NEW YORK, NY. — Shell Lubricants has introduced a new transmission fluid, specifically developed to meet Allison Transmission’s stringent TES-295 specification.

Dubbed Shell Spirax S6 ATF A295, it was developed in conjunction with the heavy duty transmission maker as a premium product for highway transmissions.

“It was quite a journey,” said Stede Granger, OEM technical manager for Shell Lubricants. “It was a very difficult specification to meet. The viscosity coverage, the sheer stability, the oxidation resistance, corrosion resistance, and frictional requirements were really tough to provide. There were some very rigorous tests.”

He said the formulation was built on the results of a battery of “shift busy” tests that were conducted both on dynamometers and on the road, under full load and at high-speeds, using some of Allison’s largest on-highway transmissions, to measure a wide variety of data.

“What does all this mean practically to the customer? Well, this 295 fluid is in a whole new ball game,” he said. “We can advise customers that they can go to the maximum oil-drain intervals allowed by Allison.”

In fact, Shell says Spirax S6 ATF A295 will last up to 300,000 miles under normal conditions or 150,000 miles under severe conditions without risk to the transmission components or warranty.

According to the Shell, Spirax S6 ATF A295 offers:

* protection from wear, pitting and corrosion;
* extended vehicle time-in-service;
* reduced cost-per-mile of operation through lower maintenance costs;
* resistance to viscosity and thermal breakdown;
* low-temperature capability; and
* improved reliability in older Allison transmissions.

It also works with Allison Prognostics — Allison’s maintenance reminder system.

Spirax is available in drums, pails and gallon jugs. The product will be available in global markets in 2013 and is ideal for use in trucks, buses, motor homes, vocational vehicles, dump trucks, refuse trucks, concrete trucks, off-road haulers and emergency vehicles.