Anyone Else Amazed at the 10R80 in the S650 vs S550?

[asc709]

@MAT1955 thanks for the info. Good thing to know that these transmissions seem to be up to snuff. Nothing like the old AOD days! I’m hoping for some reliability behind all the horsepower. I’m daily driving the car, but having fun from time to time. Only a few hundred miles in, but I’m really liking it so far.

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[MAT1955]

@asc709 .... a few hundred miles? Just a baby! You are probably way ahead of me on this but respectfully when you do your first oil change I would recommend FULL synthetic and pre-filling the oil filter before installation. I had my tech fill the oil filter before he started changing the oil then fill it again, as the filter media had soaked a lot of the first fill, before spinning it on. I did not get the dreaded BBQ tic so far and that may be because I used FULL synthetic and pre-filled the oil filter. I have used racing oils in the past with various applications (marine and land) but this time I did a bit of research and found Conoco-Phillips makes Motorcraft base stock and S-Oil from South Korea supplies a very, very high quality VI package. So I'm good with Motorcraft. Because I'm a suspicious guy, I buy the Motorcraft oil in the jugs from the dealer and hand it to the oil tech because I heard from one tech I knew at another Ford dealership that they sometimes buy "bulk" oil and I did not want that. I wanted FULL synthetic Motorcraft. I was told that Motorcraft oil filters are top spec and made by a supplier of racing filters, among them Kendal (who I have used) so I am good with that too. I'm at about 5000K and not a drop burned and no tic. A small amount of 10R80 whine at low speed so, so far it's all awesome. BTW I tip my tech a few bucks (few people do) and he treats the car like his first born. He worked on my 2014 so he knows what I expect and I trust him. Cheers MT

 

[ravstang]

@asc709 .... a few hundred miles? Just a baby! You are probably way ahead of me on this but respectfully when you do your first oil change I would recommend FULL synthetic and pre-filling the oil filter before installation. I had my tech fill the oil filter before he started changing the oil then fill it again, as the filter media had soaked a lot of the first fill, before spinning it on. I did not get the dreaded BBQ tic so far and that may be because I used FULL synthetic and pre-filled the oil filter. I have used racing oils in the past with various applications (marine and land) but this time I did a bit of research and found Conoco-Phillips makes Motorcraft base stock and S-Oil from South Korea supplies a very, very high quality VI package. So I'm good with Motorcraft. Because I'm a suspicious guy, I buy the Motorcraft oil in the jugs from the dealer and hand it to the oil tech because I heard from one tech I knew at another Ford dealership that they sometimes buy "bulk" oil and I did not want that. I wanted FULL synthetic Motorcraft. I was told that Motorcraft oil filters are top spec and made by a supplier of racing filters, among them Kendal (who I have used) so I am good with that too. I'm at about 5000K and not a drop burned and no tic. A small amount of 10R80 whine at low speed so, so far it's all awesome. BTW I tip my tech a few bucks (few people do) and he treats the car like his first born. He worked on my 2014 so he knows what I expect and I trust him. Cheers MT

Awesome to hear about your experience and recommendation with going full synthetic. AND, the part about giving your tech a tip! This needs to be the norm for indy specialized mechanics. Just how people feel obliged to tip servers at restaurants who bring a plate out from the kitchen.
On another note, have you had any warranty issues with using an indy tech? I always have used the dealership until the warranty runs out, and then onto better indys.

 

[Junkyard Dog]

I've now had my 2024 GT Premium PP A10 for about six weeks and 2,100 miles. I am very impressed with the S650 versus the S550 I previously had (also an A10 PP). There really isn't anything in the S550 that I preferred over the new model. However, I must say I am most amazed at the difference in the transmission on my 2024 versus the 2019 I had previously. My S550 transmission wasn't bad by any means, but driving the S650 is significantly better. In my S550 I drove 100% of the time in Sport+ mode because I didn't like the way/when it shifted (or more often didn't shift) in Normal mode. In my S650 I'm driving most of the time in Normal because of how smooth it shifts whether driving it easy or pushing it and it seems to always be in the right gear for how I'm driving. I understand it is mechanically the same transmission as the S650, but it definitely has different programming.

I've heard comments in review videos about how smooth it shifts, but to me it's as much about when it shifts and how it holds the gears as it is about anything else. Sport mode is great if wanting to rev higher, hold the gears longer, and downshift quicker, but I don't feel like I have to drive it in Sport all the time like I did my S550.

