Steve Zitelli

I was repalcing the trans lube in my 76 with a 4 spd with swepco 201.I had only a half gallon that someone gave me.I'm a quart shy the local parts store didn't have the swepco.Can I use a quart of Valvoline as long as it's the same weight.Is swepco a synthetic oil?

nolift911

I don't think I would mix the two - I do know that Swepco is NOT synthetic...

I would just get another quart and be on the safe side.

-Jeff

Steve Weiner-Rennsport Systems

You can use the Valvoline as long as its NOT synthetic.

Swepco is not synthetic and no synthetic oils should never be used in any 901-915-930 transmission. Dino stuff, only

Your 4-speed may simply not shift as smoothly as if would have all Swepco inside,....

JackOlsen

If the stuff currently in the transaxle is old, one option would be to run four quarts of the off-the-shelf non-synthetic oil to clean things out, and then replace it with 100% Swepco when the additional quarts arrive.

Do they sell Swepco by the quart? I've only ever seen the gallon containers and the 55-gallon drums.

Steve Weiner-Rennsport Systems

Nossir, gallons & drums, only,....

Of course, if someone shows up at the shop with their own quart containers, I'll fill them from our 55 gal drums.

HarryD

Steve,

I'll need to remember that the next time I change tranny fluid....

Steve Zitelli

Thanks for all the reponses.For the record I wasn't having any problems with the 4spd just was changing the fluid.I ended up adding the Valvoline.I just took it out for a nice drive and it feels slightly better,but it felt good before I changed it.

JBO

Notice Steve says it may not shift "as smoothly"...915's don't shift that smoothly no matter what you put in them...my newly rebuilt unit with swepco doesn't shift nearly as smoothly as my friends 996TT, and never will. My clutch is also heavier than his, my car is way slower, the A/C doesn't work nearly as well, my car rides rougher and is noisier...but I still like mine just fine...

theiceman

Hey JBO i think you forgot one other difference ... or about 80,000 worth of them :-)

Steve Zitelli

I think the 4spd 915 is a more robust trans.I've drove alot of 915 5 spds and they all had issues.My 76 with 4spd and 125k on it shifts very smooth.I can even downshift into first without grinding a gear try that with a 5spd with 125k.Is there a trans expert out there that can verify my claims?

JBO

..I'm no expert, but have read that the 4 speeds in the 930's are indeed stronger, though I don't recall reading that they generally shift better. In any event, you obviously have a good one that has been well maintained.

JBO

Your right iceman. But even if I could afford it, I wouldn't give him my SC and $30,000, which would be an unbelievable deal, as it's not worth the differential to me. His 996TT is better than most, with a Techart package, including exhaust and suspension. Since mine is an extra car, the increase in fun factor would not justify the cost. This is assuming both would be to keep and I wouldn't be doing it to turn around and sell the 996 for a profit.

Peter Zimmermann

Steve Z: Yes, the 4-speed 915 is definitely a sweet shifting unit. However, if a 5-speed 915 is in good condition internally, and the linkage is set correctly, it too can be a nice shifting trans. But it won't ever be as smooth as a 4-spd. We also have to remember that early 915 5-speeds shifted better than the 915/61 ('77 on) 5-speeds, but the later trans was a stronger unit. Overall, I think that the 915 hasn't been cut much slack because they can survive so long after wear symptoms appear that owners that are in that "it needs to be fixed" zone just think that it's a crappy shifting car. It would be much different if the 915 would deteriorate quickly and break in a very short time, but they don't. I know people who have been nursing their 915, with bad synchros, for 50K miles. When that happens the 915 gets a bad rap, and if the car gets sold in that condition its next owner will mistakenly think that they're all like that. Also, many 915s have been "repaired" by using only new synchro rings. That's a huge mistake, because synchros and selector sleeves wear into one another. If just the ring is replaced the used, worn, selector can't work with it as a team. The two parts will fight each other, and the result is a crappy shifting trans. Through no fault of its own, the 915 gets it from both sides. Add to that a simple, but often misunderstood, clutch adjustment procedure, and linkage that must be set correctly and often isn't, and you've got a lot of 915s out there that could shift a lot better than they do.
Pete