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>>Tranny Fluid Info and Experimenting Thread<< (Amsoil, Redline, USC, etc.)

207K views 404 replies 74 participants last post by  persia 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
>>Tranny Fluid Info and Experimenting Thread<< (Amsoil, Redline, USC, etc.)

UPDATE:

To start off, a link to " MEMBER TESTIMONIALS (on page 2 of this thread)" where there are tons of testimonials and lots to read.

What I ended up running and install pics. >>>>HERE on page 4<<<<


MY Blackstone analysis of my USC fluid that I replaced. >>>HERE<<<

Also started a "What fluid was your car running when it blew?" thread.

One more link to the Uncle Scotty's Cocktail Thread on Nasioc.

With that said where I started at 1-30-08:

So it is once again tranny fluid time in my car, or getting close anyways. Last time I used a synthetic version of USC or "Uncle Scottys Cocktail" I came up with. It works great, but in my quest to not leave well enough alone and brand homogeneity, I wanna try an all Amsoil formulation. Specifically, replace the Frankenstein colored Redline Lightweight shockproof with something, but we'll see where the research and findings take me.

What I am currently running:
I mixed up a batch of "Uncle Scottys Cocktail" but a full synthetic version in my 06 TR at 15k miles.

1 qt Redline lightweight shockproof
1 qt Amsoil syncromesh
2 qt Amsoil 75w90 gear oil.
What I am thinking about going with:

4 0z Amsoil slip lock
1
qt Amsoil MTG
1 qt Amsoil syncromesh
1.5 qt Amsoil 75w90 gear oil.

The bold is what I am thinking about to replace the Lightweight shockproof. They have a lower kinematic viscosity at 40 deg which should lead to improved shift at cold temps. Using all Amsoil products also guarantees (through Amsoil) that I can up the service interval considerably.



Discuss.

Here are the results:

Now at page 24 we have come to some conclusions:

* We've decided Uncle Scotty's cocktail shifts nice for a while but breaks down really fast and needs really short change intervals.
--Also don't think syncromesh needs to be in the blend
--There is also concern it may cause extra wear

* Redline Lightweight Shockproof works well in the 5MT but not the STI trans (slinger lubrication versus pump)
--Seems to work just as well straight as mixed

* Straight Severe Gear 75w90 from Amsoil is not good in cold weather, but works well when mixed with shockproof

* SD_GR still loves his Valvoline conventional 75w90

* Subaru Extra S is the greatest gear oil to put in a stock Subaru
--It works well for a long time, shifts great, but is not sold in the quart. Its sold in the 5 gal drum, but many Subi tuners and dealer have it

FWIW Redline 75w90NS is what you'd run in the 5MT, but in non-mixed form it hasn't netted near the result of the Extra-S. Don't use MT90.
 
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#214 ·
FWIW, since I just upgraded to PPGs, I'd thought I'd give a few words on the condition of the stock gears.

The history of the tranny is that I ran ~10K miles on the factory fill (no problems), then I switched to the traditional USC. I ran that for another 10K miles (no problems). At 20K miles I switched to Subaru Extra S and ran that for ~3K miles (also with no problems).

At 23K total miles, my tranny was disassembled for a PPG gear upgrade.

The condition of the stock gears and syncros (actually, every stock part for that matter) was in "As-new" condition. I saw little-to-no wear anywhere on the gearset.

Also, as expected with 3 fills in 23K miles, there was little-to-no sludge in the case.

Even running the 5 speed with 300+whp, the gears still looked new. My stock clutch, however, was near death.
 
#216 ·
iron in your oil analysis

Hey 06wrx4me this is an excellent thread full of info. I'm somewat of a new member here but i noticed something.

In your oil analysis it said that you have high levels of iron in it right? Did you also say you used amsoil's 75w90 severe gear oil? I just took a look at the amsoil site and it says "The proprietary AMSOIL additives form an iron-sulfide barrier coating on gear surfaces, providing the ultimate line of defense against wear, pitting and scoring." I don't think it's your transmission disolving but more like amsoil's oil. If that's true then I think it's safe to run the redline shockproof and amsoil and no harm should come to your trans.