Is everyone else having the same experience with the A10 in the S650 versus the S550?

What sort of temperatures are you seeing for transmission fluid on the track, and have you made any cooling changes?

 

[krisk]

What sort of temperatures are you seeing for transmission fluid on the track, and have you made any cooling changes?

Funny you should ask. I was considering posting after today’s track sessions at Road Atlanta. Highest transmission temperature I saw today was 210. On my trip in June/July to VIR, Watkins Glen and Summit Point trip I think the highest I saw was 221.

I’m thinking the lower temperatures I saw today were the result of running straight distilled water and Water Wetter in the cooling system. Previously I was running a standard 50/50 water/coolant mix. The only other change from prior events is I’m running the transmission fluid level a little below halfway between the 4 and 5. In the past I have run it right near the top (at the 4 mark).

 

[Junkyard Dog]

Funny you should ask. I was considering posting after today’s track sessions at Road Atlanta. Highest transmission temperature I saw today was 210. On my trip in June/July to VIR, Watkins Glen and Summit Point trip I think the highest I saw was 221.

I’m thinking the lower temperatures I saw today were the result of running straight distilled water and Water Wetter in the cooling system. Previously I was running a standard 50/50 water/coolant mix. The only other change from prior events is I’m running the transmission fluid level a little below halfway between the 4 and 5. In the past I have run it right near the top (at the 4 mark).

Sounds like the Performance Package cooling for A10 automatic on your S650 is doing its job on your car without any modifications.

221° maximum is not bad at all.

210° in August at Road Atlanta is great!

Can you explain, though, why you think the type of coolant affects the transmission temperature? I understand why that would affect coolant temperature, which would show up on your CHT and your oil temperature both, but I do not understand why that changes the automatic transmission fluid temperature. Sorry if I am being dense.

 

[krisk]

Sounds like the Performance Package cooling for the S650 is doing its job on your car without any modifications.

221° maximum is not bad at all.

210° in August at Road Atlanta is great!

Can you explain, though, why you think the type of coolant affects the transmission temperature?

The transmission fluid and coolant flow into the heat exchanger in the front of the transmission. Water Wetter with distilled water gives about a 26 degree drop versus a 50/50 coolant mix. With the water temp lower flowing into the heat exchanger it should also reduce the transmission fluid temp.

 

[Junkyard Dog]

The transmission fluid and coolant flow into the heat exchanger in the front of the transmission. Water Wetter with distilled water gives about a 26 degree drop versus a 50/50 coolant mix. With the water temp lower flowing into the heat exchanger it should also reduce the transmission fluid temp.

Thank you. I understand now.

(1) 26° F drop? Is this CHT? Wow, whether coolant temp or CHT. Now I know what I am going to do next time I go to the track in the summer.

(2) You have done more messing around with the S650 transmission than most and spent a lot of time under the car. Do you know how the fluid gets routed?

I have seen the parts diagram with the external thermostat leading up to the external cooler in front of the radiator and behind the a/c condenser. I see the little boiler heat exchanger in the front of the transmission. I am trying to figure out how the coolant flows to see if maybe there is a way to bypass the little boiler heat exchange in front of the transmission or maybe bypass it once the fluid hits the absolute minimum temperature for reliable operation in December in Georgia. The little boiler is not on the S550.

 

[krisk]

Thank you. I understand now.

(1) 26° F drop? Is this CHT? Wow, whether coolant temp or CHT. Now I know what I am going to do next time I go to the track in the summer.

(2) You have done more messing around with the S650 transmission than most and spent a lot of time under the car. Do you know how the fluid gets routed?

I have seen the parts diagram with the external thermostat leading up to the external cooler in front of the radiator and behind the a/c condenser. I see the little boiler heat exchanger in the front of the transmission. I am trying to figure out how the coolant flows to see if maybe there is a way to bypass the little boiler heat exchange in front of the transmission or maybe bypass it once the fluid hits the absolute minimum temperature for reliable operation in December in Georgia. The little boiler is not on the S550.

Coolant temps are shown to be reduced by 26 degrees when running water wetter per specs. I’ve not really monitored CHT previously, so I don’t have anything to compare with for the current temps. I’ve never had the car go into limp mode due to high CHT.

I imagine you could loop the coolant lines to bypass running through the heat exchanger. I thought about trying that when my heat exchanger sprung a leak at Watkins Glen, but I was able to source a replacement. I would be hesitant to try bypassing the heat exchanger as it is used for cooling the transmission as well.

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