Kawi2strokes.com Forum

I wonder if ATF's have improved dramatically over the years, like 2-stroke oils have............!

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"One day, your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it's worth watching." : anon.

Could be, but most of the 40,000 miles on my H2 were with '70s ATF.

I'm really not sure how much better dino oil is now compared to back then. It's not like we're talking about 1920s oil... they knew quite a bit about the stuff by the time triples came along.

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If it surges, that's normal, upshift.

Agreed, but the consensus, right or wrong, is that 2T oils have improved dramatically over the years. It is interesting to see the marketing of modern oils, and the cost, when you can look at the fine print at the bottom of the container which says SAE SF/SG compliant, or JASO-4 for two-stoke oils. Colorful packaging tho!! AS the old saying goes, "some oil is better than none!"

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"One day, your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it's worth watching." : anon.

I’m sure it has , have you seen the big automatic heavy duty transmissions used today ...buses , tractor trailers, garbage trucks, ect. They get many many miles on them without problems.
Our excavator will not buy anything but automatics now when he buys his big tri axles dumps. And most all military equipment is auto now too.

My 1971 Bluebird bus chassis motor home has an Allison 6-speed automatic in it.

Rod, my H2 runs nicely on Walmart TC-W3.

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If it surges, that's normal, upshift.

"like" and smiley emos' to demus and Jim.

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"One day, your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it's worth watching." : anon.

Engine oils had to evolve as engine designs changed, like the difference on a sleeve vs hard chrome on cylinder walls vs Nik-A-Sil,and other engine internals.Transmission fluids have also changed as well, with drag reduction on harder components changed to alter engines emissions.

Please remember, nobody here is telling anyone to use what, everybody is still fully welcome to steadfastly use the wrong stuff of their own choice.

If you have ever watched the bearing roller wear test, two hard bearing surfaces rubbed against each other with some sort of oil between them, ATF is shockingly bad, as Dave said, its hydraulic oil as it's major function. My new 1994 S10 with 5 speed came with ATF in its manual transmission, I dropped that stuff out after break in and replaced with 10w30, it's been great ever since. Yes, more modern metallurgy has made for lower requirements on oils, often the intended side effect is to milk the last tenth out a MPG out of a vehicle by using lighter weights, but if the better oils are available, at a small cost to windage and oil shear drag, then why not use them.

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1974 Kawasaki H2B 750, 1981 Yamaha XV750 Cafe, 1986 Kawasaki KDX200, 2003 Honda XR100, 2004 SDG140. 2006 Ninja 500R Turbo intercooled fuel injected.

Actually, the lighter oils work with updated metallurgy, as in hardened crank pins in 4 stroke auto engines, and the like, where previous cr cranks weren't hardened, made from silly putty.

We have benefited from older tech that was online with today's, for over 50 years. Our rod races, main bearings, roller bearings, and crank pins are great, synthetics work, as do the cylinders, pistons, the like.

Today's synthetics are workable for today's Mustang and Camaro engines, but there are limits to the use for our 2 stroke bike's transmissions, like shear of the lubricant molecules between transmission teeth, they like higher viscosity, natural oils, and frequent oil changes. There is also the difference between a filtered/cooled fluid, such as ATF in an automatic transmission, vs an unfiltered, uncooled pool of unfiltered lubricant for a stick transmission, like our bikes have.

The ATF craze came in when Type F was used to stop/delay initial slipping. Once started slipping, they are they same.

Type F only, has max static friction.

All ATF fluids are 10 or less weight when heated. Good for clutch slip, bad for gears.

Makes power since it delays slipping and is like water/milk in viscosity.

cliff