How to change manual transmission fluid

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KuroNekko
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redmed wrote: Bootymac's spreadsheet confirms his thought that thinner fluids provide better shifting, based on your experience between Royal Purple Max Gear (17.5) vs MT-90 (15.6) and strengthens my decision to use MTL (10.4).
I'd use MTL if I were you simply for the winter temperatures you see in MI.

While I get that statistically, thinner fluids may improve shifting, it's simply not what I observed empirically when comparing the factory fill to MT-90. I always thought the shift feel was a bit flimsy and MT-90 helped with that. I'm curious what improvements MTL will bring. Keep us posted on how it affects your shifting performance and feel.
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Black)
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redmed
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KuroNekko wrote:
redmed wrote: Bootymac's spreadsheet confirms his thought that thinner fluids provide better shifting, based on your experience between Royal Purple Max Gear (17.5) vs MT-90 (15.6) and strengthens my decision to use MTL (10.4).
I'd use MTL if I were you simply for the winter temperatures you see in MI.

While I get that statistically, thinner fluids may improve shifting, it's simply not what I observed empirically when comparing the factory fill to MT-90. I always thought the shift feel was a bit flimsy and MT-90 helped with that. I'm curious what improvements MTL will bring. Keep us posted on how it affects your shifting performance and feel.
The factory fill was semi-synthetic while MT-90 is synthetic. Don't know if that was a big factor in the difference. I'm hoping so, I'd like to see a improvement with the reverse gear. It is downright embarrassing sometimes and every time it happens I think about chipped gears and metal shavings in the oil.

What I'm referring to is the difference between two synthetics Royal Purple and MT-90 seemed to indicate the the thinner MT-90 was better. True?

It may be a few weeks before I travel that way to get the Redline oil and possibly some rear shocks. Then later in the fall before I change the oil in the transmission and engine, rotate tires and modify or replace the rear shock bumpers.
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KuroNekko
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redmed wrote: The factory fill was semi-synthetic while MT-90 is synthetic. Don't know if that was a big factor in the difference. I'm hoping so, I'd like to see a improvement with the reverse gear. It is downright embarrassing sometimes and every time it happens I think about chipped gears and metal shavings in the oil.

What I'm referring to is the difference between two synthetics Royal Purple and MT-90 seemed to indicate the the thinner MT-90 was better. True?

It may be a few weeks before I travel that way to get the Redline oil and possibly some rear shocks. Then later in the fall before I change the oil in the transmission and engine, rotate tires and modify or replace the rear shock bumpers.
I still have the Reverse gear engagement issue with MT-90. I just think it's a characteristic of the transmission and it being a little sloppy. I don't think the new fluid will fully cure it and will merely alleviate it if anything. I just find that you have to really throw it back in there and make sure to have a positive engagement or it will grind a bit and not go anywhere.

The RP Max Gear and RL MT-90 were in my Mazda3 that called for 75W-90. I don't recall one feeling significantly better than the other. I used RP Max Gear first mainly because I felt an odd sensation in the clutch pedal when shifting. It was a light vibration. It was shortly after I bought the car with 56K miles. I changed the fluid somewhere around 60K with Max Gear. I chose Max Gear out of convenience; it was sold in my local AutoZone. It immediately remedied the vibration issue permanently and made gear engagement a lot better. I used that fluid until about 100K or so. I then changed to RL MT-90. I do not recall MT-90 offering any memorable improvement over Max Gear. At 109K, I sold the Mazda3 as I already got the Kizashi by then.

The reason I like Red Line's MT-90 and MTL is because these fluids were specifically designed for manual transmissions. That's what the "MT" in the names stand for. RP's Max Gear was great and made an improvement in shift feel and performance, but is more marketed as a gear oil and is merely suitable for some manual transmissions among differentials.

Given the preferred weight of 75W-80 for the Kizashi's MT, I think Red Line's offerings are better than RP's. Max Gear's thinnest weight is 75W-90 and their Synchromax Manual Trans Fluid seems to be a one-weight-for-all product from what I can tell.
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Black)
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redmed
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bootymac wrote:
You live in the United States of Amazon:

MTL:
Sometimes Amazon can be beat.
I was able to get to my favorite old local auto parts store and they had both MT-90 and MTL for $13.99. Picked up MTL for the Kizzy and MT-90 for the Corolla.
Checked for shocks for the Kizashi and all they had where KYB's. :cry: I have been shocked before when they had parts I did not know existed and could not find anywhere else. They where my last hope for different shocks for the Kizashi. Unless one of the well informed members here come up with a alternative.
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bootymac
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Which store was this? If they have locations in northern WA then maybe I'll buy some there next time!
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KuroNekko
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Seriously, this store sounds awesome.
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Black)
bootymac
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Thought I'd share a trick to make pumping the fluid a bit easier if you have an air compressor or tire inflator:

