jfman55

I have just over 180k on my car and I'm looking to change the trans fluid. My car runs and shifts great with no problems. I want to put the best possible fluid in the trans. I have used royal purple on past cars but I wanted to ask what I should use.
I saw this post
There is "Synchromesh", and "Synchromesh Friction Modified". You definitely want the Friction Modified version. Part number 12377916...

Very good prices here (usually $15+/qt at the dealer): http://paceperformance.com/index.asp...D&ProdID=41510
My question is I was leaning more towards a synthetic fluid synchromesh like royal purple or red line. Which should I put in and what weight gear oil? Again I don't have problems and I don't want them lol, just looking to put the best possible fluid. Thanks for any help

01acls

Ahh here's an idea... why don't you put in the same stuff that got you to 180k with no problems? LOL.

jfman55

I would but I bought the car at 153k so this would be the first time I change the trans fluid. Good point though, but I don't know what's in it.

Adobeman

Well, since you don't know what's in it you could always try the Acura MTF. It was supposedly "improved" back around 2006. I tried it in my car after way back then after I noticed I had the classic notchy 3rd gear. I noticed no "improved" anything. So I switched over to the GM friction modified and never looked back. Awesome ever since. You will find many that swear by it. If it was me, since it's so simple to change, I'd try the OE MTF first and see how it goes. If you notice notchy 3rd gear then go GM.

The big thing is you don't know what's in there. That's why I'd start with OE. That way you can get a baseline on where you are. Plus, if all's good with it then you're done as there's nothing wrong with the OE MTF

WDPanda

I put in the new Honda stuff a year ago. Made specifically for Honda, by Honda. Can't go wrong with that.
Something about having a "notchy" transmission being fixed by magic fluid just doesn't sit well with me, personally. With the Honda MTF, I can feel the transmission shifting in my hand (without the notchiness) and lets me give it that pause before it easily glides in when revs match. I'm assuming this GM stuff is smooth regardless, which raises some questions of what it's doing inside.
Goodluck!

jfman55

Thanks for the input guys. I think I will go to acura to get the oe mtf and give it a try. If something happens like you said I'll switch to gm. I did however find the guys number who I bought the car from so I sent him a text to see if he knows what's in it. If he answers back I'll post it. Again thanks for the input!

TacoBello

The GMSMFM doesn't fix anything. It's just a high quality fluid. This stuff has extended the life of more Honda transmissions than I care to count, for many, many years.

Adobeman

I hear you. Sounds like your car doesn't need it. You don't say what year your MT is but it may just be a "good one" or have the revised 3rd gear set in it anyway and not need the GM. The TSB covered this range

2004–07 TL with M/T – ALL
2008 TL with M/T – From VIN 19UUA75..8A000001 thru 19UUA75..8A029085
Acura TSB

You should have been around here back in 06 or so when the debate about this very question raged on. If you had the "notchiness" you had the non-invasive choice of putting in the GM SMFM fluid or getting a dealer to do the very invasive TSB, which many dealers resisted doing. And if they did do it you had a good chance that the person doing the TSB hadn't done many MT tear-downs if any. Some stood on principle and forced dealers to do the TSB. Some had good results, others didn't. Others were more pragmatic and looked at the hundreds of thousands of miles the S2000's did with the GM fluid and the many thousands done by TLs. They just tried the GM fluid. All the members here that I know of tried the GM fluid while there car was still relatively young that didn't see vast improvement. To date I've seen no reports of MT failures due to it (at least that anyone has shared).

anx1300c

iTrader: (2)

Just do the GM stuff. I've been running it since 2009 and haven't been denied third gear once since then. A friend used the Honda stuff and still has some notchiness in an '05 TL. It's better, but not great.

csmeance

^ This, do not mess with something that's proven to work amazingly well in the TL's 6MT.

TacoBello

Fixed for accuracy.

WDPanda

It's an 06 MT.
To the ones who have put the GM stuff in, does it make the shifter go in with ease? As if there is no resistance? Because I like to feel the resistance to let me know to ease up a bit so I'm not chewing away at the synchros. This is not a comparison to the rejection of 3rd gear but just the feel.
I find it disturbing that a company as reliable and popular as Honda can't make a fluid as good as GM (the bankrupt guys).

Adobeman

I'll do my best to describe but it's been so long I've been using the stuff it's hard to remember what it was like before (back in 2005).

