Mobile 1 Synthetic ATF in place of Mercon for Transfer Case..

M

midnightlaundry

Joined
Feb 22, 2013
Messages
47
Location
Westland, MI.
I've read a M1 label that said it was good for Mercon and I seen one recently that said not to use it.. ***?

Ford says to not use Mercon V for TC's.. I've seen post's where Ford Tech's use Mercon V for TC's.. ***??

Disclaimer is I've had M1 SATF in there for 10 years with no problems.. :D But I don't do a lot of 4X4. Maybe a handful of times per year in the winter when we get a good snow down.

Have I been lucky? I now know that you can get Mercon under the Dex/Merc moniker..

What say you??
 
The transfer case always spins internally, whether you are in 2 or 4wd. I'm assuming it is a Borg Warner TC? My 4406 TC calls for Mercon so that is what I've always used in it. 175K and all is fine.
 
Automatic transfer cases require ATF. Their clutches are the exact same as transmissions. When Dex3 was the standard, Dex3 was the TC fluid, until 2000, when AutoTrak2 came out. AT2 was the standard until Dexron6 in 2006. Then all the TC were specd for Dex6, and no more AT2. Point being, for instance, an NP246, was dex3, then AT2, then Dex6, same exact Tcase. I understand this is GM based lingo, but that is what I am referencing here, not a ford guy

In manual shift tcase, some have been using 5w30 motor oil with great success. Many t case builders like Kodiak Tcase, specically call out 5w30 motor oil, in NON automatic units.

If yours is automatic, then you need ATF, I recommend Maxlife, but if you have had M1 atf there for 10 years, I would say that it is working fine......you probably should have replaced it sooner.....but that is another thing entirely.

I used to use M1 Syn ATF, and it is a greta product.
 
Add to this my patchy remembrance of reading a notice -allegedly from Ford- which said an LV fluid was back specced for all Ford TC's.

I used Valvoline Maxlife Dex-Merc LV; which is synthetic. My TC, a BW1354, calls for 40 ounces.

My factory TC fluid was 15 years old and blackened red in color. New fluid seemed to make it shift more crisply.

I only just learned that there's an oil pump in the TC!
 
The local Auto Zone has M1 Synthetic ATF on clearance for $6 a quart. I grabbed the last 3.. The bottles say specifically for Mercon applications among others.. Anything Synthetic pertaining to Auto Fluids is GOOD in my book, so I feel fine about using this stuff for the TC.
The Ford change interval for the TC is every 60K. I should be good for a while.
Thanks everyone.
 
burbguy82 said:
Automatic transfer cases require ATF. Their clutches are the exact same as transmissions. When Dex3 was the standard, Dex3 was the TC fluid, until 2000, when AutoTrak2 came out. AT2 was the standard until Dexron6 in 2006. Then all the TC were specd for Dex6, and no more AT2. Point being, for instance, an NP246, was dex3, then AT2, then Dex6, same exact Tcase. I understand this is GM based lingo, but that is what I am referencing here, not a ford guy

In manual shift tcase, some have been using 5w30 motor oil with great success. Many t case builders like Kodiak Tcase, specically call out 5w30 motor oil, in NON automatic units.

If yours is automatic, then you need ATF, I recommend Maxlife, but if you have had M1 atf there for 10 years, I would say that it is working fine......you probably should have replaced it sooner.....but that is another thing entirely.

I used to use M1 Syn ATF, and it is a greta product.
Click to expand...
Correct that GM spec’d Auto Trac II until 2006, but then GM switched to Magna Power Train transfer cases around 2007, and the fluid was changed to Dexron VI for both the automatic and and the manually shifted transfer cases. I think you point out that the transfer cases were “ the same” such that they had a large chain etc and the automatic engaging version had clutches, but they weren’t exactly the same such that Magna was a completely different company. I think the answer is that the transfer cases were very forgiving regarding the type of lube to use. However the automatic ones really do need an ATF.
 
Here is the owners manual for the Explorer showing that Mercon V is the correct fluid. Mercon V is available as any one of the Dex / Merc products out there and is cheap. As far a back spec’ing goes there should be a sheet out there somewhere. Ford also makes a “ transfer case fluid” at a higher price.

C59589FA-7675-4D8E-9F97-6F67CD18E6DA.jpg
84673B96-5A3B-45DA-8574-F9C2A2BBFACB.jpg
 
Snagglefoot said:
Correct that GM spec’d Auto Trac II until 2006, but then GM switched to Magna Power Train transfer cases around 2007, and the fluid was changed to Dexron VI for both the automatic and and the manually shifted transfer cases. I think you point out that the transfer cases were “ the same” such that they had a large chain etc and the automatic engaging version had clutches, but they weren’t exactly the same such that Magna was a completely different company. I think the answer is that the transfer cases were very forgiving regarding the type of lube to use. However the automatic ones really do need an ATF.
Click to expand...
for a very short time they changed, for light duty, which adds nothing to the conversation of lubricant.
 
So, Ford likes to play games.. They probably wanted to make sure they could off their old Mercon stock before they made the official change.

Mercon V relabeled as Transfer Case Fluid at a premium price.. Go Ford..


The Mobile 1 ATF download says at the bottom under Properties and Specifications that it's flat out grade Mercon V.. LOL

 
midnightlaundry said:
So, Ford likes to play games.. They probably wanted to make sure they could off their old Mercon stock before they made the official change.

Mercon V relabeled as Transfer Case Fluid at a premium price.. Go Ford..


The Mobile 1 ATF download says at the bottom under Properties and Specifications that it's flat out grade Mercon V.. LOL

Click to expand...
From what I remember back in the day, there something in Mercon V that disagreed with the adhesive bonding the clutch material in the push button transfer cases. That meant they had to keep using Mercon in them but Ford couldn't keep calling it that due to the licensing associated with that name, hence the "special" transfer case fluid.

Ford doesn't make their own fluids, and they don't keep rail cars of the stuff around, so the idea that they needed to use stuff up is improbable.
 
jetman said:
Consider the viscosity at operating temp = 100*c.

Mercon V viscosity @ 100*c = 7.5

Mobil Delvac 1 atf Viscosity @ 100*c = 7.3

Dexron 6 atf Viscosity @ 100*c = 5.8.
Click to expand...
this is a great point, recently I learned that Maxlife is now the same vis as dex 6. I trhink I might stick with the m1
 
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