
AMSOIL Torque-Drive Synthetic Automatic Transmission Fluid is recommended as a direct replacement for TranSynd
Synthetic ATF in heavy duty on and off highway automatic transmissions manufactured by Allison®, General Motors®,
Ford®, Voith® and ZF® or wherever the standard TES-295, C-4, Dexron® III, Mercon® or TE-ML 14C are specified,
including municipal or transit buses, garbage haulers, motor homes, delivery vans, emergency vehicles, school
buses, dump trucks, utility vehicles, cement trucks, line haul trucks and tow
trucks.TORQUE-DRIVE-TRANSYND-TES295-ATF.
Allison transmission company manufacturers heavy-duty transmissions and
recommends maintenance practices for those units. Allison establishes transmission fluid quality levels through
fluid specifications such as the popular C-4. Allison established another specification for high quality oils
called Technical Engineering Specification-295 (TES-295). Operators using TES-295 oils can extend drain intervals
according to Allison recommendations in bulletin 1099C, and operators are eligible to purchase the Extended
Transmission Coverage (ETC) warranty. ETC is an additional warranty beyond the standard Allison
warranty.
What is TranSynd®?
TranSynd® is the only TES-295 licensed synthetic transmission fluid formula available. It is manufactured by
Castrol® and marketed in conjunction with Allison. This formulation is also being made available through other
marketers under private label as well.
Why are there not other products licensed as TES-295?
Competing lubricant companies seeking TES-295 approval for their own formulations are faced with formidable
obstacles. Allison requires a test to be run on a specialized test stand, which it has not made available to other
lubricant companies. Furthermore, Allison requires a field trial but has not established formalized field trial
protocol. This effectively locks out competing oil companies and allows Allison and Castrol to charge exorbitant
prices.
How can AMSOIL claim Torque-Drive™ as TES-295 quality without having run the tests?
Because Allison did run the tests on TranSynd® and AMSOIL successfully "reverse engineered" TranSynd®, creating a
fluid based on the same type chemical technology. Both contain PAO. Both contain ester. Both contain enhanced
additive systems. Neither contains VI improvers. Not even sophisticated laboratory analysis can accurately measure
the differences between these two products. The only difference customers will notice is the price. Torque-Drive™
at commercial pricing is considerably lower than TranSynd®.
How will the use of Torque-Drive™ affect the warranty coverage?
The use of Torque-Drive™ will not affect the standard Allison warranty for defects in material or workmanship and
may only be challenged if there is clear evidence of a lubricant related failure, in which case AMSOIL provides
full warranty coverage. Torque-Drive™ does not fulfill the Allison warranty requirements for those customers who
have already purchased ETC. This is a separate contract that binds the parties according to its terms.
Customers who are considering purchasing ETC should give this careful consideration. ETC can be
very costly ranging from $235 per unit for one year in school busses equipped with a 1000 model transmission to as
much as $4,000 per unit for three years in transit busses equipped with a B500R. Allison customers need to ask
themselves where the savings are if they have to pay big dollars for additional warranty coverage which forces them
to use the most expensive transmission fluid available. If Allison customers consider Torque-Drive™ as an
alternative, they will find that the standard Allison warranty for defects in material and workmanship is not
compromised and AMSOIL provides additional warranty coverage for lubricant related failures
indefinitely.
How does Torque-Drive™ compare to AMSOIL Synthetic Transmission Fluid (ATF)?
Torque-Drive™ was created to satisfy the concerns of customers currently using TranSynd®, and it carries with it
the confidence to be used for the intervals established by Allison. AMSOIL ATF is a more advanced product with
universal applications such as Mercon V and ATF +4. AMSOIL does not recommend draining or switching to
Torque-Drive™ unless the Allison customer intends on following the extended drain interval recommendations of
Allison.
What are the key performance benefits offered by Torque-Drive™?