I've got a new 09 wrx with only 48 miles and I was thinking that I should swap out the factory gear oil with the amsoil and redline shockproof at 5000 miles or is that too long? Should I change it out sooner to get all the metallic debris out?
 
#217 ·
Hey 06wrx4me this is an excellent thread full of info. I'm somewat of a new member here but i noticed something.

In your oil analysis it said that you have high levels of iron in it right? Did you also say you used amsoil's 75w90 severe gear oil? I just took a look at the amsoil site and it says "The proprietary AMSOIL additives form an iron-sulfide barrier coating on gear surfaces, providing the ultimate line of defense against wear, pitting and scoring." I don't think it's your transmission disolving but more like amsoil's oil. If that's true then I think it's safe to run the redline shockproof and amsoil and no harm should come to your trans.

I've got a new 09 wrx with only 48 miles and I was thinking that I should swap out the factory gear oil with the amsoil and redline shockproof at 5000 miles or is that too long? Should I change it out sooner to get all the metallic debris out?
Howdy-

I swapped the fluid out in my wrx to help with the choppy shifting that plagued the older models, and coupled with upgraded bushings, it helped things a lot. I know there were a few changes to the 08-09 transmission, so I'm not sure if the oiling system was altered. I know in the sti's the Shockproof supposedly clogs the transmission oil pump. Since you are under factory warranty, I would either swap in straight Amsoil SVG if you felt a need to change, or the Subaru Extra S. The smurf blood blue color of the shockproof is a dead giveaway that you have done something to the tranny.

FWIW I am running the Subaru Extra S right now, and it is almost as good as the Shockproof/AMsoil mix. I get slightly more tranny noise, but engagements are fine.
 
#219 ·
Haha I was thinking about getting the 5 gallon drum of Extra S but where would I put it? My garage is kind of a mess but that's a problem for me to solve.

I was wondering if it would be fine to leave the factory gear oil in the trans because of the thread that had data where a lot of cars had blew their trans because of factory gear oil. Of course that thread didn't explain how they drove, weather conditions, maintenance schedules, etc. Also not everyone participated, but still I am concerned about my tranny's longevity. I plan to run the car for a long time. I also think that Pavia said that his rear differential was black by 8k-9k miles. That's another reason that I want to change out the gear oils in both the trans and rear diff sooner than later. How many miles do you suggest I swap out the factory gear oils?

Extra S if I can get it, Amsoil 75w90 SVG if I can't. Thanks for your help!! :)

John
 
#221 ·
Black oil means that the oil is doing it's job of suspending particles rather than allowing them to grind away at your internals. So it's not necessarily a bad thing.

At any rate, as far as intervals go, it depends on how hard you drive the car. I've done mine at the 30,000 recommended by the factory. It's a daily driver with a max of 10 track day/auto-X events per year. The power levels I've run are stock (60,000 miles) and stage 2 (20,000 miles). That's my experience. Other people'es may differ.
 
#220 ·
Recently threw in Valvoline synthetic when I replaced my clutch and it feels good. I got it because I could not get Redline or Amsoil locally, but it turned out okay.

turbo flat4, turninconcepts used to sell Extra-S in their own little quart bottles, but at an extremely high price. They attributed the price markup to packaging costs and labor or whatever, but it was still ridiculous. I don't know if they still sell it but maybe you should take that into consideration if you're looking for a normal amount of Extra-S.
 
#222 ·
Yeah I saw the turninconcepts thing but that's too expensive. I'd rather buy the 5 gallon pail and find a place to keep it in my garage.

Perhaps I'll change out the rear diff at 7000 miles and if it's still not black I'll increase the interval by 1000 miles until it goes black. Mine is also a daily driver until the warranty expires and then it's time to mod it :p
 
#223 ·
I'm going with 3qt Redline LW Shockproof and 1qt Motul 300 from now on with the PPGs (on recommendation from Andrewtech and the installer).

But now I have a 5gal drum of Extra S in the garage. I'm assuming the Extra S is perfectly fine for the rear diff?
 
