Engineered to eliminate the deficiencies common to all conventional, petroleum ATFs, AMSOIL Torque-Drive provides superior performance and protection against thermal and oxidative degradation, sludge and varnish formation, viscosity shear down, cold temperature oil thickening, poor friction stability, high component wear and shortened oil life. Automatic transmission operating expenses can be directly linked to transmission fluid quality. Poor quality oils need frequent changes and they reduce the effective service life of transmissions. Delivering the ultimate in oxidation resistance, wear control and friction performance, AMSOIL Torque-Drive extends lubricant life up to six times* and provides protection beyond that possible from conventional ATFs. Vehicles stay on the road longer, unnecessary labor and maintenance costs are reduced, and the return on costly transmission investments is maximized. Immediate financial benefits are realized upon the installation of AMSOIL Torque-Drive.

* Depending on duty cycle, local conditions, oil analysis and/or OEM recommendations.

Allison® transmission owners are being held hostage. They are being forced to purchase a transmission fluid that is costing more money than they should be spending. They do, however, have options.

Allison® transmission has established the Technical Engineering Specification 295 (TES 295) for automatic transmission fluids. When TES 295 products are used in Allison® transmissions and according to Allison® recommendations as outlined in Allison® Service Information Letter 10-TR-99, Rev. B, the service life of these oils can be extended several times that of mineral oils. This extended drain recommendation saves money for Allison® transmission owners.

The only oil on the market, however, that is formally identified by Allison® as a TES 295 product is TranSynd® Automatic Transmission Fluid, which happens to be sold by Allison® in partnership with Castrol®. Other companies seeking TES 295 approval are faced with formidable obstacles. Allison® has not made its stationary test stand available to the competition and has not established formalized field trial protocol. Outside companies, therefore, without unreasonably heavy investments in an ambiguous test program, are locked out of the market. And Allison®, by positioning itself as the only player, is able to charge exorbitant prices for their product. As a result, Allison® transmission owners who want to benefit from the potential savings realized through extended drain intervals are being taken advantage of.

In response, AMSOIL closely examined TranSynd® and developed a cost-effective replacement product named Torque-Drive™. Torque-Drive™ is a premium synthetic transmission fluid based on the same type of chemistry as TranSynd®. This is supported by the infrared (IR) scan and physical data comparisons included here. Clearly, the testing shows no measurable performance differences between Torque-Drive™ and TranSynd®. They do, however, differ in cost. Allison® transmission owners save money with Torque-Drive™.

The Allison® extended warranty states that Allison® will only cover repairs in which the transmission had been operated with TranSynd® or an equivalent fluid which meets the TES 295 specification. Torque-Drive™ is, in fact, based on the same type of chemistry as TranSynd® and is, therefore, recommended by AMSOIL as a replacement for TranSynd® and for use in all TES 295 applications. And because it is not specifically designated by Allison® as a TES 295 product, the AMSOIL warranty is in place to cover all lubricant related failures.

All Allison® transmission owners would be wise to reevaluate their use of TranSynd®, as well as their investment in the Allison® extended warranty program. There is no justification for paying the high cost for TranSynd® when an equivalent product is available for less.

 

 Allison transmission company manufacturers heavy-duty transmissions and recommends maintenance practices for those units. Allison establishes transmission fluid quality levels through fluid specifications such as the popular C-4. Allison established another specification for high quality oils called Technical Engineering Specification-295 (TES-295). Operators using TES-295 oils can extend drain intervals according to Allison recommendations in bulletin 1099C, and operators are eligible to purchase the Extended Transmission Coverage (ETC) warranty. ETC is an additional warranty beyond the standard Allison warranty.

What is TranSynd®?
TranSynd® is the only TES-295 licensed synthetic transmission fluid formula available. It is manufactured by Castrol® and marketed in conjunction with Allison. This formulation is also being made available through other marketers under private label as well.

Why are there not other products licensed as TES-295?
Competing lubricant companies seeking TES-295 approval for their own formulations are faced with formidable obstacles. Allison requires a test to be run on a specialized test stand, which it has not made available to other lubricant companies. Furthermore, Allison requires a field trial but has not established formalized field trial protocol. This effectively locks out competing oil companies and allows Allison and Castrol to charge exorbitant prices.

How can AMSOIL claim Torque-Drive™ as TES-295 quality without having run the tests?
Because Allison did run the tests on TranSynd® and AMSOIL successfully "reverse engineered" TranSynd®, creating a fluid based on the same type chemical technology. Both contain PAO. Both contain ester. Both contain enhanced additive systems. Neither contains VI improvers. Not even sophisticated laboratory analysis can accurately measure the differences between these two products. The only difference customers will notice is the price. Torque-Drive™ at commercial pricing is considerably lower than TranSynd®.

How will the use of Torque-Drive™ affect the warranty coverage?
The use of Torque-Drive™ will not affect the standard Allison warranty for defects in material or workmanship and may only be challenged if there is clear evidence of a lubricant related failure, in which case AMSOIL provides full warranty coverage. Torque-Drive™ does not fulfill the Allison warranty requirements for those customers who have already purchased ETC. This is a separate contract that binds the parties according to its terms.

Customers who are considering purchasing ETC should give this careful consideration. ETC can be very costly ranging from $235 per unit for one year in school busses equipped with a 1000 model transmission to as much as $4,000 per unit for three years in transit busses equipped with a B500R. Allison customers need to ask themselves where the savings are if they have to pay big dollars for additional warranty coverage which forces them to use the most expensive transmission fluid available. If Allison customers consider Torque-Drive™ as an alternative, they will find that the standard Allison warranty for defects in material and workmanship is not compromised and AMSOIL provides additional warranty coverage for lubricant related failures indefinitely.