AMSOIL Torque-Drive™ provides superior performance and protection against thermal and oxidative degradation, sludge
and varnish formation, viscosity shear down, cold temperature thickening, poor friction stability, high component
wear and shortened oil life. Conventional oils require frequent changes and reduce the effective service life of
transmissions. AMSOIL Torque-Drive™ extends lubricant life and provides protection superior to conventional
ATF's.
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AMSOIL
Torque-Drive
Synthetic
Automatic
Transmission
Fluid
(ATD)
R
ecommended
for
use
in
applications
specifying
Allison®
TES-295
or
C4,
DEXRON®
III,
MERCON®,
Voith
G-1363,
ZF®
TE-ML
14C
Package
sizes
include:
1-Gallon
Bottle
1-Gallon
Bottles
(case
of
4)
2.5-Gallon
Bottle
2.5-Gallon
Bottles
(case
of
2)
16-Gallon
Keg
30-Gallon
Drum
55-Gallon
Drum
275-Gallon
Tote
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Engineered
to
eliminate
the
deficiencies
common
to
all
conventional,
petroleum
ATFs,
AMSOIL
Torque-Drive
provides
superior
performance
and
protection
against
thermal
and
oxidative
degradation,
sludge
and
varnish
formation,
viscosity
shear
down,
cold
temperature
oil
thickening,
poor
friction
stability,
high
component
wear
and
shortened
oil
life.
Automatic
transmission
operating
expenses
can
be
directly
linked
to
transmission
fluid
quality.
Poor
quality
oils
need
frequent
changes
and
they
reduce
the
effective
service
life
of
transmissions.
Delivering
the
ultimate
in
oxidation
resistance,
wear
control
and
friction
performance,
AMSOIL
Torque-Drive
extends
lubricant
life
up
to
six
times*
and
provides
protection
beyond
that
possible
from
conventional
ATFs.
Vehicles
stay
on
the
road
longer,
unnecessary
labor
and
maintenance
costs
are
reduced,
and
the
return
on
costly
transmission
investments
is
maximized.
Immediate
financial
benefits
are
realized
upon
the
installation
of
AMSOIL
Torque-Drive.
*
Depending
on
duty
cycle,
local
conditions,
oil
analysis
and/or
OEM
recommendations.
THERMAL
AND
OXIDATIVE
STABILITY
Hot
weather
and
operating
conditions
are
no
excuse
for
poor
transmission
reliability.
By
delivering
a
slower
than
normal
oxidation
rate,
AMSOIL
Torque-Drive
prevents
sludge
that
blocks
small
valves,
prevents
varnish
that
restricts
component
movement
and
reduces
oil
thickening
that
slows
down
shift
times.
AMSOIL
Torque-Drive
lasts
longer
than
conventional
ATFs,
protects
better
than
conventional
ATFs
and
extends
transmission
life
beyond
that
possible
with
conventional
ATFs.
SHEAR
STABLE
Conventional
automatic
transmission
fluids
use
petroleum
oils
with
viscosity
index
(VI)
improvers
added
to
increase
the
oil’s
operational
temperature
range.
Over
time,
VI
improvers
shear
down,
promoting
premature
wear
by
leaving
only
a
thin
base
oil
to
protect
vital
transmission
components.
AMSOIL
Torque-Drive
does
not
contain
VI
improvers,
which
means
no
VI
improver
shear
down
regardless
of
the
operating
environment.
The
unmatched
film
strength
of
AMSOIL
Torque-Drive
prevents
wear,
significantly
increasing
the
transmission
service
life.
FRICTION
DURABILITY
Oxidation
by-products
destroy
the
sensitive
friction
characteristics
of
transmission
fluids,
resulting
in
the
rapid
degradation
of
shift
quality.
The
thermal
and
oxidative
stability
inherent
in
AMSOIL
Torque-Drive™
assures
consistent,
smooth
clutch
engagement
with
no
harsh
shifting
throughout
the
life
of
the
fluid.
AMSOIL
Torque-Drive
maintains
proper
coefficients
of
friction,
prevents
clutch
glazing
and
prevents
elongated
shift
times.
