litre or more. If you read the history of the Jacto box it was designed to be filled and sealed for life. Plus I wonder if pushed Rimmer or Xpart would show their product comes from Texaco, because like a lot of the Land Rover dealers who are buying Dex-tron 3 in bulk and decanting it into containers which is easy to do and costs peanuts you can put what you want on the tin. (IE basham 402 auto fluid made for Jacto box's)etc. Some members are adamant on using the 402 and nothing else, but lets be fair its like Ford say use ford engine oil or GM use their oils. But 90% of people go to the discount and buy any type of the correct spec. Plus not being funny about Rover spare parts if the build quality of genuine Rover spares are the same as what was fitted originally like fan units that last 50,000, inlet manifolds about the same, Vis motors the same, If i could find others makes that would fit and that were built to last longer i would. Common sense has to be used in cars 7 yr old and more. Like cam belts on a 7-8 yr old Rover 75 K6 with say 70,000 miles on it, is it sense paying £700 to get them and the tensioner, Auxiliary belt replaced when the car is only worth 2 grand. In my opinion no but many others wont agree, but you make your choice and live with it