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View Full Version : Transmission 5-Speed What to use- DeLorean Manual transmission fluid (MTF)



DeLorean
06-24-2011, 09:53 AM
I am suspicious that my car needs a trans fluid change. The clutch actuation is good, it disengages and engages fully however when the car is good and hot (been run for say 20+ minutes) The gear change is a bit more chunky then when it is cold. This is likely a sign that the 30 year old fluid has lost something in the time it's been in there.

What fluid weight and type should be used? It having the differential internal to the unit I would suspect it's going to be something light, like 75-90 but I don't know for sure. What is the factory fill?

dmc6960
06-24-2011, 10:23 AM
More likely, it is the clutch hydraulics. These cars originally came with a long plastic hydraulic line linking the master and slave cylinders. When it gets hot, that plastic swells and can no longer fully disengage the clutch from the engine. The fix is replacement of the plastic line with a stainless braided line from any DeLorean vendor. Then flush out the old fluid and bleed the system. Good to go.

A tranny fluid change wouldn't hurt either, but is likely not the problem. Factory recommendation for fluid is 3.7 liters of 80 weight or higher (75 when below -3ºF). Remove fill plug before removing drain plug. Just in case. Do NOT use an open ended wrench on the square plug.

DeLorean
06-24-2011, 10:36 AM
I have the stainless steel upgrade line, and the clutch actuation seems perfectly fine, so I doubt that the clutch hydraulics is the issue. If there is any possibility it is something clutch related, I would be suspicious of the pilot bearing.

DeLorean
06-24-2011, 10:39 AM
also, where would one get a single weight gear oil these days? I know old Saabs for example specify "90 weight" but that's not typically something you can actually find anywhere, so most people just run 75-90 or GM Syncromesch.

David T
06-24-2011, 10:52 AM
You should find a product that says Hypoid Gear oil besides the 85-90W viscosity. The same oil also lubricates the final drive and that is what requires the Hypoid type. Castrol has some good stuff. If you want better than that find Reline MT-90. You should get the proper adapter for the plugs. Remove the one on the side first. If you can't then do NOT remove the drain plug. If the drain plug does not have a magnet in it get one. It is a good upgrade.
David Teitelbaum

DeloreanJoshQ
06-24-2011, 12:37 PM
You should find a product that says Hypoid Gear oil besides the 85-90W viscosity. The same oil also lubricates the final drive and that is what requires the Hypoid type. Castrol has some good stuff. If you want better than that find Reline MT-90. You should get the proper adapter for the plugs. Remove the one on the side first. If you can't then do NOT remove the drain plug. If the drain plug does not have a magnet in it get one. It is a good upgrade.
David Teitelbaum

I am currently running Redline Heavy Shock Proof Gear oil with no problems....good stuff!

DMC3165
06-24-2011, 12:54 PM
I was having cold shifting issues too. I tried Lucas oil (bad idea) actually made it worse. Then I went back to regular 75-90 and filled it right up to the fill plug. It's been good ever since.

jmrydholm
06-25-2011, 07:11 PM
I had my whole trans overhauled a few weeks ago. I told the mechanic to go with the stock oil as stated in the manual. Got a new master/slave combo from DMCH and they refilled my gearbox oil too. Shifts better than it did in 2004, that's for sure. I was zooming around I-29 this morning in it, fun times.

outatym2001
06-26-2011, 12:04 AM
FWIW I am also using 75W-90 and it’s Mobil 1 Synthetic Gear Lubricant. I used nearly 4 quart bottles. I drive my D year round and in the dead of winter the gear shifter is really firm for the first half mile or so. After that it’s shifts normally. I also bought at O’Reilly Auto Parts a hand operated pump that screws onto the top of the bottle.
Our year round weather is down in the 20’s and 30’s during the winter and a summer high of no more 90F. Sounds perfect? No?

Long ago I tried Red Line MTL that stands for manual transmission lubricant. Boy that was a mistake. The stuff was so super slick and thin I had regular gear clashing when changing gears.
I went back to 75W-90 and everything is normal.

