So what's the best oil/fluid to use in a Paxton SN series blower?

Hi guys,

OK, I've been going through the archives, just looking for any and all information I can find on these Paxton SN series chargers, and I am learning alot.

Now, I know that the SN series chargers use Type 'F' Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) for lubrication, which is obviously readily available in any autoparts store. But one thing I remember reading in one of the discussions was that not all ATFs are the same, and that some experimentation between the various products is required in order to find a "good" ATF to use.

Has anyone figured out which fluid is "the best" to use for these blowers?

Thanks very much in advance everyone.

I use Valvoline 'F'

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Originally Posted by speedytang

I use Valvoline 'F'

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Awesome! Thanks speedytang.

Anyone else use anything different, or is Valvoline the elixire of choice?

BTW - Is this Valvoline ATF synthetic? How long between fluid change intervals?

Thanks again.

Do NOT use Synthetic. 3000 miles

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Originally Posted by speedytang

Do NOT use Synthetic.

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No problem, I won't. Any particular reason why though?

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Originally Posted by speedytang

3,000 miles

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THAT'S IT?!? :shocked: For EVERY fluid change?!? GAK!!!

I thought I read somewhere that the fluid should be changed at 3,000miles the first time, but then every like 10,000 or 15,000 after that.

Whoa! 3,000 miles - that kinda blows (no pun intended). Is the change interval the same if I were to run an oil cooler system?

And how do you drain/flush the system? There's no drain hole on the bottom of the fluid chamber (at least, not one I saw). PLEASE don't tell me that the charger has to be removed from the engine in order to drain the system...

I took a gatorade bottle and drilled two holes in the top. Run two lengths of tubing aquarium pump tubing, one to go into the blower and one into your mouth. RTV them to the top.

I then put one tube down the dipstick hole to the bottom, and the other in my mouth. Create a vacuum in the gatorade bottle which in turn pulls the fluid out of the blower.

The Blower uses friction to operate so you don't want something slick. Just change the fluid when you change your car oil. 3000 miles is really good considering your not using a remote unit to cool the fluid or a filter. With the remote cooler I still change my fluid every 3000 miles what is a $1.75 every 3000 miles. When racing the unit I change it after racing. The original way to change the fluid was a turkey baster with a needle on the end.

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Originally Posted by speedytang

The Blower uses friction to operate so you don't want something slick. Just change the fluid when you change your car oil. 3000 miles is really good considering your not using a remote unit to cool the fluid or a filter. With the remote cooler I still change my fluid every 3000 miles what is a $1.75 every 3000 miles. When racing the unit I change it after racing. The original way to change the fluid was a turkey baster with a needle on the end.

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I guess you're right - 3,000 miles isn't that bad. And using my oil changes as an indicator of when to change the charger's fluid is a good way of remembering to do it (I don't race the car, so I won't have to worry about changing the fluid after every racing event).

With respect to the remote cooler, is it worthwhile to use a remote filter as well? I've also seen some inline filters too - any advantage to those?

BTW - what oil cooling system to you use? Is it the same one that Paradise Wheels sells, or someone elses?

The original Paxton kit which is what Paradise sells just with a bigger cooler.

i used a mix of 70% Type F / 30% Lucas in my VR4. Also used the same oil cooler that originally came with the VR4 upgrade kits.

This is what I read in the sn2000 installation guide;

The standard oil is Ford type F or type FA transmission fluid. PAXTA TRAC synthetic traction fluid may be used to increase boost pressure. We do not recommend the use of any other oils including AMSOIL or MOBIL 1.

Anyone used the PAXTA TRAC oil? I looked in old Blower Works catalog, $224 per gallon and it will increase boost about 1 psi.

Paxta Trac racing was Blue and for the VR4 and the increase was 3psi if your belt did not slip but it would put some wear on the balls so they needed replaced every season.

It sounds like it is best to stick to type F oil then :)

Yes, Type 'F' is best.

I also use a clear in line filter with the oilcooler kit.
That way I can check while engine idling if the pump is actualy pumping and check for debris.

Hey guys,

Got an email from Greg Carroll at BlowerWorks after I asked him the same question, and he suggests Amsoil Supershift.

Greg is very knowledgable with respect to these old blowers, but has anyone here ever tried this stuff?

Why should this even be considered when the Ball Drive itself has been in use for 60 years using Type 'F' fluid at $1.50 or less a quart. I use something else in my unit but I still don't recommend anything else because of quality, price and ease of purchasing Type 'F' fluid. Until your spinning 55k rpm on your unit like I do and your done buying real speed parts for your car, Keep the Type 'F' just move on to other fluid types when your out of things to Buy. lol

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Originally Posted by speedytang

Why should this even be considered when the Ball Drive itself has been in use for 60 years using Type 'F' fluid...

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I don't mean to be doubting you speedy, but according to the VS-57 installation and trouble shooting guide published by Paxton (back in the day), they recommended Type 'A' fluid (AQ-ATF).

I'm sure that Type 'A' was used because Type 'F' may not have been invented at the time. But that raises the questions: how does Type 'A' compare to Type 'F'? Can Type 'A' be used as a substitute for Type 'F'?

Type 'A' and Type 'F' is the same thing. Back in '64 the Type 'A' fluid used by the manufactures started breaking down under the force of additional horsepower being applied to the automatic transmission so Ford and others took the chemicals that made the Type 'A' and added what they found made the clutch packs not slip under additonal line pressure and that is when Ford designed the Type 'F' and Ford also found that with the seal sealer designed in the new product they could use it in the power steering pump and it would not break down like the Type 'A' would. So we are back to why Paxton uses the Type 'F' product. It works it seals and it is cheap.