#225 · (Edited)
Ran 250 miles on the modded tranny with Napa gear oil and boy did it suck. It was supposed to be for breakin, but I should have went with Redline from the beginning. Shifting was notchy and I had a buzzing noise every now and then going into 4th gear with the Napa stuff.

I just changed out to all Redline LW Shockproof and the change was dramatic. Smooth as silk again and no noises or issues.

At 1,000 miles I'll drain and fill with the Motul/Redline and go with that for the next 15k. Motul was too expensive to waste on a break-in.

So far my experiences has been:

1) Stock factory fill: Acceptable performance.
2) USC: Excellent performance.
3) Extra S: Very Good to Excellent performance.
4) Napa: Horrible experience.
5) Redline LW Shock: Excellent performance.
6) Redline LW/Motul 300: ??? TBD

BTW: I don't think I've ever been able to get more than 3 qts of oil in my tranny before it hits the "F hole" (on level ground too)
 
G
#226 ·
Subscribed. I love this thread.

My own info:

Stock tranny fluid (I'm assuming) from date of purchase with 27k miles until about 50k when I changed it to full Redline 75W90 synthetic. Before I changed, I had a really rough 3-4 gear engagement...figured my syncros were going out.... so I just tried to tough it out and ignore it.

Then I did a lot of reading on USC over at NASIOC and thought I'd give it a try. Grimmspeed sells the whole ****tail as a kit so you don't have to run around trying to buy them individually.

Changed to the USC a few weeks ago and I am not joking... 3-4 gear grind is GONE! I was sooooo happy! I have been living without a solid 4th gear pretty much ever since I owned the thing (thanks previous owner!) and now 4th gear is back like a long lost friend! I couldn't believe it.

Something I did do though, not sure if anyone here has tried it (haven't read the whole thread yet).... I got a hold of some of Seafoam's Trans Tune and dumped that in the tranny, went for a spin (they recommend about 5 miles, making sure to shift into every gear) then came back and drained it. I also made sure to clean the drain plug really well as it was awfully gunked up with metal shavings (probably not good, I know).

So I don't know what one thing helped the most, or if it was a combination of those three things, but I am glad to have my transmission back!

My conclusion is that the Redline fluid was junk, even with less than 15k on it - the USC is the shiz - the drain plug needed some attention - the Seafoam really helped clean some of the crap out from the tranny and take it with it during the drain - or a combination of all these things.

Just wanted to add that and bump and awesome thread.
 
#227 · (Edited)
Something I did do though, not sure if anyone here has tried it (haven't read the whole thread yet).... I got a hold of some of Seafoam's Trans Tune and dumped that in the tranny, went for a spin
Uhhmm.....I'm assuming you didn't bother to read the can.Trans Tune is designed for automatic trannys and power steering systems/hydraulic sytems.It is not made for manual transmissions.The Transtune is probably breaking down your manual transmission gear oil as we speak.

For Automatic Transmissions, Power Steering
Systems and Industrial or Agricultural Hydraulic Systems


Trans Tune - Sea Foam
 
#232 ·
I ran the USC for 10k miles and gears and synchos looked brand new. If you want pics just ask...
 
#233 ·
I have no doubt you and probably many others have had success with the USC. However, others have seen synchro wear show up on their UOAs, and the consensus is that it is the syncromesh component that is responsible for it. My tuner has stopped putting syncromesh in ****tails in cars that come through his way.
 
#236 ·
All Fluids

Could someone point me in the right direction i just realized i may need to change all my fluids but i dont even know where to start i just bought my 04 STI about a month ago and do very much want to change all my fluids i know what kind of motor oil to run but as far as every thing else goes i would like some advice on. Thanks whom ever decides to through a little advice my way
:D
 
#237 ·
Could someone point me in the right direction i just realized i may need to change all my fluids but i dont even know where to start i just bought my 04 STI about a month ago and do very much want to change all my fluids i know what kind of motor oil to run but as far as every thing else goes i would like some advice on. Thanks whom ever decides to through a little advice my way
:D
Engine: synthetic (mobil 1, castol syntec, etc) plus new filter.