I won't say there's no resistance. That all, as always, depends on how you are driving. Let's take normal 1-2-3-4-5... shifting first. My recollection was that with stock OE fluid things were for the most part fine. But occasionally when you would go for 3rd it just wouldn't go in as smoothly as usual. So it would catch me off guard and sometimes my left foot would still reflexively let the clutch out before it realized my right hand was having a bit of an issue. Grind! That's just never happened since I started using the GM stuff. I never experienced any pop-out. I can clearly feel the gear shifts. There's no large resistance but just a small notch as the gear engages. As Goldilocks would say it's just right. (yes, I'm aware that's very subjective)

For downshifting it's all about technique anyway. No MTF is going to save you from poor technique. I double-clutch, rev-match, when I do that so I don't ever really experience any issues. Can't say I did back before using the GM stuff anyway. And, I rarely do particularly hi-rev downshifts anyway. Typically I'll shift 4->3 prior to corners around town so that's not way up there in revs.

So I don't think it's about either fluid being "good" or "bad" but rather how each actually works in the particular MT it is poured into. There's far more engineering that goes into both fluids and MTs that I care to become "guru" on. I was OK with trying the GM stuff after I did my own research into how many collective miles were on it. Someone also did a fluid analysis of it after using it and it showed nothing to be alarmed about. Had it done nothing for me I probably would have changed back to OE. But, it really helped so I stuck with it. YMMV

TacoBello

Panda, just try it. We're not trying to steer you in the wrong direction and at the same time, many of us advocating for it are using it ourselves. For years. You've really got nothing to lose!

WDPanda

Well that clears things up a good notch. Thanks for that explanation
TacoBello, I was actually on my way to the Chevy dealer to pick up the GMSM FTMFW but I read a few threads over at honda-tech who claimed the new Honda fluid was good. I figured it wouldn't hurt to try in the interim and didn't get a reason to switch.... yet.
But seriously Honda's new stuff should or did copy the GM fluid since it's revered.

WDPanda

what mtf transmission fluid?? - Honda-Tech

GM Synchromesh in ITR tranny review - Page 4 - Team Integra Forums - Team Integra

maharajamd

iTrader: (1)

What? Lol.

We all use GMSM. 8 out of 10 here that change MTF themselves switched to GMSM I bet.

I used to have the third gear issue. Once I switched I never had it again.

Both fluids are fine. Go with whatever one you want.

quanaman

iTrader: (4)

Good lord, the GM SFM is hands down the best fluid for our cars.


I've put it in two 6MT UA7 TLs and have excellent results. It even FIXED a 3rd gear pop out issue on my last tl, and a 3rd gear notching issue on my current one. (yes, fixed as in its 100% gone and have not been able to reproduce results)

Both cars shift like a hot knife through butter.



I really don't know why anyone would use any other fluid.

600doubler

I had a bad clutch (stiff pedal and wont return) and a popping/notchy 3rd gear) at 125k on mine. Even debated with cracking the tranny open and replacing the 3rd gear set. Took care of the clutch and flywheel first, then I changed the fluid to the GM stuff with friction modified. After all that, not a even a slight sign that my tranny had an issue. GM tranny fluid is great stuff.. Oh, and my TL now chirps on third gear all the time.. hehe..

Mcesar84

I changed mine out at around 120k with OEM MTF... no gear issues before that, no issues at 135k

6MTrules

I didn't have issues, but based on reviews here, I put in GMSMFM anyway back in 2005 and haven't looked back. Butter all the time.

WDPanda

Not alot of people probably keep their cars long enough to see any consequences anyway. To each their own. I don't like shifting like hot knife through butter, I prefer the feeling of a "well oiled machine" doing its thing.
"All that friction has to go somewhere right"

jfman55

Thanks for all the responses! I'll definitely put in the gm fluid

TacoBello

Wtf are you babbling about?

Judges product with zero experience and zero knowledge

quanaman

iTrader: (4)

lol. Its an expression; meaning it shifts smooth as FUCK.

csmeance

Buddy has 300K on his 6MT TL using GM fluid. What are you smoking? Please share!

TacoBello

Everyone knows that the "H" on his bottle means better product over the "GM" on our bottles. For fuck sakes. I bet Honda copied GMs product through and through. But hey, if that "H" makes a guy feel better...

DMZ

Been using the GM fluid since the car had 7K miles on it. At 226K, still shifts like butta.
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