I was going to do this tomorrow, it seems like there is some discussion about which drain to use? I could not find the specifics, other than there is a drain plug and a sensor hole, and some seemed to prefer draining out of the sensor hole.

Could someone who has done it on the 6mt/3.5 combo chime in with what they prefer?

I'll probably use a gear lube pump to fill it up rather than trying to funnel it in from above.

 

oops, found it on the Shift_Ice page.
Looks like on the 6MT there is only one choice for drain holes.

 

Have used only Redline MT-90 and now Amsoil MTG.
When I first got the car it had what I can only assume was original. Felt like garbage.

Put in MT-90... Felt much better... Drained that and put in MTG. Felt much better than the MT-90 and now that is what I will recommend of the 2 new fluids I've used.

The shifting much imrpoved with the Amsoil. 3rd gear crunch is now even more subdued than with the MT-90. I love this stuff!

 

Since I already have the MT90 (from Amazon) I'll probably use that for the next 30k miles. Shifting is not bad with the OEm stuff, just a bit notchy at certain rpms especially when cold.

 

It is improved over OEM, so go for it.
I was just chiming in since you asked what people's preferences were.
If you do ever switch, I can just about guarantee you will prefer the MTG

At least the job is like 15 minutes on this car.. It is so fast and easy to change the MT fluid.

 

Don't forget your 10mm HEX drive socket for the drain plug -- might even fit BOTH, as I recall.

Remove both for better draining (breather / fill).

It's not a tough job, just a bit awkward with the filling -- if you have a pump, so much the better.

Personally -- I've changed from OEM to Amsoil gl-5 to Amsoil gl-4, and never felt this VAST improvement that others have perceived.

However -- I feel ALOT better knowing I've got a GOOD GL-4 Full-Synth Lube in my Trans. = good piece of mind.
I will say that COLD WEATHER (really COLD!) shifting is greatly improved with the FUll Synth.

gr

 

i think the sensor 'drain' is prefered because it seems to get rid of more of the old fluid

 

Maybe on the 5spd. The 6spd has the drain at the lowest possible point without putting it vertical.

On my 4th gen, I used the sensor to drain because of the convenience to access. I'm sure the 2000-2001 5spds are the same.

 

^yea it is..i have a 4th gen trans in my 5th right now, same sensor point, i assumed the 6speed trans were the same, my bad assumption

 

Got the job done, I used a pump to get the new fluid in, what a PITA. But it does shift a little better; still some notchiness, but improved compared to the OEM gear lube.

 

FWIW, I found an easier and faster way to add the gear lube last weekend. Perhaps someone else has done it this way, but I couldn't find anything with the search. I'm sure there are other methods, but this one works with limited tools and effort.

1. Take an ~18" length of 3/8" clear vinyl tubing.
2. Remove one of the m/t fluid caps and drill a 11/32" hole making sure to completely remove all debris after drilling.
3. Stick the tubing about 3/8" through the hole into the cap. (I used a tiny bit of grey rtv to completely seal the outside of the cap, but it's not really necessary. If you do use the sealant, give it ample time to dry.)
4. Screw the modified cap back onto the fluid bottle.
5. Turn the bottle upside-down(making sure to keep the end of the tubing above the bottle so it doesn't leak) and poke a small hole in it. 1/8" should do it. Do not drill it! You don't want plastic debris in the fluid. Simply puncturing is the way to go.
6. Feed the tubing into the fill hole and lift the bottle above the tranny. I chose to rest it on the starter and fan shroud. (The MTG bottle fits there perfectly.)
7. *Use a rubber blow tip against the puncture hole you previously made to slightly pressurize the bottle.
* It is very important to note that you don't want to aerate the fluid. Crank your regulator down to around 10 psi. Also, watch the bottle. As the fluid gets down to the neck of the bottle I suggest to let the last bit gravity feed.

Quite a few steps here, but it went from taking almost 12 minutes for half a quart to taking 5 minutes total for the last two quarts. Remember to use the modified cap and bottle for the remaining quarts. You don't want to have to drill and puncture each bottle plus you need to store the extra fluid.

I hope this will help someone in the future. If pics are desired by someone wanting to do this, I may be able to take some at a later point.

 

Apparently you guys have never used a transmission fluid funnel.
That is all I used to do mine, you just bend the tube into the fill hole, and the funnel sits beside the battery.. No problemo

 

One more tool that is only used maybe once every two years in an already full garage. Not too mention having to purchase it. But if you have the storage and the extra dough, job specific tools are nice.