1. Take your fluid container and cut a hole in the cap that just fits a tube
2. Feed the tube to the bottom of the container and then to the fill hole
3. Make another hole in your container that is just big enough for your air compressor
4. Slowly pressurize the container so that the air forces the fluid through the hose.
5. Do something else instead of manually pumping the fluid like a caveman

I did this for my GTI using thick 75w90 oil. It's a DIY version of the Motive brake bleeder
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redmed
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bootymac wrote:Which store was this? If they have locations in northern WA then maybe I'll buy some there next time!
This store was part of the Murray's auto parts franchise and was near where I lived and wrenched for many years. I retired and moved 60 miles away, into the country, nine miles from the nearest town. When getting parts locally now I often wish I was at this store. When I went back the other day to get some Redline oil I found that a friend that used to work there and I relied on for advise does not work there anymore. They still seemed to be well stocked with stuff I did not see in the other auto parts stores I have been in. I also half expected them to have rear shocks other than the KYB's but sadly was disappointed. This is from their website:

http://murrayspartscity.com/index1.html?contact.html&1

"Thank you for choosing us a family owned Michigan based company in business since 1975. We are the one and only Murray’s Auto Parts Store in existence. We were the third store open in a chain of stores that grew to about 145 stores. The rest of the stores were last purchased by O’reilly’s of Springfield Missouri in 2008.

We have chosen to keep the Murray’s format and all the business principles that were incepted by the original toy / hardware store founded in the 50’s by Sara and Irving Pitt.

Al and Murray Pitt founded the first Murray’s Discount Auto Store in 1974 as a spin off of the hardware store.

We are proud to represent the Murray’s name and carry on the legacy of Murray’s. We offer a TREMENDOUS selection of parts and accessories and our quality and service are second to none. We still hold the belief that customers deserve to have the best service possible and nothing takes a back seat to the needs and desires of our customers.

We are not a chain store. We have more items available to us than any chain store. We also are excellent at getting the hard to find items that your corner auto parts store has no access to.

We are very active in our community and strongly believe in giving back to the community. We are a proud sponsor of numerous community activities. "


As a side note the original Murray's store not only was a hardware/Auto Parts store but was a great place to get jewelry. When I went there to get auto parts my wife would pursue the jewelry. This often cost me dearly.
64 Galaxie 68 Olds 442 65 Impala 70 VW Bug
74 Nissan B210 66 Chevelle 73 Olds 98 71 C20
75 Monza 82 Escort 75 E150 75 Civic 76 Accord
86 Escort 87 Taurus 83 Chevy G20 85 Ranger 4x4
93 F250 4x4 95 Silhouette 95 LHS 03 Corolla 10 Kizashi S MT
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murcod
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murcod wrote:
uzz32 wrote:Just dropping in to thank Kuronekko for posting this tutorial. I used it as a guide to perform my own transmission oil change and she shifts much better. The oil change has minimised my second gear transmission rubbing noise.

I did not go the 75w90 route because Redline oils are expensive in Australia ($27 bottle). I used Castrol 75w85 mineral oil as I figured that anything would be better than the factory oil, which had done 40,000 km.
I think I've got the same issue with second gear- it just doesn't want to change as quickly / smoothly as the others. The dealer has already changed my oil once - probably to auto trans fluid or something else not so good for trans life..... :roll:

Interesting about the clutch. Did you change the fluid and bleed it? I wonder if that could have been more of a problem than the trans oil itself? (eg. If it hasn't been disengaging fully.)
That was exactly the problem with my Kizashi http://www.kizashiclub.com/forum/viewto ... =12&t=3257 . I'm now a very happy man as it's like driving a different vehicle. :mrgreen:
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redmed
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KuroNekko, Thanks for this detailed writeup. I'm going to change my trans oil tomorrow or Thursday and as I reviewed this I realized I did not have a 8mm hex socket. Nothing is more annoying than jacking up the car taking things apart and finding out you need to stop everything and get a tool. I went to get a hex socket today and found the funnel you used. It seems to be a handy funnel with the shut off. So I got myself one.
64 Galaxie 68 Olds 442 65 Impala 70 VW Bug
74 Nissan B210 66 Chevelle 73 Olds 98 71 C20
75 Monza 82 Escort 75 E150 75 Civic 76 Accord
86 Escort 87 Taurus 83 Chevy G20 85 Ranger 4x4
93 F250 4x4 95 Silhouette 95 LHS 03 Corolla 10 Kizashi S MT
17 Sienna
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