4 ms·

The plot thickens. Those coolers have been constructed of brass since forever and often still are. IDK if the specific brass alloy has changed. Perhaps the n

The plot thickens. Those coolers have been constructed of brass since forever and often still are. IDK if the specific brass alloy has changed. Perhaps the new fluid was slightly corrosive to yellow metals? That's not unheard of but plenty of transmissions have bronze bushings in various places do you'd think they'd create a fluid that was safe for yellow metals. Edit: It was the solder. https://www.hemmings.com/stories/2015/03/16/tech-101-automatic-transmission-fluid-part-one-american-manufacturers https://www.hemmings.com/stories/2015/03/16/tech-101-automat... They hint that the whale oil was relevant to the performance of friction modifiers. Friction modifiers are notoriously nasty so it doesn't surprise me that without the whale oil they had to use the "next best thing" which wasn't quite good enough at the margin. https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/218915/do-the-japanese-use-whale-oil-as-an-auto-lubricant/ https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/218915/do-the-japane... These ^ guys allege to have done some research and stop just short of saying "gm was making excuses for problems they brought on themselves".

sidewndr46 4y ago
There is an interesting assertion in there: "because when combined with sulfur it made an excellent lubricant," Almost anything is a good lubricant when you add sulfur. The reason why sulfur isn't added anymore is environmental reasons. Newer diesel fuel isn't as good of a lubricant as the old fuel was because highway diesel has to be low sulfur now. So if sperm oil was only a good lubricant when mixed with sulfur, then it's a pretty average lubricant. Also the article says 5500 transmissions "failed prematurely" 1973-1975. In the US, 5550 transmissions might as well be zero. Even in 1975, most cars were already being sold with automatic transmissions. This whole thing sounds like GM was using sperm oil because it was available and known to work. Then the ban comes in & GM made some poor decisions, then blamed the whole thing on "conservationists". If only whalers had managed to hunt all whales to extinction in the 19th century GM could have been saved the total embarassment of selling junk cars.

sidewndr46 4y ago

There is an interesting assertion in there: "because when combined with sulfur it made an excellent lubricant," Almost anything is a good lubricant when you add sulfur. The reason why sulfur isn't added anymore is environmental reasons. Newer diesel fuel isn't as good of a lubricant as the old fuel was because highway diesel has to be low sulfur now. So if sperm oil was only a good lubricant when mixed with sulfur, then it's a pretty average lubricant. Also the article says 5500 transmissions "failed prematurely" 1973-1975. In the US, 5550 transmissions might as well be zero. Even in 1975, most cars were already being sold with automatic transmissions. This whole thing sounds like GM was using sperm oil because it was available and known to work. Then the ban comes in & GM made some poor decisions, then blamed the whole thing on "conservationists". If only whalers had managed to hunt all whales to extinction in the 19th century GM could have been saved the total embarassment of selling junk cars.