 

I would say the method I used beats drilling holes in filler caps and messing with rtv sealant, which is more expensive than the funnel anyway. It's only a $3.00 funnel so if you only use it once and toss it it's still worth it. I still have the funnel I used a few years ago and it comes in handy for other stuff as well.

http://www.amazon.com/Hopkins-TF-1-H.../dp/B000EH2SPO

 

Yeah, I guess it comes down to circumstances. I happen to know how to drill one hole in a plastic cap in about 2 seconds. I also happen to have leftover sealant from oil seal replacements. On top of that, I hate throwing things away or buying extraneous equipment whether 5 cents or $5k. You would not believe the frustration I feel when I have to squeeze by and dig through everytime I have to work on a car. Trust me the two car garage is FULL. Now, if I had a 4 bay shop garage, this might be another story. Again, circumstances play a role here. If you happen to overlook getting the tranny funnel and you're sitting there with your only car out of commission, you have to improvise. Amazon doesn't do next hour delivery.

Besides, speed of my method > your funnel.

 

I was just going to say before I read kbohip's post, they are $3, and save you a sh1tload of time.

 

Only problem with the trans funnel is that once you are full (lube starts to come out the hole) you have a mess on your hands with any lube left in the funnel.

But it's kinid of a sloppy job regardless...

 

I just leave the drain pan under the filler hole. Problem solved.

Oh and nelledge, the funnel I got was at Wal-Mart for about $3.00. I think it came with an 18" hose but I found it wasn't long enough. I got some extra hose at Lowes and the setup works great. As for storage...I keep it at my parent's garage. I don't need to clutter mine up.

I went over there yesterday and got it as I'll be changing my MT oil next week. It turns out it's a better funnel than the one on Amazon. It has an on/off valve at the top so when you're standing above the engine looking down and you see the gear oil start to come out of the hole you can twist the valve off.

 

I agree, but if you know it takes 2.5 quarts roughly you really slow down pouring when you are at close to 2.5 quarts.

I barely lost even drops when I did mine.

 

Nice. Haven't seen those.

Bet they love that. My dad lives too far from me or I wouldn't even buy tools.

 

My parents have a 1,600sf, 8 car garage with another 1,600sf of storage above that. THEY don't even know what's in there anymore.

 

Are they taking adoption applications?

I guess we're getting incredibly OT here. Bottom line: get the fluid in the hole.

/thread

 

<thread>

Has anyone tested the difference between Red Line MT-85 and MT-90? Red Line's specs page states that MT-85 is half as viscous as MT-90, but I don't have the full understanding of what oil requirements a transmission has, so I can't wrap my head around which would be more beneficial for our six-speed.

Interestingly, the MT-90 page says "Popular in Nissan" while the MT-85 page says, "Recommended for Nissan 350Z and 370Z (also most Maxima, Altima & Sentra)." Both fluids satisfy Nissan's minimum requirements.

Too viscous or not too viscous? This is the question that the search won't answer for me because it doesn't respect quotation marks and MT 85 MT 90 is too common a string of letters and numbers. I would think the more viscous oil would be more beneficial, in the name of withstanding heat and keeping the gears happy, but is MT-90 perhaps too thick?

Some people have complained that changing to MT-90 made their "notchiness" worse, so I wonder if any of them drained that and tried again with MT-85. I'd try it myself, but don't want to spend $60 (or $90 if the last test isn't the preferred result) in the name of the Org.

 

Eirik, as long as the fluid is GL-4 I would try it.

The MT-90 actually feels on the thick side when shifting and its cold weather performance is really not that great for a synthetic.

Put it in, give it a shot, drain and put in some MTG if you have to

 

I have MTG in the 5.5 and MT-90 in the 4th. I can't feel any difference, but it doesn't get that cold here. A little higher viscosity is better for me because of the heat.

 

Hmmm... Since the temperature range here is pretty large (~8F to ~100F), either one could work okay.

I found out why no one has mentioned MT-85 yet: It's only two months old! This is from a Red Line news brief dated September 1, 2010: "MT-85 should be a big help for installers, tuners and enthusiasts," said Cameron Evans, Red Line’s Director of Sales and Marketing. "There are many 75W85 GL-4 gear oil applications on the market, yet very few alternatives to the expensive OE factory fluids. We think this fluid will be a hit with Nissan Z-car fans and Mitsubishi Evolution owners, as well as gear oil customers for a viscosity in between our MTL and MT-90. Installers and quick lubes should will find it extremely useful as well as it fills a big void for them."