DMC5180
06-26-2011, 03:46 PM
I was having cold shifting issues too. I tried Lucas oil (bad idea) actually made it worse. Then I went back to regular 75-90 and filled it right up to the fill plug. It's been good ever since.

Interesting! I'm currently using lucas Oil. I have not noticed any ill effects yet. What is your definition of COLD shifting?

DMC3165
06-26-2011, 04:32 PM
Interesting! I'm currently using lucas Oil. I have not noticed any ill effects yet. What is your definition of COLD shifting?

1 to 2nd when the car was cold (ambient temps in the 40's to 50's) it would get Hung up in 1st or slip the synchro in second. But only when cold. After 5 miles down the road it was fine. But I still didn't like it. So went back to old school 75-90 and its been good ever since.

vwdmc16
06-26-2011, 07:48 PM
Long ago I tried Red Line MTL that stands for manual transmission lubricant. Boy that was a mistake. The stuff was so super slick and thin I had regular gear clashing when changing gears.
I went back to 75W-90 and everything is normal.




I switched to MTL about 2 months ago and i LOVE it, my 1-2 shift is still the worst but the 2-3 has been considerably improved.

DMC5180
06-26-2011, 09:06 PM
. If the drain plug does not have a magnet in it get one. It is a good upgrade.
David Teitelbaum

FYI. I did a Transmission tear down a couple months back. In the process, I noticed DMCH has a Magnetic drain plug listed on the site. I bought it thinking why not it won't hurt anything. Guess what, when installed it, it bottomed out against the Ring gear before getting tight and cracked the magnet in it. It's too tall for the application. So much for a magnetic drain plug. Besides the Transmission has a magnet in it already. You just just can't see it unless you split the case.

Mark D
06-27-2011, 01:04 AM
It's good to see this thread come up again... I luckily searched and found the info I needed on the old forum just before it went down. There was a section where Dave Swingle posted a bunch of good info about the manual trans gear oil.

For those of you running red line be absolutely sure you get the stuff not intended for use in limited slip differentials otherwise there are issues with the synchros

From the thread on the old forum I think the recommendation ended up being conventional 80-90W oil over the synthetics since the synthetic tended to be more likely to leak than the conventional (smaller vs larger molecules)

I just changed the oil in my trans a few weeks ago and ended up going with the non-limited slip valvoline that my local Advance Auto Parts had.

David T
06-27-2011, 10:39 AM
There is a magnet in the trans, both auto and 5-speed. The problem, as you mentioned, is you can only get to it when you tear it apart (on the auto you can get it by just taking the pan off). Having a magnet as part of the drain plug is much handier. I agree it is no good if it protrudes too far into the box and interferes. The magnet should only be the drain plug, not the level plug.
David Teitelbaum

tgraham
06-27-2011, 01:16 PM
I've been running Red Line 75w90NS for years. It makes the gearbox shift VERY smoothly at all temps - particularly in the cold, which is why I switched to it in the first place.

Travis

Chris 16409
06-27-2011, 08:09 PM
David,

This is what I found over on the Castrol site:

http://www.castrol.com/castrol/sectiongenericarticle.do?categoryId=9012228&contentId=7036192

Is this what you were talking about? I tried finding it at the local auto part stores, but no one seems to carry it.


You should find a product that says Hypoid Gear oil besides the 85-90W viscosity. The same oil also lubricates the final drive and that is what requires the Hypoid type. Castrol has some good stuff. If you want better than that find Reline MT-90. You should get the proper adapter for the plugs. Remove the one on the side first. If you can't then do NOT remove the drain plug. If the drain plug does not have a magnet in it get one. It is a good upgrade.
David Teitelbaum

sdg3205
10-01-2011, 12:12 AM
Has anyone used the Walmart brand of gear oil? They make a 80W-90. Their brand is "Super Tech" if i remember correctly. I heard it was actually Warren (brand) oil.

Anyway it's $5 per bottle (liter/quart) as opposed to $12 bottle of the synthetic blend or $13 of the fully synthetic blend at Canadian Tire.

Also, is there a torque spec for putting the drain plugs back on?

Thanks!

