DIY: Changing Manual Transmission Fluid

[SteveOFG2]

Originally Posted by thunderdome

Just changed my mtf last weekend in my si and i used a long clean hose and filled from the top of the wheel well as my buddy held the tube in the fill port for me ... seemed to be a pretty easy process!

I went with Royal Purple Synchromax and it made a considerable difference in smoothness ... Alot of people were having problems powershifting into 2nd as did i and this mtf free'd that up so now i can!

badass homie.....yea i believe i said i heard people doing it that way b4 as well and it works as long as ur on a flat surface....

[NASi]

Originally Posted by 2point

booya! Remove This Sensor For Easy Tranny Fill??? - K20A.org .:. The K Series Source . Honda / Acura K20a k24a Engine Forum

you can use the VSS sensor or the back-up light sensor. I guess the VSS sensor is easy. I still reccomend taking out the fill hole bolt to tell when you have enough fluid in the tranny though. If you can't get the fill bolt out, just measure out 1.3quarts and filler up!

1.3??? i use 2 and a half

[2point]

Originally Posted by SteveOFG2

but u kno all that seems like extra work instead of jus putting it up on jack stands and doing it the proper way...u see how man steps ya got there...mines is jack up the car, put on stands, drain, fill.....i never said ur method wouldn't work...i jus feel its over kill for sumone who jus doesnt wanna get under the car lol

jesus christ! no one here is argueing what way is better.. . I'm just letting everyone know there is another way if you need it. I allways use the right tool for the right job but if you have an aftermarket intake and VSS is there in plane day and you don't have a nifty squirter device, no need to go buy one when you can fill another way.. .

My OEM intake is in the way and I've already bought a vac/squirter device so I'm going to do it the traditional way like I've done twice in my 95 Kswapped civic, My MR2 turbo, my 1992.5 Eagle Talon AWD. Each one was a pain so whatever makes the fill easier is all good under my hood.

[2point]

Originally Posted by NASi

1.3??? i use 2 and a half

oh, my bad, I meant about 2.3qts. If you really try and get every last drop you can that much out maybe more. I'd probably say most people only get about 2quarts out though. when I did my other car I'd jack the car up on the side and more would come out. Just depends on how eager you are.. .

Technically, if you are switching brands of oil, you should change your oil twice in a short period of time to make sure you have flushed all the old crap out. This is why I bought 4 quarts of GM synchromesh friction modified.

[thunderdome]

Originally Posted by NASi

1.3??? i use 2 and a half

interesting ... i used just under 2 quarts to fill mine ... although now that i think of it mine wasn't perfectly level ... just jacked up a lil to get a small drain pan under to catch the overfill ... maybe that will account for the differences

[TheFreshTaste]

I thought syncromax Rp was for auto trannies...

[NASi]

Originally Posted by TheFreshTaste

I thought syncromax Rp was for auto trannies...

idk! i only use honda manual tranny fluid ftw! F all the other stuff

[jaxson]

Originally Posted by thunderdome

Just changed my mtf last weekend in my si and i used a long clean hose and filled from the top of the wheel well as my buddy held the tube in the fill port for me ... seemed to be a pretty easy process!

I went with Royal Purple Synchromax and it made a considerable difference in smoothness ... Alot of people were having problems powershifting into 2nd as did i and this mtf free'd that up so now i can!

What year is your Si?

[SteveOFG2]

Originally Posted by Oil Doc

That is because they don't know the difference between Pints and Quarts.

5 Spd is 3.0 PINTS (1.5 qts)

6 Spd is 3.2 PINTS (1.6 qts)

guys guys....it takes 1.6 qts to fill our trannys and 2point my bad dude i wasnt tryin to sound preachy at all man

[TheFreshTaste]

This is another thread talking about Royal Purple fluids. According to one of the posters we are not supposed to use synchromax or synchromesh because they are the incorrect weight for our Si transmissions.

Which Royal Purple?

[SteveOFG2]

dude our amnual fluid is so broad u can jus about throw anything in there....they even say in the owners manual u can substitue the honda mtf with 10W30....and the amsoil synchromesh is designed for handle that....on the back of the bottle it states, "Replaces Honda Genuine MTF fluid for manual transaxels" if that doesnt tell me it work idk wat does

[2point]

GM friction modified has additives in it which allows it to not shear like other oils do and be nice to alloy/metal synchros especially brass and bronze. The facts are that tons of people have swapped out fluids in many different transmissions and went from bad shifting to acceptable and or great with GM synchromesh Friction modified.

The main thing about tranny fluid is that some actually get foamy durring use. When you have air buddles in your fluid, you have problems and you get extreme wear. Some engine oils have very good antifoaming characteristics but poor anti-shearing characteristics. Some transmission oils have been developed to give you the best of both worlds like most synchromesh fluids.

