Fluids = Horsepower

[Gatman]

I'm sure this topic has been discussed in the past, but I could not find any recent info so I figured we could discuss here. I understand that the oil, the brand, the viscosity, etc, all effect how a vehicle performs, but I am interested in specifically the Sy/Ty with their complex drivetrain. I've read articles in the past where they do a base dyno run with stock fluids, then change over the motor, tranny and rear end fluids to some high performance synthetic and the gains were much more than I would have ever guessed.
What I'm getting at, we spend all this time, energy and hard earned money in building our Sy/Ty to be fun and fast, does anyone have some real world experience on what fluids work for giving us a few extra "free" horsepower? Also, any insight into some low dollar upgrades that have made great power improvements (larger tranny cooler, lower heat exchanger scoops, etc)?

 

[SYO237]

Re: Fluids = Horsepower

Ive personally only have ever ran Mobil1 10w30 in my truck. As far as diff and xfer case fluids, just the standard off the shelf brands, nothing fancy. Same with trans fluid, standard stuff but using the additive called LubeGard along with it.

For as long as Ive been around, the unwritten rule is to never use synthetic fluid in your trans or xfer case. It seems that when someone does do it, they end up grenading their parts shortly afterwards.

As far as a trans cooler, yes that is a normal and good upgrade to do. Our trannies can get easily cooked, especially if you start to race a lot. Boost launching is one of the worst (and most fun) things you can do. Mounting a gauge to keep an eye on trans temp is never a bad idea.

For people with stock IC units, mourning an aux IC cooler is also a great benefit. The classic setup is buying a Hayden unit (autozone, advanced etc has them) and mounting it up behind the grill. Running a better IC pump and hot-wiring it so it comes on with the ignition on is also a cheap upgrade. The hotwire is basically free...takes 10 minutes. Cooler IC means lower MAT with equals better performance. To me, this mod is a must for a stock setup.

Same deal with scoops. Over the years people have made metal or plastic scoops to better direct air into the CCHE.

Theres more stuff.... spark plugs, plug wires (9mm), your cap/rotor, adding a AFPR, better fuel pump..... all things that can help make a more reliable truck but also can be tweaked for better performance. Check out the site http://www.SyTyArchives.com that contains some older stuff with mods (also http://www.Howtune.com) as well as http://www.powertuneplus.com for some go fast info and building up your truck to peak performance levels.

 

[jklein68]

Re: Fluids = Horsepower

I was told to use Dex 6 in performance transmissions. I believe it's synthetic. The core reason isn't related to lubrication, Dex 6 just runs cooler than Dex 4. Was also told to run a large trans cooler with the built in radiator cooler. Again, just helps lower temps.

I also run Mobil 1 for oil, just always have.