Difference maker or my imagination?

[Iannotti]

Hey folks,

I just changed out my transfer case, front and rear differential, tranny fluid and motor oil.

Used Mobile 1 5w-30 for my engine, royal purple 75W-90 for the differential and transfer case. Toyota tranny fluid used for the tranny.

Now..Is the oil that good that the car ride much smoother? I thought I was crazy, but my wife noticed the same thing.. what a difference..Or is it?

 

[message]

I noticed a difference when I changed out my transfer case and front/rear diffs with synthetic. Less engine/drive-train noise for sure.

 

[talonjade]

Its not just you

I did about the same.
Mobile 1 5W30
AMSOIL (any good synthetic here really) X-Case & diff's (both)


I noticed the biggest difference about 20-30 days afterwards, turns are smoother and display less binding, smoother shifts and I notice the engine shifts and hold's its gears a little longer (less shifting/more power).

My gas mileage is nearly identical to before but:

Average speed: 32 MPH (my DD so lots of city)
Average MPG: 18.9 MPG (not sure if I can get any better MPG in the city with an average speed of 30!!! HAHAHA)

(she is only rated at 15-17 city and I'm also in a pretty Mountainous region so i am getting better then estimated in a location that should be a little less then optimum...yeah im happy with that... its no 20MPG but she is performing valiantly!

Update: So now that it's COOLED outside my fuel mileage moved down to 18.3. Its still sounds and shifts better then old fluid and for the most part it acts like it is not working as hard.

 

[Iannotti]

So it's not the Placebo effect! .. It's a HUGE difference IMO.. :thanks:

 

[Gecko123]

Hey folks,

I just changed out my transfer case, front and rear differential, tranny fluid and motor oil.

Used Mobile 1 5w-30 for my engine, royal purple 75W-90 for the differential and transfer case. Toyota tranny fluid used for the tranny.

Now..Is the oil that good that the car ride much smoother? I thought I was crazy, but my wife noticed the same thing.. what a difference..Or is it?

Interesting. I am thinking about changing mine soon too, but I dont know if you can actually feel the difference unless the old oil was in really really bad shape.

 

[Evan B]

Are there any good step by step how-to's around for the 4th gen transfer case and differential fluid change?

 

[jimithing]

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/maint...ntial-transfer-case-fluids-pics-included.html

 

[03_4x4Runner]

It is your imagination. I can not say I noticed any difference when I did mine. It makes a minimal difference in what you could feel in the seat of your pants power. Maybe the weather changed a gave you a performance increase, that would have more effect than changing to synthetics. In very high power racing engines synthetic engine oil can make a significant difference but in average street engines the power gain is hard to feel any power increase.

 

[MikeInNH]

I'd wager $1000 that if you exchanged the fluid when the vehicle was new you'd never be able to tell the difference. I'd also wager $1000 that if you just changed the fluid to the standard fluid (non synthetic) you'd see the same smoothness.

I do think you actually can feel a smoother ride. But it has NOTHING to do with a special formula of the new fluid..but the fact the you replaced OLD WORN OUT FLUID.