I was just wondering if anyone has any paxta trac fluid they would be willing to sell?

I've put about 35,000 miles total on the two SN-60's I've purchased from Craig @ Paradise Wheels. He recommended that I use B & M Trick Shift which I have from the beginning (2001). I change it every 3,000 miles & also use a fluid cooler. No measurable wear so far. You couldn't pay me to use anything else.

EDIT: as son as it became available I began using the synthetic version of B&N Trick Shift. Many thousands of miles later, there have been zero problems and no need to reset ball drive preload. In fact I've never adjusted it once and the unit still produces the same boost as when new.

Z.

showing up on ebay recently, not sure if some found a stash or is making it again

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Originally Posted by Duke

I was just wondering if anyone has any paxta trac fluid they would be willing to sell?

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anybody else weigh in on trick shift? or maybe something like redline MTL, its like atf but with friction modifiers so the soft syncros in euro manual trannys work properly, most fluids are too slippery for the syncros to grab , i can vouch for it being gods gift to bmw 5 speeds. i don't have a problem running F and changing it frequently, just curious if technology may of produced anything better along the way, less heat in the blower would be nice and perhaps a better fluid could do that

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Originally Posted by zray

I've put about 35,000 miles total on the two SN-60's I've purchaced from Craig @ Paradise Wheels. He recommended that I use B & M Trick Shift which I have from the beginning (2001). I change it every 3,000 miles & also use a fluid cooler. No measurable wear so far. You couldn't pay me to use anything else

Z.

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Originally Posted by winfred

showing up on ebay recently, not sure if some found a stash or is making it again



anybody else weigh in on trick shift? or maybe something like redline MTL........"

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if you're doing research, and have the inclination, call Craig @ Paradise Wheels and ask if has a new favorite lubricant.

his contact info: 760-740-0954
conleyr107@sbcglobal.net

Z.

How much boost can you get out of paxta trac blue? And how much can you get out of the tan?

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Originally Posted by Duke

How much boost can you get out of paxta trac blue? And how much can you get out of the tan?

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I don't quite understand your meaning ?

Z.

I'd suspect the question is how much boost over type F fluid, a question which probably has no set answer, it would depend on amount of slippage you have at the moment that the extra grip could eliminate

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Originally Posted by zray

I don't quite understand your meaning ?

Z.

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I also use B&M Trickshift, no issues so far. I just finished installing my oil cooler going to change the fluid and get ready for another season of cruisin'!

Regular or synthetic? What is recommended?

I never used b&m trickshift but i always used ford type f tranny fluid it has been working well for me. i change my fluid every 100 miles. I have no oil cooler and i have it pullied to 3.25''

I've been using the standard non-synthetic Trick Shift. That's what the guy I bought the s/c from had been using and he had good luck with it.

I have some paxta trac blue and i have a bottle of the tan and im not real sure if im going to try it? I might just keep using the ford type f that i pick up at the local ford garage.

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Originally Posted by JPJP

Regular or synthetic? What is recommended?

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Read post #4 near the top of this discussion thread.

Speedytang is the expert on these Paxton ball-drive superchargers.

Thank you Michael. Speedytang's comment. I had forgotten his comment (being an older thread and all) and should have reread the entire thread before posting.

Do NOT use synthetic!

Have any of you guys used type f then switched to trick shift or vice versa? If so was there any difference in boost, or wear?

I have made the switch this past summer to B&M TRICK SHIFT. It really does hold up a lot better than Type F.

mine took less tension to stop slip on trick shift

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Originally Posted by xounlistedxox

Have any of you guys used type f then switched to trick shift or vice versa? If so was there any difference in boost, or wear?

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can't speak to the difference in wear as I have always used B&M Trick Shift. But I can say you can get phenomenal service out of a ball drive Paxton when using the B&M Trick Shift in conjunction with a fluid cooler. So far I've got about 40,000 miles on mine, with countless redline adventures, and it's still going strong.

Z.

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Originally Posted by xounlistedxox

Have any of you guys used type f then switched to trick shift or vice versa? If so was there any difference in boost, or wear?

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I'm sure it's been mentioned before, but if you're going to use B&M Trick Shift, make sure you get the non-synthetic version. Synthetic fluid (of any type, whether Type F, Trick Shift, etc...) in these ball-drive blowers is actually TOO slick and will cause the internal ball drive to slip at high revs.

Upon Craig's recommendation, I stick with Type F. It has a friction modifier that is important in a Paxton. Also I change fluid at far less than 3000 miles. As Craig said the fresher the fluid the better. The Type F is inexpensive. It's cheap insurance and it's not a big deal to change it. I change fluid in a pair of SN60's every 2-3 months. It takes less than 15 minutes. When you change in short time frames you don't have to remove every drop. Just remove the bulk of the fluid. Measure what you remove and then just replace the same amount of fresh fluid.

-Aggressor

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Originally Posted by xounlistedxox

Have any of you guys used type f then switched to trick shift or vice versa? If so was there any difference in boost, or wear?

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Originally Posted by Aggressor

Upon Craig's recommendation, I stick with Type F. It has a friction modifier that is important in a Paxton.............."

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I think it needs to be pointed out again, that B&M Trick Shift is NOT an additive. It IS a high quality, if not the highest quality, type F fluid. It meets or exceeds EVERY qualification for type F fluid.

and, as pointed out above, the non-synthetic B&M Trick Shift has all the friction modifiers needed for ball drive Paxtons that see extreme duty. and when used in conjunction with a fluid cooler there is no reason not to expect thousands of miles of from your Paxton. Every summer I've run mine for hours at a time in 3 digit temperatures. No measurable wear, and no loss of boost over a nine year/40,000 mile period.

Z.