The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Tranny fluid type A

What's the modern equivalent?

Google says..........There are some articles in the web:

Type A fluid, which is generally difficult to obtain now. It turns out that Type A was basically a nearly 50/50 mix of Type F (Ford) and Dexron (GM), you can mix Type F and Dexron to get a near-match for type A

General consensus on the web is Dexron being a direct replacement. There is some discussion about NAPA type FA being correct. Some of our resident drag racers running powerglides should be able to help.🛠

What I've found out so far from old time tech guys is like you say Martin, anything with Dexron on the label. The lower the number the better. Type F isn't the right stuff since it's for Ford products and the innards are different. I use google a lot and the reason I asked is because I couldn't find a consensus. A lot of people asked the same question but they also got varying answers as I just did. The one consistent answer I'm getting from people I trust is Dexron with Dextron III being better than IV but even Dextron VI will work. So for what it's worth Dexron will be what I use. Thanks again everyone.

The reason Type A is unobtanium is that one of the ingredients in it is just about impossible to get these days- - - - -whale oil! There just isn't a better lubricant known to mankind for certain applications. One of those applications is the control valve assembly on a steam engine. The older Dexron formulation comes as close as possible to Type A.
Jerry

My old Wheel Horse with an HST (hydrostat trans) calls for Type A. I've been using Valvolene Dexron III/Mercon for 100's of hr's with no problems.
Whatever you're using it in in, it's good to do as total a flush as possible before adding the new fluid.
Good luck
Dave

I may be wrong (and my wife says I am fairly often) but I believe it's going in a '53 Powerglide.

Another one of those applications was jeweled watch movements. Really hard to find today but here is an interesting technique I was taught in the early 70s by a German watchmaker. And please don't start throwing rotten fruit and bricks at me. This does work and I didn't just dream it up after too much Pearl beer.

Shake a fresh can of WD-40 well and then spray about an inch into a small jar. I use a pimiento jar. Now let this sit undisturbed for about a week in a cool place. If you put it in the refrigerator it will separate much faster, but in my experience it might separate too fast. After a week or so you will see two layers. The bottom layer will be more transparent with some whitish "stuff" swirling around. It will contain solvent, paraffin and whatever else is present in the product. The top layer will be a fine light oil...yellowish in color and might be 1/3 or 1/4 of the volume (depending on how well you mixed things up before you started spraying). I would never try to convince anyone this would replace whale oil, but it is suitable for use in watches, sewing machines, guns, electronic controls, cameras, hair clippers...anywhere you need a decent light oil that won't congeal. Like any oil it will spread, so apply only what you need.

I've found knowing this makes me much more careful to shake a can of WD-40 very well if I ever need to use any. I've watched a lot of people apply WD-40 by picking up the can, spraying immediately and lazily shaking it back and forth a bit while they're spraying. And what are they spraying until the can gets to be nearly empty? Solvent, paraffin and the other junk that's in there lying at the bottom. Then what are they spraying until the can is completely empty? Pure oil.
Jon

I just was awarded with 8 unopened quarts of Type A fluid from a guy that was cleaning out his shop. I would be happy to donate it to a worthy cause.
Fred

Might be good ebay material.