Tranny: STi's aren't too picky. Subaru Extra S, Mobil 1, Redline are all good.

Rear diff: Subaru LSD fluid, Mobil 1 w/ a friction modifer.

Brake fluid: Super Blue or Motul
 
#238 ·
I just went with 1qt of Motul 300 and 2qts of Redline LW Shockproof. Best shifting I've seen so far compared to the previous fluids I've used. Recommended by Andrewtech for the PPGs. Seems like a good mix.
 
G
#240 ·
So what you're saying is, your girl knows how to drive better than you? JUST KIDDING lol let us know if that combo works man! I'm thinking about ditching my USC ****tail after all the horrible crap I'm reading about it.... even though it fixed my 3-4 gear grind that I had for over a year (full Redline 75w90 didn't cure it).
 
#245 ·
Redline LW shockproof and 75W90NS

Well I finally switched out my tranny oil with 20,600 miles on it. I used the Redline LW and 7590 NS mix in it and was still workign fine at 20 plus. Sending in the oil samples (one new one 20.5K) to be analyzed and hopefully should haev results within a weke or so depending on how quick the USPS is.

On a positive note I took a pick of the oil samples at about 36 hours of sitting time and even now 3 days past NO oil separation, which some on NASIOC found with the USC.

Attached some pics as well.
 
#248 ·
Blackstone Results

Well here is my blackstone results for my fluid. Again it was a mix of 2 Qts LW shockproof and 1.7 of Redline 75w90 NS. I took a brand new sample as well as one with 20.5k miles on it.

Unfortunately the results were not what I had hoped for Iron and Silicone was high in it. Viscosity was slightly high and flashpoint slightly low but not insanely far off.

Also my car was bought used with 38K on it initially so no idea if the tranny was abused before hand.
 
#249 ·
I have an 06 WRX with 43000 miles, 5th gear has developed a light grind and I was planning on changing my tranny fluid and diff fluid hoping to ease the issue. Now thats why im in this thread, I need advice on mixture. I live in san antonio texas and its been in the 100s here during the day, but in the winter mornings its in the 30s. What do you guys recommend I put in my tranny? and the diff?
 
G
#251 ·
Had you read the whole thread? I think you could gather a very knowledgeable place to start from reading the thread. Guessing that you're still under warranty until 60k, I would try to stick with something like the Subaru Extra S tranny fluid...
 
#255 ·
Unless your manual transmission has a filter in it of course those numbers are going to be high. Unlike your engine or an automatic transmission there is no filter on a manual transmission. I would be looking more a shear weight. Also all these people make up these tranny concoctions seem to forget the two differentials in the transmission as well. Thats why you have to use a GL-5 rated gear oil. Just because USC makes your tranny "feel" better doesn't mean over the long run it could cause premature wear and damage to the differentials.
 
#256 ·
The one thing with the Shockproof is you need to change it out more often. You shouldn't go over 15K miles if you have this in your tranny. But then again fluids are relatively cheap and it's plain easy to change the fluid (easier than an engine oil change), so it's not really an issue ;)

My GTO has a T-56 manual tranny. The listed/required fluid for this is actually ATF fluid. But then, there is no diff in there...
 
#264 ·
today i installed kartboy front and rear bushings, and changed the tranny oil/rear diff oil...

boy does she shift like butter now! still not like my old hondas but so much better than stock.

used the redline lightweight + amsol heavy in the tranny, and redline lightweight in the rear diff.

cant wait for some miles to be put on her and see if it gets even smoother.

Thanks for all the info in this post, made me love my wrx that much more.
 
G
#274 ·
I thought you said you read the thread? :confused: jk

USC is Uncle Scotty's ****tail. I got mine through Grimmspeed:

GrimmSpeed

And most Subaru dealers should have Extra-S in huge barrel drums that they use when people bring their cars in for service changes, etc. I don't think you can buy it from a dealer in quart bottles necessarily... just have to take your car there for the service...
 
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