Transynd prices

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Tom

Tom

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During the Allison presentation this week the guy spent a lot of time on using the keypad, including fliud level checking and how much to add or remove from the transmission. A number of folks in the audience appeared to have added (aka topped off) their transmission fluid level. Since the level of fluid in my transmission has never changed, I wondered if I was missing something  ;D  However, the guy told me mine is the way it should be.

Not wanting to jinx the situation and find myself away from civilization with low fluid, I decided to pick up a gallon of Transynd while at the Cummins/Onan dealer picking up other stuff today. (They do full chassis service, so I figured they must have it in stock). The guy put a gallon on the counter and said "that's $51". Hold it! The Allison guy said they charged $39 but it might have gone up a little. I declined and drove down the street to the Allison dealer and paid $33. There is just no explanation for the additional $18 markup other than gouging.
 
We have run Amsoil ATF in the Allison since the 5000 mile change, we now have almost 100K on the Eagle.  I have way much more confidence in Amsoil products than I do Castrol products, which is the maker of Transynd.  Amsoil Torque-Drive Synthetic ATF is recommended for use in applications specifying Allison TES-295 which is the spec applicable to Transynd.

 
Ron

Our coach came from the factory with the transmission filled with TranSynd, so I have no reason to buy anything else for topping up. Having TranSynd from day one, there was no requirement for a "5,000 mile change" of fluid, although the mandatory filter change was done.

Allison's required fluid change interval is the same for TranSynd and any other fluid meeting TES 295. Allison documents I'm looking at don't state any preference for one TES 285 fluid vs another. IMO marketing names don't imply something is better or worse; They either meet the spec or don't. Presumably, Allison wouldn't recommend TranSynd if it wasn't up to the job; They'd have too much at stake with potential warranty issues.
 
I would not recommend topping off with a different product if what is already in the transmission is availble.  However, based on my experience and knowledge of the ATF products we elected not to install Transynd when the time came.
 
AMSOIL had to make a new brand of transmission fluid to compete in price with Transdyne.  It is a lower quality than the AMSOIL ATF.  AMSOIL specifications, in most products, exceed the standards set by the industry.  The "degraded" version of AMSOIL which meets the TES-295 spec. of Allison is $32.65 a gallon.  When Allison first came out with their "special" blend " TranSynd by Castrol they insured that the test standards were not published thereby blocking others from competing.  AMSOIL  back engineered the product and manufactured a exact "copy."  At the time Allison was selling for  $28.00 a gallon (October 2004).  AMSOIL put it on the market for $19.50 a gallon.  Allison was forced to lower their price to match the AMSOIL  price.  Now they appear to be about the same.  However AMSOIL suggested to their ATF users not to change to AMSOIL Torque-Drive.  The ATF is a higher standard and qualifies to be used in more applications than TranSynd.

 
fredethomas said:
AMSOIL back engineered the product and manufactured a exact "copy."
Click to expand...

So, despite user claims that it's somehow superior, it's really the same thing as Tansynd. I guess that's what a reverse engnineered "exact copy" means, right Fred?

There's nothing like competition to keep prices lower.
 
Listen to what Fred is saying.  BEST to use the high quality Amsoil ATF which exceeds the TES-295 specification.  Aisde from that it is my understanding that even the Amsoil Torque-Drive ATF is of higher qulity than Castrol Transynd.
 
Just putting that good fly rod to use to see who'd rise first  ;)
 
Tom said:
Just putting that good fly rod to use to see who'd rise first? ;)
Click to expand...

For me, I take all claims whether OEM or Independent with several grains of skepticism like a good fish tale. However, it's unlikely that any independent supplier spends the money on research like an OEM in terms of application testing, which in the end is the real measure of a products efficacy.  So, my bias would be slightly to OEM. Moreover, the claim of meeting a specification doesn't mean there all the same whether it be gasoline, oils, greases, etc. Setting stds is simply a way to be able to say this product will not adversely affect your equipment. This certainly applies to bio-diesel at the present time. There are no standards and thus no one can say for sure what the impact will be of using. Cummins has recommended no more than 5% bio-diesel because its a crap shoot at present.
 
LOL, understood Leo. As head of a large standards organization for a number of years (50 technical committees with 25-120 members each) I understand the standards setting process and how "compromise standards" (aka lowest common denominator) can be achieved, if allowed to. My comment was made in respect of the "back engineered ... exact copy" comment, which I maybe took too literally.
 
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