DIY: Changing Manual Transmission Fluid

[07 fg2]

great diy! it was a pitb though! went with amsoil and skunk magnetic drain plug.

[fryrice]

Sorry guys for the delay I am reporting back on my Honda MTF (the new stuff). I bought mine from my local Honda dealership and just went in and ask for MTF (i didnt ask for the new stuff cuz on the label itself it does full synth)

I had about 39k on my car wen i did this. My friend's uncle help me did this...all he did was jack up the front of the car (not even the back) and drained out off the the fluid. Then we used a pump i got from wal mart ($10) and pumped it back into the top filler bolt. It took about 1.7q becuase i still had some left over in the second bottle.

Immediate improvement:
-Revs drop much faster than before
-Revs at idle is at 800-900 rpm (before is was at like 1100rpm)
-Notchy shifts are gone
-Gears goes in much better

Aftermath (2 months later)
Its cold winter here in MA and I changed to a USDM Mugen Si qs everything is smooth kinda...notchiness going into gears are back not sure if its my FD2 shift knob or what? Maybe its the cold...idk but the honda stuff was good for a while...but that smoothiness is gone, but idle is better than before. amsoil?

[Orbit1]

Originally Posted by fryrice

Sorry guys for the delay I am reporting back on my Honda MTF (the new stuff). I bought mine from my local Honda dealership and just went in and ask for MTF (i didnt ask for the new stuff cuz on the label itself it does full synth)

I had about 39k on my car wen i did this. My friend's uncle help me did this...all he did was jack up the front of the car (not even the back) and drained out off the the fluid. Then we used a pump i got from wal mart ($10) and pumped it back into the top filler bolt. It took about 1.7q becuase i still had some left over in the second bottle.

Immediate improvement:
-Revs drop much faster than before
-Revs at idle is at 800-900 rpm (before is was at like 1100rpm)
-Notchy shifts are gone
-Gears goes in much better

Aftermath (2 months later)
Its cold winter here in MA and I changed to a USDM Mugen Si qs everything is smooth kinda...notchiness going into gears are back not sure if its my FD2 shift knob or what? Maybe its the cold...idk but the honda stuff was good for a while...but that smoothiness is gone, but idle is better than before. amsoil?

I fail to understand what role the transmission/MTF has to do with your RPMs at idle, or "revs dropping faster".

[fryrice]

me either...but thats wat i noticed...

[AllShowNoGo]

two questions:

1. as far as putting back the bolts on, does it have to be at a certain torque or is it just like the oil drain bolt where i just tighten it to where it's "snug"?

2. there's no filter change involved? just simple drain and fill?

[pittfan08si]

Originally Posted by AllShowNoGo

two questions:

1. as far as putting back the bolts on, does it have to be at a certain torque or is it just like the oil drain bolt where i just tighten it to where it's "snug"?

2. there's no filter change involved? just simple drain and fill?

1.Transmission drain plug, 29.0, 14mm
Transmission fill plug, 33.0, 20mm

2. just simple drain and fill........Also, the oil drain plug has torque settings.

[2point]

Originally Posted by fryrice

Sorry guys for the delay I am reporting back on my Honda MTF (the new stuff).

Maybe its the cold...idk but the honda stuff was good for a while...but that smoothiness is gone, but idle is better than before. amsoil?

It's mostly the cold. A hurt tranny will definitely get worse in the winter. #1, Let your car warm up longer. #2, drive in your tannys sweet spot (if there is one) for best quality shifts. Mine is around 4,000 RPM I think.

Try GM synchromesh Friction Modified from your local GM dealer. It does improve shifting, especially in the winter. It is more thin than Honda MTF and that helps in the winter.

I'm currently using it and shifting has gotten better over time using it. 1-2 grind or notchyness at an RPM is very rare now. At about 20K on my car and this isn't my first rodeo with a K20 tranny. Had one in my 95 Civic Road Racer Car.

[Orbit1]

I changed my fluid last weekend and used a hand pump I found at autozone designed for 1 gallon bottles. It comes with a long tube with a nozzle at the end designed to keep it in place, meaning you can shove the tube into the transmission and it won't come out while pumping.

I did this because it was cheaper than the syringe tool at only $5 and I could easily sit beside the car with the pump in the MTF bottle. It was quite fast too, just a few pumps per bottle.

[Parasin]

I got one at autozon that came with an adpater that snapped into the Tranny filler hole, made it a breeze

[TuGood2BTru]

Where exactly under the car is the transmission fill and drain bolts? Or at least what side of the car is it on?

[Parasin]

It's on the drivers' side

[Parasin]

If you are under the car it's near the middle towards the drivers side, pretty much between the wheel well and the center of the car. once you are under there shine a flashlight around, it's pretty noticeable once you get under there. Note: Make sure you have everything that you will need near you before you get under the car. You may also want to lay some covering on the ground around you, this is a PITA to clean up!!!!

[TuGood2BTru]

Originally Posted by Parasin

If you are under the car it's near the middle towards the drivers side, pretty much between the wheel well and the center of the car. once you are under there shine a flashlight around, it's pretty noticeable once you get under there. Note: Make sure you have everything that you will need near you before you get under the car. You may also want to lay some covering on the ground around you, this is a PITA to clean up!!!!

Thanks for the heads up bro!

[|-Goku-|]

Sweet DIY, I'm going to be using this to switch to Amsoil this weekend

[Galaxy Grey Si Coupe]

BUMP

I just recieved my two bottles of Amsoil and was wondering how much it would be for the change if I take it to a jiffy lube or something similiar? I dont have jacks or a "big ass syringe" and Im not very mech savvy.

[Parasin]

This is seriously just as easy as changing your oil, if not easier. This can cost anywhere from $40-$100 depending on where you do. You need to be careful because some places will charge you, but no perform the work, knowing that you won't go through the effort to check their work if you are bringing it to them.

I did this with absolutely no mechanical knowledge prior and found it very easy.

[Parasin]

Also, you can go to autozone or pepboys to buy the syringe in various sizes, costing you anywhere from $5 to $50 depending on the size and maker.

[Galaxy Grey Si Coupe]

Just got back from tires plus and firestone... They won't even touch the car unless you buy their ****y oil, and they charge 140$ so I guess I need to crawl under their and do it myself one of these days...

[SteveOFG2]

yes this is cake work, but thats also why its fun

[skinsfn36]

Just ordered my AMSoil syncromesh, I'm at 38k miles on my Si, figured it would be a good time to change to some quality stuff, all my gears are a bit notchy at times so I'm hoping this helps.