Originally posted by todras:


From TH

...As to other aftermarket suppliers who 'say'
that their lube meets Ford 'WSD-M2C200-C'...I'd be
intersted to see their proof of being 'authorised by
Ford'...or do we assume they have been certified and
passed all the Ford tests etc from a lube
submission...




Here was my email to Royal Purple:

Originally posted by me:

I notice that you list Synchromax as compatible with Ford's
XT-M5-QS spec WSD-M2C200-C gear oil for the MTX-75 manual
transmission. You are, perhaps, the only aftermarket lube
company to do so. I have a 96 Ford Contour with the MTX-75, and I have 3 quarts of Synchromax in the trunk, waiting to go in the tranny. The Motorcraft lubricant is over $21/quart locally, so I was glad to find you. However, I do have a few questions before I go ahead with the drain and fill.

What sort of testing/documentation/certification have you done to ensure that the Ford spec has been met? Is there a
"seal of approval" that has to be obtained from Ford? I'm
curious why more companies (such as Redline, Amsoil, etc.)
don't make specific claims with regards to OEM specs. What
have you done that the others have not bothered to do?

Thanks for your time and attention,

Roger B
Wichita, KS




And here's the quick response:

Originally posted by Royal Purple:


Roger,

Thanks for your email regarding the Ford MTX57 5 Speed Front Wheel Drive transmission in your 1996 Ford Contour.

We have tested the Synchromax in this Ford World Car platform in Europe for several years through our Italian distributor. The Ford spec calls for a GL-3 rated gear oil in a synthetic 75W90 formulation. A GL-3 rated gear oil is not really a gear oil at all in that it does not contain any EP additives like you would find in a EP gear oil used in a differential. See the attached API description of GL ratings.

The Synchromax is a slightly lighter viscosity fluid than the Ford product but also contains our Synerlec additive package which gives the oil film 300% more film pressure to resist metal to metal than a GL-3 oil but still allows the synchronizers to function correctly and in this case, more efficiently making for smoother shift quality.

No, the Synchromax is not a Ford certified fluid meeting this particular specification - to do that - it would have to be pretty much an exact copy of it - so it would perform no better. But we are not claiming it is a warranty product, only that we recommend it for this particular application. If you want the OEM fluid in your 9+ year old car - then the Motorcraft fluid is right for you. I suspect that you've upgraded the tires, the shocks, the brakes, maybe the audio system, why not upgrade the fluids?

The reason the Ford Motorcraft product is so pricey - it's not a better product, it's just going through more levels of marketing. The lube blender sells it to Ford Europe (or North America) at a markup. Ford then distributes it to the Different divisions (at a markup) who then distribute it to the District level (at a markup) which then goes to the dealership (at a markup) who then sells it to you at 21 / quart. It started as a 3-4 / quart product with 5 people making 35-50% markup.

Attached is a press release of another Ford application using the Synchromax in a Tremec 5 speed with higher horsepower that I thought you might find interesting.

David


David Canitz
Tech Services Manager
Royal Purple Ltd
1 Royal Purple Lane
Porter, TX 77365




Function before fashion. '96 Contour SE "Toss the Contour into a corner, and it's as easy to catch as a softball thrown by a preschooler." -Edmunds, 1998