Lubeguard Red for Trannies??

[mkgarrison5]

any of you guys use this stuff in your auto trannies? i have heard good things about it. about how it keeps your atf from oxidizing and stuff like that? what do you guys think?

[MTL_4runner]

I think it falls into the unnecessary category for me. Best thing you can do for your tranny is to flush the fluid every 25-45k miles (you can also use synthetic fluid, but I personally don't think it buys you as much as synthetic motor oil does) and add an external cooler.

[mkgarrison5]

what about drain and fills every 10-20k miles? more like every 15k miles for me at 4-5qts a pop??.... a friend of mine is a mechanic, former yota mechanic and he swears by it. that and M1 syn ATF..

[mastacox]

Tranny cooler, synthetic fluids changed regularly. Done.

[mkgarrison5]

well i have to keep it basic. i make teacher's pay. so this is what i do and use

valvoline maxlife dex/merc drain and fill every 15k miles roughly.


would that routine justify not getting the additive stuff? thanks fellas

[MTL_4runner]

what about drain and fills every 10-20k miles? more like every 15k miles for me at 4-5qts a pop??.... a friend of mine is a mechanic, former yota mechanic and he swears by it. that and M1 syn ATF..


Drain and fill every 10-20k is fine too, but obviously not as good as a full flush of the system. I'm a former mechanic and I do the 10-20k drain and fill method myself and found it plenty effective for my driving habits. :D If you're S/C'd or towing heavy loads constantly, you might consider the flush method instead.

.....I still say skip the additive.

[mkgarrison5]

ok thanks mtl.. i rarely pull heavy loads. mainly lots of highway miles. thats it.. besides the maxlife atf is a blend so its slightly better than the basic dexIII.. would it hurt to add the lubegard? supposedly it keeps the tranny cooler and keeps the tranny fluid from oxidizing

[MTL_4runner]

would it hurt to add the lubegard? supposedly it keeps the tranny cooler and keeps the tranny fluid from oxidizing


Will it hurt? I have no idea.

Keeps the fluid from oxidizing. So does changing it.

Keeps the tranny cooler. I'd bet it won't work nearly as well as an external tranny cooler.

MK, install an external tranny cooler if you're dying to spend some money on your truck's tranny. :thumbup:

[mkgarrison5]

lol doesnt it have a tranny cooler on it already?? how much is an external cooler anyway?

[MTL_4runner]

lol doesnt it have a tranny cooler on it already?? how much is an external cooler anyway?


Did your search button vanish this morning? :laugh:

http://www.ultimateyota.com/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=26&topic=678.0
http://www.ultimateyota.com/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=26&topic=535.0

[mkgarrison5]

sorry long day mtl thanks for your patience

[mkgarrison5]

doesnt the tacos 2002 come with a tranny cooler?? or is it basicall worthless

[MTL_4runner]

doesnt the tacos 2002 come with a tranny cooler?? or is it basicall worthless


All vehicles I've seen with an auto tranny also have a built in tranny cooler in the radiator (some HD vehicles may come stock with an additional external tranny cooler). The radiator setup provides only basic cooling (or heating in winter) and can be greatly improved by an external tranny cooler.

[TechWrench]

would it hurt to add the lubegard? supposedly it keeps the tranny cooler and keeps the tranny fluid from oxidizing


Will it hurt? I have no idea.

Keeps the fluid from oxidizing. So does changing it.

Keeps the tranny cooler. I'd bet it won't work nearly as well as an external tranny cooler.

MK, install an external tranny cooler if you're dying to spend some money on your truck's tranny. :thumbup:


ok thanks mtl.. i rarely pull heavy loads. mainly lots of highway miles. thats it.. besides the maxlife atf is a blend so its slightly better than the basic dexIII.. would it hurt to add the lubegard? supposedly it keeps the tranny cooler and keeps the tranny fluid from oxidizing




ok thanks mtl.. i rarely pull heavy loads. mainly lots of highway miles. thats it.. besides the maxlife atf is a blend so its slightly better than the basic dexIII.. would it hurt to add the lubegard? supposedly it keeps the tranny cooler and keeps the tranny fluid from oxidizing


As others have said, changing the fluid on a regular basis is the best method of keeping it from oxidizing, along with keeping it from overheating. Overheating is the #1 cause of fluid failure in a trans. As for that stuff keeping the trans cooler, I kinda doubt it. Given the way the factory radiator cooler works, I don't see how any fluid additive could make much difference. But, an add-on cooler can be very effective in reducing trans temps, if installed right. If you don't overwork the trans by heavy duty towing or hill climbs, regular fluid changes with a good quality fluid (try to stay with the same type instead of mixing brands) should be all you need to maintain fluid 'health'.