You will likely find that fully synthetic transmission fluids fall short of many DINO oil fluids in the foaming catagory. GM synchromesh Friction modified is a hybrid oil, semisythetic and is not as HEAVY as most think. Stays thicker as tranny temps go up which is what us high RPM guys need.

Also, honda MTF does have friction modifiers in it. It's gotten better over the years but for some reason it's not as good as the best/better stuff.

Look into a site called BOB IS THE OIL GUY. Tons of oil information there and real life tests to back it up.
Synchromesh Manual Transmission Lubricants - Bob Is The Oil Guy


Also sold online through ACdelco
ACDelco | Car Care Products, Car Care Tips, Auto Care, Lubricants

[2point]

also
GM Synchromesh FM and viscosity.
Honda MTF is a thick 30 weight (about 11 cst), while Synchromesh is a mid 20 weight (7.5 cst). Honda MTF will thin more than the Synchromesh, and its a mineral product compared to a part synthetic blend. Part of the reason why you notice better performance with Synchromesh is due to the better low-temperature flow with a synthetic blend and it is actually thicker at higher temps.

If you are worried about warranty and such, stay with honda MTF or Amsoil if you want flashy synthetics. If you want better low temp capabilities, go with GM synchromesh hands down.

most engine wear, ~70% some have said, is actually at start-up. I would think the same is going to be around cold temps and start-up for manual transmission as well. I use M1 0W-30 for my engine b/c it will cold start better that 5W-30. A thicker oil doesn't necessarily mean it sticks to the engine better, it just means it flows worse to get where it needs to be.

[thunderdome]

Originally Posted by jaxson

what year is your si?

'07

[SpeedyV]

I'm wondering if it's possible to use Allison TranSynd full synthetic transmission fluid in my Si. I haven't found any discussion on this here, and that's probably because (1) the fluid is very expensive, and (2) it's typically used in Allison automatic transmissions. But this fluid is designed for extended drain intervals (100K-300K miles, depending on application), and I happen to have some sitting in my garage from my 3/4-ton truck. A few threads from other forums have me curious:

Difference between GM's #12378515 and Castrol Transynd - Diesel Place
Which is Better? Castrol/Allison TranSynd ATF or Mobil 1 ATF? - SaturnFans Forums
For those with manual transmission problems - Dodge Challenger Forum: Challenger & SRT8 Forums

The fluid is easily one of the best synthetic ATFs available, and it apparently is spec'd for some MTFs as well (see first thread above). I have read that the biggest concern with using a thin synthetic fluid instead of a thicker gear lube is that it may not provide appropriate heat/shear protection due to its lighter weight (although cold weather shifting performance would be improved). Of course, the heat/shear performance of this fluid in automatic transmission is excellent.

Your thoughts?

[Oil Doc]

Without looking it up, being an ATF, you are looking at a viscosity probably about a 5-7 wgt at operating temp..

MTF is a 30 weight at operating temp..

Honda specs call for their MTF, 10W-30 or 10W-40 Motor oil

Doc

[sneakers]

do i need to replace the washers too? if so , what's the part number, thanks a lot

[SpeedyV]

Originally Posted by Oil Doc

Honda specs call for their MTF, 10W-30 or 10W-40 Motor oil

Doc

That's right, and I'm concerned about the weight and viscosity as well. I find it interesting that some non-Honda manual transmissions have been run on TranSynd with success. But without evidence to support its use in our vehicles, I'm not going to take the risk of damaging the transmission just because I have this fluid sitting on the shelf.

[krazed1er]

1.8 uses reg honda man trans fluid my boy used royal purple gear oil and it worked just as well

[jaxson]

Originally Posted by 2point

also
GM Synchromesh FM and viscosity.
Honda MTF is a thick 30 weight (about 11 cst), while Synchromesh is a mid 20 weight (7.5 cst). Honda MTF will thin more than the Synchromesh, and its a mineral product compared to a part synthetic blend. Part of the reason why you notice better performance with Synchromesh is due to the better low-temperature flow with a synthetic blend and it is actually thicker at higher temps.

If you are worried about warranty and such, stay with honda MTF or Amsoil if you want flashy synthetics. If you want better low temp capabilities, go with GM synchromesh hands down.

most engine wear, ~70% some have said, is actually at start-up. I would think the same is going to be around cold temps and start-up for manual transmission as well. I use M1 0W-30 for my engine b/c it will cold start better that 5W-30. A thicker oil doesn't necessarily mean it sticks to the engine better, it just means it flows worse to get where it needs to be.

Since my transmission seems to grind only when its not in operating temp, I guess I should get GM stuff huh? Where can I buy it? And will Honda be able to tell its not the Honda MTF and void my warranty?