INDYMAC

Update after 1000 miles...

I still like the Schaeffers 7000 10W-30 in the tranny. One thing that has never happened (knock on wood) since switching from Honda MTF II is the tranny popping out of 1st gear while starting from a dead stop. I wonder if the MTF II is too low on viscosity, or it just has too much FM additive for the synchros.

My car does feel like it has lost some power, but it's difficult to document without some dyno's. But switching from a 7.5cSt fluid to a 10cSt fluid can do that.

We're starting to get some cooler weather here in Texas now, so I'll be able to review the cold tranny fluid characteristics over the next few months. I'm limited to 40F and above temps due to my RE-01R Bridgestone tires though.

Shifting is good to very good so far.

SpitfireS

Amsoil MTF is ~ 9.6 cSt when new, I didn't notice any performance drop using it.
What I did notice after a recent gearbox oil change (Amsoil out/in) was less loud clutch buzz.
Or more correctly: Gearbox backlash noise due to unsufficient clutch disk damper spring tension

I still don't know what to think of permanently using motor oil in the gearbox.
The manual clearly states it for temporary use only, when nothing else is available.

So far its working for you, no doubt, but 1000 miles is not a long distance.



edit: typo.

starchland

I too noticed a complete reduction in clutch buzz when the mtf2 fluid was new. People called me crazy. I can almost pinpoint too when the mileage mtf2 starts to break down causing more gear backlash noise. How does this have an affect on the spring tension? or is it just a byproduct of less vibration being made from the gears?

SpitfireS

starchland Posted on Nov 3 2010, 12:12 AM
Do you get that a lot?


All gears (except scissor gears like the timing gear) have backlash, they need to.
When the springs have less tension there is a little movement possible between input shaft and flywheel/crank even when the clutch is engaged.
So you hear the backlash feathering the throttle & off throttle while in gear.
That's the buzzzzzzz.
Its a - normal - noise in the transmission caused by the (weak / weakened) damper springs in the clutch disk.

The weight of the clutch (FW, disk and PP) also makes a difference.
Harmonic vibration, ect.
In gear, its one shaft from the front pulley of the crank to the rear bearing of the input shaft.

INDYMAC

Did you switch from Honda MTF I to AMS MTF, or were you using MTF(L) II?

I really don't know where my experiment with 10W-30 engine oil will take me. If I go back to MTF, it will probably be AMSOIL MTF or a similar viscosity rather than a MTL like Honda MTF II. Hopefully I'll make it 5K miles (1 year) with the Schaeffers and do a UOA to see what happened wrt to wear, shearing, and TAN. Then I'll compare my subjective observations and UOA with my previous use and UOA of MTF II.

McFab

Great thread with lots of good info! Thanks for doing the dirty work gentleman.

SpitfireS

About 14 months ago I had GMSFM in the trans.
Then I switched to Amsoil MTF.

INDYMAC

Well, my experiment with 10W-30 engine oil is over. I drained the tranny yesterday and replaced it with AMSOIL MTF. I just couldn't put up with how stiff it felt getting it into 2nd gear when cold out. Everything was fine once the tranny warmed up though.

zeroptzero

Thanks for the continued information on this, it makes sense that the tranny would stiffen up in cold temp use with the engine oil. Let us know how the Amsoil MTF goes for you.

While on the subject of tranny fluid, what do you make of the reports of MTF3 available in Europe these days Indy ?, do you think it is just like our MTF2 that is labelled differently across the pond ?.

SgtB

The best mod I made for helping with notchiness was a heavier shift knob. I installed a Abrams and it helped quite a bit. Just food for thought. My '01 has 114k on the clock and still shifts butter smooth even in the cold. I don't know why though.