How does Torque-Drive™ compare to AMSOIL Synthetic Transmission Fluid (ATF)?
Torque-Drive™ was created to satisfy the concerns of customers currently using TranSynd®, and it carries with it the confidence to be used for the intervals established by Allison. AMSOIL ATF is a more advanced product with universal applications such as Mercon V and ATF +4. AMSOIL does not recommend draining or switching to Torque-Drive™ unless the Allison customer intends on following the extended drain interval recommendations of Allison.

What are the key performance benefits offered by Torque-Drive™?
AMSOIL Torque-Drive™ provides superior performance and protection against thermal and oxidative degradation, sludge and varnish formation, viscosity shear down, cold temperature thickening, poor friction stability, high component wear and shortened oil life. Conventional oils require frequent changes and reduce the effective service life of transmissions. AMSOIL Torque-Drive™ extends lubricant life and provides protection superior to conventional ATF's.

THERMAL AND OXIDATIVE STABILITY
Hot weather and operating conditions are no excuse for poor transmission reliability. By delivering a slower than normal oxidation rate, AMSOIL Torque-Drive prevents sludge that blocks small valves, prevents varnish that restricts component movement and reduces oil thickening that slows down shift times. AMSOIL Torque-Drive lasts longer than conventional ATFs, protects better than conventional ATFs and extends transmission life beyond that possible with conventional ATFs.

SHEAR STABLE
Conventional automatic transmission fluids use petroleum oils with viscosity index (VI) improvers added to increase the oil’s operational temperature range. Over time, VI improvers shear down, promoting premature wear by leaving only a thin base oil to protect vital transmission components. AMSOIL Torque-Drive does not contain VI improvers, which means no VI improver shear down regardless of the operating environment. The unmatched film strength of AMSOIL Torque-Drive prevents wear, significantly increasing the transmission service life.

FRICTION DURABILITY
Oxidation by-products destroy the sensitive friction characteristics of transmission fluids, resulting in the rapid degradation of shift quality. The thermal and oxidative stability inherent in AMSOIL Torque-Drive™ assures consistent, smooth clutch engagement with no harsh shifting throughout the life of the fluid. AMSOIL Torque-Drive maintains proper coefficients of friction, prevents clutch glazing and prevents elongated shift times.

EXTREME TEMPERATURE PERFORMANCE
Transmissions operate in temperature extremes. In hot temperatures, the synthetic construction of AMSOIL Torque-Drive virtually eliminates oil evaporation and delivers a better lubricating film than conventional oils for better overall protection of vital components. Oil consumption is reduced and transmissions require less maintenance.

In cold temperatures, AMSOIL Torque-Drive easily flows, as it does not contain the wax found in conventional ATFs. Cold temperature fluidity allows for the proper operation of small, delicate, electronically controlled solenoids that affect gear changes. Unlike conventional ATFs, transmissions using AMSOIL Torque-Drive have quick response times during cold operations and can be used immediately upon start-up.

AMSOIL Torque-Drive Synthetic Automatic Transmission Fluid is based on the same type of chemistry as TransSynd®. This fine Infra-red (IR) scan, revealing a chemical "picture" of both products, shows no measurable differences.

Product Applications
AMSOIL Torque-Drive is recommended as a direct replacement for TranSynd® Synthetic ATF in heavy duty, on and off highway automatic transmissions manufactured by Allison,® General Motors,® Ford,® Voith® and ZF® or wherever the standards TES-295, C-4, Dexron® III, Mercon,® Voith G-1363 or TE-ML 14C are specified. Examples of operations that benefit from using AMSOIL Torque-Drive include municipal or transit buses, motor coaches, garbage haulers, motor homes, delivery vans, emergency vehicles, school buses, dump trucks, utility vehicles, cement trucks, line haul trucks and tow trucks.

Where extended drain intervals are not specified by the original equipment manufacturer (OEM), it is recommended that AMSOIL Torque-Drive be evaluated with oil analysis at standard OEM drain intervals or more frequently to establish proper drain interval. Where extended drain intervals are recommended by the OEM, follow that recommendation. This includes the recommendations set by Allison® in document #1099F for TES-295 fluids.

AMSOIL Torque-Drive Q&A
 

PHYSICAL DATA AMSOIL Torque-Drive Synthetic Transmission Fluid (ATD) & Castrol/Allison Transynd® Synthetic Automatic Transmission Fluid
Physical Data	Torque-Drive™	TranSynd®
Kinematic Viscosity @ 100°C, cSt (ASTM D-445)	7.41	7.36
Kinematic Viscosity @ 40°C, cSt (ASTM D-445)	37.14	37.29
Brookfield Viscosity @ -40°C (cP)	8411	8400
Density @ 60°F (lb/gal)	7.038	7.047
Flash Point °C (°F) (ASTM D 92)	230 (446)	232 (450)
Pour Point °C (°F) (ASTM D 97)	-55 (-67)	-55 (-67)
Four Ball Wear Test (ASTM D-4172B: 40 kg, 75°C, 1200 rpm, 1 hr) mm	0.45	0.45
Copper Corrosion (150°C, 3 hr)	1B	1B
Spectrographic Analysis
Boron (ppm)	133	136
Calcium (ppm)	28	29
Phosphorous (ppm)	230	235