David T
10-01-2011, 10:30 PM
http://www.castrol.com/castrol/sectiongenericarticle.do?categoryId=9012228&contentId=7036192

That is the stuff. I use it in my car and it seems fine but I don't drive the car much when it is very cold so I can't comment personally on the cold shifting but others say it is OK. BTW my car is an automatic so I only use it in the final drive. On cars with 5-speeds that I change out no one has any complaints.

On Lotus UN-1's (the same transmission) they use MT-90 Redline and it seems to be fine. The Lotus recommended *magic fluid* is Castrol TAF-X 75W/90 which is not readily available. If anyone wants to try it you can order it from JAE in CA. Just sit down when you hear the price! You need almost 1 gallon for the 5-speed. I would hesitate using anything not labeled GL-5 Hypoid gear oil. Remember it also has to lubricate the final drive. It does not need to be synthetic or synthetic blend.

David Teitelbaum

Chris 16409
10-02-2011, 01:41 AM
A correction to my above post, I did actually find it locally at an O'reilly Auto Parts store. I bought four quarts of it, and I think it was like $4.99 or $5.99 a quart.

On a side note, I may have posted this in another thread, but I found an awesome tool for removing the gear oil filler and drain plugs. I have attached a picture of it. I'll just say two words, "Gator Grip".

http://endeavorstore.com/cart/images/ETC-120_web.jpg

DMC5180
10-02-2011, 02:18 AM
Just an Update on the performance of Lucas Oil 80-90 in my trans. I can't recall one time this season crunching 2nd gear. Thats a first for me. I've tried various brands over the years Amsoil,Redline,Valvoline synthetic. I would get an occasional 2nd gear crunch with all of them. Needless to say I'm very happy with the Lucas product. If you've ever been in an AP store that features Lucas products They sometimes have a demo display with Plastic Gears in it that you can turn. Is a very good visual of how the oil's surface tension sticks to the gears.

dvonk
10-02-2011, 09:04 AM
If you've ever been in an AP store that features Lucas products they sometimes have a demo display with Plastic Gears in it that you can turn. Is a very good visual of how the oil's surface tension sticks to the gears.

i have seen those displays, and i always wondered how the higher viscosity would affect the system... one could infer from your review that it is indeed beneficial?

DMC5180
10-03-2011, 01:50 AM
That's the thing the oil in those displays are the same weight. 1 conventional & 1 Lucas formula. I have to say I'm really happy with the results. It's probably the first time I've ever poured a in a bottle of anything that actually gave positive results for what was claimed.

John U
04-08-2014, 06:34 PM
I know that if you ask 10 people about transmission oils, you will get 11 different answers.
After reading this thread, I was leaning toward DavidT's recommendation of MT90. After looking at Redline's website however, it seems that MT90 (and MTL) are GL-4 oils. It appears that 75W90NS would be the appropriate oil for use in the DeLorean.

Any comments?

Here is the copy from Redline's site...

Red Line MTL may be used in transmissions which
recommend 75W, 80W, or 85W GL-4 gear oils, or SAE
30 or 5W/10W30 motor oils. If a 90W GL-4 or SAE 40,
10W40, or 15W40 is required, MT-90 may be used. If the
transmission or transaxle requires an SAE 90 GL-5 gear
oil, then Red Line 75W90NS or 75W140NS Gear Oil
may be used. In transmissions which recommend Dexron
or Mercon fluids we recommend our D4 ATF which is
very similar to the MTL, being a GL-4 Gear Oil also. The
D4 ATF will provide better low-temperature shiftability,
and the MTL would provide better wear protection for
racing use. MTL is not designed for use in rear-wheel
drive differentials. Those generally require a GL-5 lubricant
such as Red Line 75W90 Gear Oil. It is not necessary
to flush the transmission before replacing with MTL.
Remove the drain plug and drain while warm. Seal
compatibility has been designed to be similar to petroleum
lubricants, and leakage should be no greater than
any other oil of comparable viscosity. Being formulated
with extremely stable synthetic basestocks, MTL and
MT-90 will last much longer than conventional petroleum
lubricants. However, we do not recommend extended
drain intervals, since without a filtration system, there is
no way to remove metal shavings other than draining the
lubricant.

