neeeeed help from older boat owners!!!!!!!

i have a boat (1990)with chevy 350 and borg warner velvet drive 1:1. i bought the mercruiser shop manual(#15) for my boat and it calls for mobil 423. or some 10wt. hyd. tractor oil. in the tranny. anyone use mobil 423 or know where to get it?????????? thanks

the tranny takes dextron 3 is what it takes any autoparts shop will have it. Make sure not to run the tranny low they overheat very quick.

Nate is correct. I also have a borg velvet drive 1:1 and run dextron III.

Dexron@ is also called mERCON now and is standard Ford ATF> Call rich @ SKIDIM for confirmation.
rick

If the oil in the trans now is red, use Dextron. If it is on the clear side,use 10 weight gear oil.

ok well i am very mechanically inclined and know what atf is but my manual clearly states for my tranny mobil 423. i will upload the page tomorrow. i think the v-drive tranny in my manual says atf but not mine. if i can not find 423 will atf be ok do you think????

I checked the Velvet Drive Installation Manual, Service Manual, and Owner's Manual (from 82, 85, and 86, I think). All three say (sometimes in different words or tables):

Dexron II, Type F, and other hydraulic transmission fluids which meet the Detroit Diesel Allison Type C3 specifications are recommended for use in all Velvet Drive marine transmissions.

They also say that multi-viscosity oil is not acceptable and that 30 or 40 weight gear oil is only acceptable if RPM does not exceed 3000.

I can't think of a reason for your Mercruiser-powered boat to stray from the Borg Warner specifications.

I see on the Mobil website that:

Mobilfluid 424 recommended for Allison C-4 spec for agricultural uses only. It also says that it is suitable for commercial transmissions requiring Dexron and Type-F but not to use in passenger car transmissions. Who knows why? The one good feature it lists is resistance to corrosion protection in wet and humid environments. Anyway, I'm guessing 424 replaced 423 and C-4 replaced C-3.

Mobil 1 ATF, Multi-Purpose ATF, ATF Type-F, and Mercon V Synthetic Blend ATF all meet Dexron III, Dexron II, Type-F, and/or Allison C-4 specs.

So, it seems to me like you probably be fine with the 424 or just about any ATF you could find. I just wonder why the 424 said that it was recommended for (but not meeting) the Allison C-4 spec only for agricultural applications.

No offense meant here.... but, if it was me and I was having heartburn over the type of tranny fluid, I would be calling Borg Warner and get the recommendation direct from them if possible. If I couldn't get it there, it'd be at a shop. It's not worth a $3500 mistake IMHO.


Borg Warner
Velvet Drive Transmissions/Marine
Liberty, SC
Phone: 864-843-9234
Fax: 864-843-1276
Email: administration@velvetdrive.com
http://www.velvetdrive.com/marine.html

I have an '89 Malibu with a Chevy 350 and a Velvet Drive transmission and I use Dexron III.
When I bought the boat, the previous owner used Gear Lube for Stern drives to cover up a tranny fluid leak, since gear lube is a little thicker in consistancy than ATF. And when I switched to Dexron III, my tranny started leaking and then would stop shifting out on the lake. I ended up having to pay $300 to have the front seal replaced by the dealership.

ok well i appreciate everyones concern and here is what i got. thanks for the help and i guess i will use atf. i was trying to avoid the 3000 dollar mistake and use the right stuff for once but if no one is having any bad effects from atf i guess i will use it. thanks ryan click here to view the page from my loose leaf mercruiser shop manual. i could not get the attachment uploader to work. http://community.webshots.com/scripts/editPhotos.fcgi?action=showMyPhoto&albumID=2405973 87&photoID=259783045&security=cSsNDq

(Message edited by powerstroke on January 25, 2005)

(Message edited by powerstroke on January 25, 2005)