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Powerflite Transmission Fluid


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The Powerflite transmission fluid in my 1956 DeSoto is low. The manual calls for Type "A". which no one has in our area. What is the correct subustitute for type A?

Thanks in advance for the reply.

Bill McLin

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  • 2 weeks later...

In some places, Type A fluid is still around, but in "third level" or "house" brands. Chrysler changed their fluid specs from Type A to Dexron in 1968 or so. The current Dexron III is the latest supercession from that original Dexron spec. GM shows Dexron III to be backward compatible all the way back to 1948 or so in their vehicles. I would suspect similar with the earlier Chryslers.

One of the main differences I've been able to run down about the Dexron III is that it's a multi-viscosity fluid whereas the earlier Dexrons were somewhere between 10W or 20W fluids. I recall seeing an article in the later '60s which stated that Chrysler's factory fill fluids for the TorqueFlites was a multi-vis fluid, but the atf they sold for service was not. My research might indicate the current Dexron III fluid might be pretty close to that original factory fill fluid.

I'll concur that the current Dexron III fluid will probably work just fine in the earlier transmissions. It's additive package will be far superior to anything in earlier times.

Hope this helps,

NTX5467

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