DMCMW Dave
04-08-2014, 06:40 PM
I called redline years ago and they recommended 75w90ns. We've had the best luck with conventional 80w90.


Sent from phone

David T
04-08-2014, 07:39 PM
I called redline years ago and they recommended 75w90ns. We've had the best luck with conventional 80w90.


Sent from phone

You are not supposed to use a GL-5 oil because of the syncros. Remember this is a transaxle, not just a transmission. It is a transmission AND a final drive. The GL-5 is for the final drive and can damage the syncros. In the world of Lotus we have not seen that to be the case. MT-90 seems to be fine. A bit of overkill in the Delorean however. Any good 80W-90 gear oil should be good if you have no mechanical problems. Right now I am using Castrol for the final drive in my automatic. The main thing is to have enough and change it once every 10 years!

John U
04-08-2014, 07:41 PM
You are not supposed to use a GL-5 oil because of the syncros. Remember this is a transaxle, not just a transmission. It is a transmission AND a final drive. The GL-5 is for the final drive and can damage the syncros. In the world of Lotus we have not seen that to be the case. MT-90 seems to be fine. A bit of overkill in the Delorean however. Any good 80W-90 gear oil should be good if you have no mechanical problems. Right now I am using Castrol for the final drive in my automatic. The main thing is to have enough and change it once every 10 years!

I thought the DMC repair manual calls for GL5 in the manual transmission?
I know it's an old thread but on page 2 you also said to use a GL5 Hypoid

David T
04-08-2014, 10:10 PM
I thought the DMC repair manual calls for GL5 in the manual transmission?
I know it's an old thread but on page 2 you also said to use a GL5 Hypoid

You are supposed to use GL-5 but on some cars it corrodes the syncros so it isn't recommended for use in manual transmissions. It is good for the final drive though. As I said, GL-5 doesn't seem to be a problem to the Renault box. In any case you can use MT-90 or any good premium brand 80W-90 gear oil.

john 05141
04-09-2014, 05:36 AM
I have the oil changed in my manual gearbox every 2 years!
A few years ago I had to lightly force to get the car in 1st gear when cold. It runs sooooo smooth.
The Delorean manual says you need to change it every other year. This may be for daily use, but I do this anyway.

Jan

John U
04-09-2014, 07:57 PM
Bought the MT90
I will report my findings

John

John U
04-12-2014, 04:36 PM
Bought the MT90
I will report my findings

John

Took my car for the first drive of the year today.....had many second gear crunching occurrences.
Just drained the transmission and refilled with just under 4L of MT90. Took the car for another drive and even with cold fluid I can finally upshift and downshift into second without the crunch!
Hopefully this will solve the problem that has been troubling me for years!
I will update as the season progresses.

Thanks for the advice.
John

krs09
05-22-2014, 10:20 AM
So whats the general consensus? Im looking to change my seemingly 25yr old fluid and just want something thats compatible and proven. Mobil-Redline-Castrol-ect. What are your thoughts??? Thanks.

John U
05-22-2014, 10:29 AM
So whats the general consensus? Im looking to change my seemingly 25yr old fluid and just want something thats compatible and proven. Mobil-Redline-Castrol-ect. What are your thoughts??? Thanks.

My trans has been shifting perfectly even when cold

krs09
05-22-2014, 12:25 PM
My trans has been shifting perfectly even when cold

MT90? Fill me in.

John U
05-22-2014, 02:49 PM
MT90? Fill me in.

Yes MT90. My second gear has always crunched since i got the car 5yrs ago. I tried regular 80w90 but it still crunched. MT90 seems to have solved (or masked) the problem!

krs09
10-13-2014, 04:04 PM
Yes MT90. My second gear has always crunched since i got the car 5yrs ago. I tried regular 80w90 but it still crunched. MT90 seems to have solved (or masked) the problem!

Sorry I took sooo long. That's Red Line MT90 right? Is 75W90 ok rather than 80W90?? Any other favorites?