EXTREME
TEMPERATURE
PERFORMANCE
Transmissions
operate
in
temperature
extremes.
In
hot
temperatures,
the
synthetic
construction
of
AMSOIL
Torque-Drive
virtually
eliminates
oil
evaporation
and
delivers
a
better
lubricating
film
than
conventional
oils
for
better
overall
protection
of
vital
components.
Oil
consumption
is
reduced
and
transmissions
require
less
maintenance.
In
cold
temperatures,
AMSOIL
Torque-Drive
easily
flows,
as
it
does
not
contain
the
wax
found
in
conventional
ATFs.
Cold
temperature
fluidity
allows
for
the
proper
operation
of
small,
delicate,
electronically
controlled
solenoids
that
affect
gear
changes.
Unlike
conventional
ATFs,
transmissions
using
AMSOIL
Torque-Drive
have
quick
response
times
during
cold
operations
and
can
be
used
immediately
upon
start-up.
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AMSOIL
Torque-Drive
Synthetic
Automatic
Transmission
Fluid
is
based
on
the
same
type
of
chemistry
as
TransSynd®.
This
fine
Infra-red
(IR)
scan,
revealing
a
chemical
"picture"
of
both
products,
shows
no
measurable
differences. |
Product
Applications
AMSOIL
Torque-Drive
is
recommended
as
a
direct
replacement
for
TranSynd®
Synthetic
ATF
in
heavy
duty,
on
and
off
highway
automatic
transmissions
manufactured
by
Allison,®
General
Motors,®
Ford,®
Voith®
and
ZF®
or
wherever
the
standards
TES-295,
C-4,
Dexron®
III,
Mercon,®
Voith
G-1363
or
TE-ML
14C
are
specified.
Examples
of
operations
that
benefit
from
using
AMSOIL
Torque-Drive
include
municipal
or
transit
buses,
motor
coaches,
garbage
haulers,
motor
homes,
delivery
vans,
emergency
vehicles,
school
buses,
dump
trucks,
utility
vehicles,
cement
trucks,
line
haul
trucks
and
tow
trucks.
Where
extended
drain
intervals
are
not
specified
by
the
original
equipment
manufacturer
(OEM),
it
is
recommended
that
AMSOIL
Torque-Drive
be
evaluated
with
oil
analysis
at
standard
OEM
drain
intervals
or
more
frequently
to
establish
proper
drain
interval.
Where
extended
drain
intervals
are
recommended
by
the
OEM,
follow
that
recommendation.
This
includes
the
recommendations
set
by
Allison®
in
document
#1099F
for
TES-295
fluids.
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PHYSICAL
DATA
AMSOIL
Torque-Drive
Synthetic
Transmission
Fluid
(ATD)
&
Castrol/Allison
Transynd®
Synthetic
Automatic
Transmission
Fluid
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Physical
Data
|
Torque-Drive™ |
TranSynd® |
|
Kinematic
Viscosity
@
100°C,
cSt
(ASTM
D-445)
|
7.41 |
7.36 |
|
Kinematic
Viscosity
@
40°C,
cSt
(ASTM
D-445)
|
37.14 |
37.29 |
Brookfield
Viscosity
@
-40°C
(cP)
|
8411 |
8400 |
|
|
7.038 |
7.047 |
|
Flash
Point
°C
(°F)
(ASTM
D
92)
|
230
(446) |
232
(450) |
|
Pour
Point
°C
(°F)
(ASTM
D
97)
|
-55
(-67) |
-55
(-67) |
Four
Ball
Wear
Test
(ASTM
D-4172B:
40
kg,
75°C,
1200
rpm,
1
hr)
mm
|
0.45 |
0.45 |
|
Copper
Corrosion
(150°C,
3
hr)
|
1B |
1B |
|
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|
|
|
133 |
136 |
|
|
28 |
29 |
|
|
230 |
235 |
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