Transmission Fluid Question

[David Pertuz]

>Just FYI:  An automatic tranny is a basically bunch of fluid filled passages
>that move pressuration around to shift your 'gears'.  Typically, although
>not in all cases, an automatic tranny has no gears, it works on hydraulic
>pressure.

Not so....automatic transmissions use planetary gearsets rather than
parallel-shaft gearsets. The valve bodies _are_ used for ratio-changing,
though. It's only the torque converter that is a fluid coupling.

>To put hydralic fluid, which is what ATF basically is, into a manual
>transmission *should* screw up your manual tranny in fairly short order.

In most cases yes, though there are some transmissions that call for using
ATF. I don't remember whose.

david