John U
10-13-2014, 04:17 PM
Sorry I took sooo long. That's Red Line MT90 right? Is 75W90 ok rather than 80W90?? Any other favorites?

Redline mt90
Car has been shifting all summer with no issues. Absolutely amazing difference with the mt90!

BABIS
02-04-2015, 11:57 AM
Hello guys sorry for necroposting, but I want to share with you some thoughts started on the Eurotech forum:



I wrote to Opie Oils about gearbox oil for the D.
Workshop manual says GL-5.
Lotus recommendation for the box (yes, UN-1, but with a hefty bit more power and torque) always said Castrol TAF-X 75W/90 (GL4) .
As this is now discontinued, the "replacement" is Castrol Syntrans 75w90 (GL4+). The Lotus boys *grudgingly* accept this is ok for them.
As per previous discussions I called Castrol Classic Oils, to buy TAF-X if possible. Its not. All has now gone.
So I was all ready to buy Syntrans, but aware that it was GL4+, I thought I'd ask Oilman:

" I’m after manual gearbox oil for my DeLorean. Previously, the recommended oil (by Lotus, for this box) was Castrol TAF-X 75W/90. This was a GL-5 oil.
The DeLorean manual states GL-5 oil.
However, I understand that TAF-X is no longer available, and that 75w90 Castrol Syntrans is the replacement.
I see that Syntrans is GL-4+. Can you explain if this is suitable for the DeLorean? "


Reply:

" The GL4+ is not really up to the job of a GL5 so I sugest you go for this one witch does cover the GL5 spec:
http://www.opieoils.co.uk/p-737-castrol-syntrax-longlife-75w-90-formerly-saf-xo-75w-90.aspx "




and this is what I found myself:

very interesting reading about GL4 vs GL5 : http://www.widman.biz/uploads/Transaxle_oil.pdf
espacially the parts about the transaxles...

so it seems that the feasible choices are:
http://www.opieoils.co.uk/p-737-castrol-syntrax-longlife-75w-90-formerly-saf-xo-75w-90.aspx
http://www.opieoils.co.uk/p-724-castrol-axle-epx-80w-90-gear-oil.aspx
http://www.opieoils.co.uk/p-6363-castrol-syntrans-transaxle-75w-90-formerly-taf-x-75w-90-synthetic-transmission-fluid.aspx


What do you think?


Best regards

Nicholas R
02-04-2015, 06:33 PM
I just rebuilt my transmission with my one piece shaft installed. I'm currently breaking in the shaft but am planning to change the fluid in ~1000mi. I was considering the MT-90 after reading all of this, but this has me concerned. This is a direct quote from the MT-90 webpage:



ABOUT RED LINE GEAR OIL FOR MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS
Appropriate coefficient of friction for most manual transmission synchronizers (other's synthetic gear oils are often too slippery for proper synchro engagement)
Red Line offers lubricants to pinpoint nearly every transmission application
MTL, MT-85 & MT-90 are not for use in differentials with hypoid gears
Excellent gear and synchro protection, balanced slipperiness for easier shifting in cold climates
Excellent for high- and low-mile transmissions
Compatible with petroleums and other synthetics


(Located about halfway down the page: http://www.redlineoil.com/product.aspx?pid=46)

Not for use in differentials with hypoid gears?? That has me a little concerned. That's exactly what is inside of a DeLorean transaxle; a hypoid gear differential. Thoughts?

John U
02-04-2015, 06:35 PM
I read the same last year. David T convinced me it was ok. Good enough for me. Works great.

David T
02-04-2015, 10:01 PM
I read the same last year. David T convinced me it was ok. Good enough for me. Works great.

