automotive trans. fluid??

snaponman1526 · February 01, 2010, 08:14:23 PM

i have a 50 gallon drum of transmission fluid. it drum is about a year old and and is mercon II. i really have no use for it because this fluid isnt compatible with newer vehicles. any harm using this as bar and chain lube? or should i just consider it a loss and recycle it. thanks benn

Rocky_J · February 01, 2010, 08:25:56 PM

I'm no oil expert, but I do know that trans fluid has lots of cleaners in it. This should be fine from a lubrication standpoint and it won't harm the saw. However I'd probably mix it about 50-50 with bar lube in order to get the tackifiers to keep it from slinging off the tip of the bar as much. Or add tack agents such as STP or something.

The area where I don't have any knowledge is the safety aspect of flinging trans fluid in the air, getting it on your skin and breathing the mist. I do know that as a kid in my father's gas station, he showed me how he added a quart of trans fluid to the 5 gallons of diesel fuel in the parts washer bin to keep it from eating up your skin. So in that respect I think trans fluid is not harmful to handle. I'm sure others will argue that trans fluid (and everything else in life) will kill you if you touch it.

I do remember one day last year when I ran out of bar lube on a job and I grabbed a half full jug of trans fluid to use instead. Ran a few saws with it all day without any problems or unusual chain stretch. It worked fine.

Jasperfield · February 01, 2010, 08:30:02 PM

I don't know that product well, but think if it was for auto transmissions it ought to do well for bar oil. It might not be as tacky as dedicated bar oils, though.

I use ATF to lubricate the bar on my firewood processer. It works real well.

If I were you, I'd use it.

Magicman · February 01, 2010, 09:14:30 PM

Divide it up and share it with all of your Woodmizer owning friends. That's what is used in the hydraulics and all mill lubricating needs...... 8)

snaponman1526 · February 01, 2010, 11:05:49 PM

ive seen many other uses. i know people that use it in their powersteering systems, ive seen people use it in plow setups on trucks and even in hydraulic systems on machinery. I know they make powersteering fluid, they make plow fluid, and i know they make bar and chain oil. every fluid has a specific purpose. I just hate to throw it out if it would do no harm. any other opinions would be great. again this fluid is brand new never used!!! unfortunatley newer vehicles all take different fluid so this fluid is almost obolete and most of my vehicles are manual trans anyways.

des170stihl · February 02, 2010, 12:02:54 AM

Nope Not Me, I,ve been useing saws for over 40 years and trany fluid is made for pressure and does,nt lube very well and does not stand up to heat. Which will burn your bar and chain. The only thing I,ll sub bar oil with is 30w motor oil. And I don,t like doing that.

timber tramp · February 02, 2010, 12:21:37 AM

>>unfortunatley newer vehicles all take different fluid so this fluid is almost obolete and most of my vehicles are manual trans anyways

Know anybody into antique cars? Your obsolete tranny fluid might be a real commodity. I have no knowledge of this personally, just a thought.

TT

Al_Smith · February 02, 2010, 05:48:59 AM

On occasion I've used tranny fluid to clean out old oil residue in old chainsaws . It works well . In addition to that tranny fluid seems to pump better on some saws with whimpy oilers in cold weather .

A better use would be for hydraulic fluid in a wood splitter of some other application because it pumps good in cold weather . Fact is my splitter has about 7-8 gallons of the stuff in it as I type .

bandmiller2 · February 02, 2010, 07:19:27 AM

ATF is more or less the universal hydraulic oil and of much higher quality than most bar and chain oils.Add some STP or Motor honey for tack use it with confidence its especially good in the winter.Frank C.

JohnG28 · February 02, 2010, 11:44:38 AM

If you read through the recently posted topic about waste oil, there is info in there regarding all types of oils used as bar oil, including atf fluid, some very good reading there, IMO...personally, Id only use bar oil

ihookem · February 02, 2010, 08:16:04 PM

I mix hydraulic transmission fluid with bar oil in winter. I have not had a problem yet. In summer I use bar oil cause hydraulic fluid gets used up as fast as the gas.

shinnlinger · February 05, 2010, 08:21:36 PM

Got a diesel engine around? MIx it in there.... If you decide not to use it post it on craiglist and it will be gone in 2 hours... Save you the hassle and maybe make you a friend or maybe introduce you to the thief that will come back and rob you so set it outside and size the guy up first.

Dave

boobap · February 05, 2010, 08:59:09 PM

Quote>>unfortunatley newer vehicles all take different fluid so this fluid is almost obolete and most of my vehicles are manual trans anyways

i have an 07 dodge hemi, and the transfer case and the power steering use ATF

when i got the service manual and read that...i was like

MOwoodchopper · February 06, 2010, 12:05:06 PM

use it all the time to thin bar oil when its cold works great

Cut4fun · February 06, 2010, 12:45:21 PM

Rather see a guy use new tranny fluid over used motor oil >:(. Can't get the cheap

to stop.

You need a address where to send it to these :

guys? That way I can keep from having to clean the

oiler and screen filter all the

time.

arojay · February 06, 2010, 02:43:26 PM

I've used it, mixed with bar oil for tack. Dexron is just a high quality, low viscosity, lubricating hydraulic fluid. It is the winter choice in my old JD 350 reverser and hydraulic system. I reuse it as well as Hydraul 50 for bar oil.

rickywashere · March 04, 2010, 08:15:27 AM

Quote from: des170stihl on February 02, 2010, 12:02:54 AM
Nope Not Me, I,ve been useing saws for over 40 years and trany fluid is made for pressure and does,nt lube very well and does not stand up to heat. Which will burn your bar and chain. The only thing I,ll sub bar oil with is 30w motor oil. And I don,t like doing that.

i have to disagree nothing gets hotter than a auto tranny pulling a big load

but back to the question i have used it in the past but if you dont mix it atleast 75/25 with fluid being 75% you will prolly run out before a tank of gas is done because it is made to get thinner as it warms up and will flow to freely

ely · March 04, 2010, 08:53:06 AM

i would use it for everything. it does really well mixing it in your fuel tanks on diesel equip. just not so good for hiway use. the dot get a little uptite about it.

tdi-rick · March 05, 2010, 05:23:03 AM

Quote from: Rocky_J on February 01, 2010, 08:25:56 PM
I'm no oil expert, but I do know that trans fluid has lots of cleaners in it.
[snip]

That's an old myth right there, ATF has bugger all detergents compared to engine oil.

The old advice to add ATF to the engine oil as a cleaner is absolutely bogus, modern oils have far greater quantities of detergents/dispersant's than any ATF ever made, with diesel oils having a commensurate amount greater again.

FWIW bar oils are just very basic lubricants, usually a straight SAE30 Group I oil with a few anti-wear/extreme pressure adds and a bit of tackifier.
(BTW, STP is not a tackifier, it's just a high molecular weight oil, an oil thickener or Olefin Copolymer)

I can't see a problem adding ATF to summer weight bar oil in a NA winter at all.

HolmenTree · March 05, 2010, 11:46:52 AM

ATF by its self would be too thin for bar oil even in freezing winter conditions. Go to your grocery store and pickup a gallon of canola oil for about $5. In a bigger can mix up that gal of canola with about 25% ATF added . Now you got a good quality bar oil that can be used even in freezing conditions, if its colder out and the oil thickens too much add more ATF.
In summer months I don't add ATF just straight canola.
We could start a whole new thread here on Canola, like what has been done for years on other sites.
Willard.