MT-85 provides superior gear and synchronizer protection, while its balanced slipperiness provides an improved coefficient of friction for easier shifting over a range of temperatures. This product is safe for brass synchros, as it lacks the damaging, reactive sulfurs found in most GL-5 oils. MT-85 satisfies the gear oil viscosity requirements of 75W and 85W as well as SAE 30 and 5W30 motor oil viscosities. Recommended for GL-1, GL-3, and GL-4 applications, as well as where most special synchromesh fluids are specified
---

After thinking about it, and reading as much as I could, I will use the MT-85 for its lower viscosity in the hopes that it will help in the upcoming winter. Whatever oil is in there now (I strongly suspect it hasn't been changed in its entire 125K mile life, which doesn't worry me much) definitely makes the transmission perform a bit differently when its cold out, so I don't want to aggravate that. The mystical "notchiness" definitely increased when I drove my car these past few days that dipped into the 40s--a huge difference from two months ago, driving around in 100 degree weather.

From what I read, AMSOIL's MTG stuff just isn't as appropriate as the Red Line counterparts for the six-speed Nissan transmissions.

This will be my first time to drive a manual transmission car in the snow, and also my first time driving a car this powerful in the snow. Anything to ease my transmission's pain during the season is welcome.

 

Hey man, I ALWAYS get the fluid in the hole!

 

I've been running Redline MT-90 in my 6-speed since 4 months after I bought it back in 2006. What I've noticed with it is when the car is very cold, ie. 40 or below, the transmission shifts very smoothly. There is some notchiness but the infamous 3rd gear crunch isn't there. When the car has warmed up but is not very hot, say in temps. below 80F in normal driving, the 3rd gear crunch is alive and well, until the car has been driven for over 20 minutes or so. After this period the transmission shifts like a Honda, which is to say no 3rd gear crunch and even the notchiness almost disappears. The hotter the weather and the longer the car has been driven keeps the transmission feeling very smooth.

I just ordered some Amsoil 75W-90 gear oil from a friend who knows a dealer. I'm very interested to see how this compares to the Redline MT-90. What I'm hoping for is better shifting and decreased "crunching" during the warm-up period that I do 90% of my driving in. I also look forward to hearing your thoughts on the Redline MT-85 Erik.

 

I will certainly give a report once I can find the stuff! $12 a bottle x 3 + $11 shipping =

A customer I see every few days told me about some shop in Louisville that sells MT-90. I hope they have the new MT-85 as well.

 

Royal Purple FTW. Check orilleys. kinda pricey but you want it to run good forever.

 

I need to replace my park/neutral sensor soon because my ECU is throwing a code for it (forgot the number but I looked it up before) and figured it would be a good time to replace the trans fluid while I'm at it. What do you guys think I should be running? I live in Minnesota so its about to get pretty cold here.

 

Looks like you must have an automatic, so don't use any of the stuff you have seen mentioned in this thread!

 

No, I do not have an automatic but the FSM refers to the code as a "park/neutral switch" sensor error. It's actual the neutral/reverse sensor judging by the effects.

 

Please post this literature.
What you have on this board are people's experiences, and people who also read and research.

Amsoil is GL-4 certified so its appropriate for our transmissions, and it also feels a hell of a lot better than Redline MT-90.

You can go ahead and try the 75w85 though, I'm curious to know how it feels.

After having stock, Redline, Amsoil, the Amsoil is hands down the best gear lube for this transmission that I have used.

 

Yes, I would love to magically copy and paste hours of reading I did a week ago, but I can't. I was everywhere from Honda and Subaru owners' boards to Bobtheoilguy.

No one in this entire city of 800K people is stocking MT-85 yet! The best I can find online, at the moment, is 3 quarts at $12.50 each, plus a whopping $11 shipping.

 

I think he is referring to the fact that you specified the six-speed Nissan transmissions.
Why are these boards relevant to this claim? Nissan 6spd evaluations are all the matters IMO.

You think that's bad? I live in a metropolitan area of 2 million people and had to order both the Redline MT90 and the Amsoil MTG.

 

My MTG should be in by next week. I've been using MT-90 for the four+ years I've owned the car. I'll give my feelings on the Amsoil in a few weeks when I've been able to get a bit of driving done on it.

 

So I'm leaning towards the Amsoil MTG, does the 5th gen 5 spd also require 3 quarts or is that just for 5.5 gen 6 spds?

 

No. Unfortunately, you'll have to pony up for nearly 5 quarts according to the FSM.

 

Ouch. Thanks for the heads up.