As I said before, in the Lotus world we are only supposed to use Castrol TAF-X 75W-90 which was only available in the USA through Lotus dealers who ordered it in 5 gallon pails. Some would "break" the pail and sell it by the quart. Some would not and only sell it to you if they put it in themselves. It was the only fluid tested and recommended by Lotus. Castrol no longer makes the stuff so the only sources now are any dealers that still have any stock. Because of it's unavailability (and even before that, the expense) owners and service centers have been forced to try other things. It has been a few years now that many owners have been using Redline MT-90 and no one has reported any ill effects. In fact, some report improved shifting.
In the Delorean world MT-90 seems to be overkill. Castrol Hypoy C Gear oil SAE 80W-90 seems to be just fine. It would seem MT-90 would be OK but unnecessary so if you are worried about it's use just use HYPOY C. Any store carrying Castrol products should be able to order HYPOY C for you. HYPOY C claims it is excellent for use in manual transmissions and differentials. It exceeds GL-5 and MT-1 specs. Remove the level plug on the side BEFORE removing the drain plug. That way if you can't remove the level plug so you can fill it at least you haven't dumped all of the old oil out and now can't put the new stuff in! Drive the car fro a while before dumping the old oil so you stir it up well and have everything in suspension.

andyd
02-05-2015, 03:22 PM
Further to this, I asked ed Uding. He said they always use gl5 as per Renault's recommendation.

After a lot of hand wringing, I decided to buy:

Fuchs TITAN GEAR SYN 75W-90 Semi Synthetic Driveline Oil. Rated as gl4 / gl5.

Not super high spec, but neither is it a super high price. Probably more important to change it every couple of years I thought. I never thought the change (shift!) was terrible beforehand, but I'll report back my thoughts when I finally get to drive it.

A

David T
02-05-2015, 04:54 PM
Further to this, I asked ed Uding. He said they always use gl5 as per Renault's recommendation.

After a lot of hand wringing, I decided to buy:

Fuchs TITAN GEAR SYN 75W-90 Semi Synthetic Driveline Oil. Rated as gl4 / gl5.

Not super high spec, but neither is it a super high price. Probably more important to change it every couple of years I thought. I never thought the change (shift!) was terrible beforehand, but I'll report back my thoughts when I finally get to drive it.

A

Actually you really don't need to change it all that often. More important is to check the level at least once a year and make sure it is full. If you don't know when it was last changed or what kind of stuff is in there it is time to change it. As for "super high spec", if what you are using is rated GL-5, it should be fine. You should not "mix and match" meaning if you start to use one brand you should not use a different brand if you ever have to add some. It is not good to mix up brands, they all use different additives and you don't know how they will mix.

Nicholas R
02-05-2015, 10:07 PM
I contacted Redline about this and they indicated that the oil we should be using is not MT-90, but instead be using their 75W90 NS GL-5 Gear Oil: http://www.redlineoil.com/product.aspx?pid=47&pcid=7

It's designed for use in transaxles with synchromesh gears with brass synchros, as well as hypoid gear differentials. With that available, no need to even consider MT-90.

krs09
02-06-2015, 08:06 AM
Great..... Soo I have MT-90 in mine now, it seems ok but do I have something to worry about now??

lindbergh
02-06-2015, 10:47 AM
Great..... Soo I have MT-90 in mine now, it seems ok but do I have something to worry about now??

I would look at changing it. There is probably no harm being done, yet, but I would not want to drive extended travel with it in the summer. I talked to an engineer at Redline a couple years ago and they told me the same thing Nicholas R mentioned.

novadmc
07-07-2015, 03:27 PM
so given the Hypoid diff, and Red Line's recommendations to both Dave @ DMCMW and various owners, Red Line 75W90ns (#58304 for the 1 qt bottles) is now considered the go-to trans fluid, yes?

DMCMW Dave
07-07-2015, 06:33 PM
so given the Hypoid diff, and Red Line's recommendations to both Dave @ DMCMW and various owners, Red Line 75W90ns (#58304 for the 1 qt bottles) is now considered the go-to trans fluid, yes?

I took the RedLine back out of my car due to an occasional gear clash. I put the conventional (cheap) 80W90 in it and all is well.

I'm normally a believer WRT synthetic oil, but not in this trans.

David T
07-07-2015, 09:22 PM
I took the RedLine back out of my car due to an occasional gear clash. I put the conventional (cheap) 80W90 in it and all is well.

I'm normally a believer WRT synthetic oil, but not in this trans.

I can agree with this, the regular stuff seems to be fine. I am using Castrol HYPOC C Gear Oil SAE 80W-90 and no one has any complaints. There are some complaints from when it is either very cold or very hot, some people notice shifting noises/problems. Seems better with the MT-90 stuff for some. Could be their clutch is worn or the roll pin is also bent too.

novadmc
07-07-2015, 09:47 PM
I can agree with this, the regular stuff seems to be fine. I am using Castrol HYPOC C Gear Oil SAE 80W-90 and no one has any complaints. There are some complaints from when it is either very cold or very hot, some people notice shifting noises/problems. Seems better with the MT-90 stuff for some. Could be their clutch is worn or the roll pin is also bent too.

thanks! and just to note, it looks like Castrol a while back renamed the HYPOY C to "AXLE LIMITED SLIP 80W-90"
luckily autozone carries it in-store: http://www.autozone.com/greases-and-gear-oil/gear-oil/castrol-axle-limited-slip-gear-oil-sae-80w-90-32-oz-/991558_0_0/

no clue when the fluid was last changed in my car. ive changed out all the other fluids and finally am getting around to doing the trans.

David T
07-07-2015, 10:30 PM
thanks! and just to note, it looks like Castrol a while back renamed the HYPOY C to "AXLE LIMITED SLIP 80W-90"
luckily autozone carries it in-store: http://www.autozone.com/greases-and-gear-oil/gear-oil/castrol-axle-limited-slip-gear-oil-sae-80w-90-32-oz-/991558_0_0/

no clue when the fluid was last changed in my car. ive changed out all the other fluids and finally am getting around to doing the trans.

A reminder out there to all of the automatics, you need to check the final drive. It is a SEPARATE chamber and has it's own fluid level and drain plugs and it gets filled with GEAR OIL, not automatic transmission fluid. The Castrol stuff is fine.

Shuttleman
11-27-2015, 08:31 AM
I will try AMSOIL 75W80 severe gear. http://www.lastgreatroadtrip.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/gear-oil-comparison.pdf

The gearbox manufacturer specify grade API GL-5 MIL2105 B or C (or higher) and a viscosity chart, this is the reference to confirm the oil is compatible.
38268

David T
11-27-2015, 10:17 PM
I will try AMSOIL 75W80 severe gear. http://www.lastgreatroadtrip.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/gear-oil-comparison.pdf

The gearbox manufacturer specify grade API GL-5 MIL2105 B or C (or higher) and a viscosity chart, this is the reference to confirm the oil is compatible.
38268


Amsol makes some very good lubricants but if you are talking about the 5-speed box you must remember you are lubricating the final drive (differential) AND the transmission. Two different sets of requirements. The wrong lubricant in the gearbox and you will have trouble shifting because the syncros must slip just the right way. I am not sure this particular oil is going to work for you. From experience I can say the Redline and the Castrol seems to be good at most temperatures for most people. Since you are in Canada you probably need something that works at colder temps than most of us are used to.

Nicholas R
11-28-2015, 08:31 AM
I agree. Remember that you've got 2 different things going on here. You've got spur gears with syncro rings, as well as hypoid gears sharing oil. Hypoid gears want as little friction as possible since they're constantly sliding; however, if you lower the friction too much, your syncromesh rings will have difficulty engaging the dog gears and your shifting will be difficult.

Not saying this oil wont work, just something to be aware of. Anything made for Porsches, Subarus, Ferraris, Lotuses etc. should all work well as they all use similar transaxles.

Shuttleman
11-30-2015, 02:58 AM
Yes, EP additives may cause problem with synchro friction and, in some cases, copper#brass corrosion. Now the manufacturer did not state a API GL5 for nothing, yes many manual transmission with synchro and no final drive require GL4 but this is not a reference. Testing made by engineers is the valid reference. All API GL5 oils will have EP additives, now some will have a poor cooper strip test result and should be avoided.

davidc89
03-11-2016, 07:54 AM
How many quarts does the transmission hold?

BABIS
03-11-2016, 10:22 AM
How many quarts does the transmission hold?
3.9 quarts (3.7 liters)