Ugh, read better before getting offended. I said that your comments about STS compounding the cold weather problem were on topic.

 

Ugh, sarcasm just left skid marks on your scalp.

I. Think. You. Have. Last. Word. Issues.

 

error: internet tone of voice not registered

If someone replies to me, I reply back. If that is a last word issue then so be it.

 

 

Amsoil is also crap when the weather is freezing out....Shifting in this weather is horrible

 

He said he had just installed an STS, and he's having trouble shifting.
I don't see how the possibility that he cut his shifter instead of installing a proper STS ISN'T an on-topic discussion.







You mean it doesn't?




Feel free to reply if you need to, but I'm

 

Actually tuner I did the sts mod with the clevis pin drilled the pivot and I did it about 6 months ago.

 

Hey sparks I noticed you said you dont run the sts because its harder to get into gear which ive gotta agree with you there but are you running ES shifter bushings ? I was thinking about swapping my ES bushings with oem's.I wonder if they would allow for a little easier shifting because the nissan ones have a little bit of flex to them.with the sts for me wot 2nd to 3rd avove 6 grand is a ***** sometimes.I. Noticed this morning the amsoil shifts a little worse cold but better when it warms up,i give up springs almost here ~

 

Oh it sounded like a recent mod in your post, well it seemed relevant at the time

 

well it looks like were all headed ot here but im curious as to know what everyone else is using for gear oil and or atf and if they are happy with it or not and sparks I pulled my sts off today and its freaking effortless now but its gonna take a little while to get used to the old 18 wheeler throws again but maybe in the spring ill throw it back on although Nismo sells a sts that relocates the shifter bushing under the boot,i wonder if that would work better because its further away from the pivot anyone heard about them or uses one ?

 

I've never seen or heard of the Nismo one. It sounds interesting, though. I'm just using fresh nissan GL-4 in mine right now and it shifts great.

It's amazing how much easier it is going back to stock after the STS, huh? Our transmission is notchy (especially when cold) and requires a good bit of force to change gears, so reducing the throw is very noticeable for us.

 

Glad you found a happy solution for you issues. Sometimes, taking mods off for a period (like winter) means that you get to enjoy them all over again when you put them back on (like spring).

As to the 2-piece STS adapter... if you ever run across something called the Watkins STS, snap it up immediately. Best STS design for our cars, ever.

I really, really wish NWP would replicate that design. A small, easily shipped, solid metal part is exactly the type of thing Aaron does well.

 

^ ^ ^ Thanks man I guess thats true about de-modding for a while and putting it back later lol.Ive heard of the watkins sts...what is it exactly ? I thought a while back I saw that Nismo one but never gave it much thought,i work at a Nissan dealer so tomorrow ill run over to parts and see if they can find it,i think it was 100 bucks but if I can get a shorter throw and a little smoother shift than the free sts so be it,i get a discount too.and sparks you aint kidding about the ease of the throws,it doesn't even feel like it goes into gear its so smooth.

 

I've got an 05 6 speed and my only problem is when it's cold outside and I go to put the car in reverse in the morning I've got to tug on the shifter so hard it feels like it's going to break off. First few times it happened I figured I just needed to put it in 1st and roll forward a little but it's hard as hell to put it in 1st also. I've drained the fluid and filled it with the factory Nissan stuff and it made no difference. Once it moves it shifts fine, it just doesn't want to wake up in the morning. It was an easy fix though. I just leave it in reverse when I park it now.

 

I tried Red line MT-90 in my 6sp tranny about 2 yrs. ago and had to drain it because it was hard to shift into 2nd gear when cold. I went back to the original nissan MT fluid. I just noticed that my maxima's owners manual calls for 75w90 only but on the original nissan MT bottle it says 75w85. So i've decided to order the new Red line MT-85 to do a gear oil change next weekend.

 

I switched from Redline MT-90 back in October of last year to Amsoil MTG. I HATE the Amsoil so far! My car now feels like a tractor when the temps go below 40F, and even the warm shifts are notchier. I'll probably leave it in until next fall and then go with the new Redline MT-85 that came out a week after I bought the Amsoil.

 

Realtor how'd the nissan fluid work in there ?

 

http://s215.photobucket.com/albums/c...nt=shifter.jpg

 

^^ nismo short throw adapter pricey but it looks solid $175.00

 

That's basically what the Watkins STS was. Aluminum, 2-piece adapter to relocate the banjo bushing on both ends of the cable.

Personally, I think $175 is an awful lot of money to do something marginally better than the Free STS Mod. (And that says a lot, coming from a guy who's spent good money on silly things.)

 

I hear that Rochester that price was quoted to me from another Nissan dealer because mine couldn't find the part from Nismo but even in my eyes it looks to not be worth a penny over 75 bucks.

 

You're not talking about HER again are you Rochester???

 

Ooh below the belt.

 

I agree that this adapter doesn't seem worth more than $75. Just dig up one of the many Free STS threads here and take your time with the mod.

On the flip side, $175 is not a crazy cost when you factor in the 100% plug-n-play nature of the adapter. Everybody weighs their own priorities against the dollar. Although for $175, you'd think it would come in a variety of colors.

This is my Free STS right here. It's not pretty, but it works quite well.

 

looks good to me

 

Just get the Ralco 1pc STS for under $70 from Cattman.

Or, do the free STS.

 

I have the same one but i just used the clevis pin insted of the bolt for quicker disconnects but that looks pretty solid bud.woder if the nismo shifts any better :0

 

Oh, hey, kbo! I forgot I've been waiting all those months to hear your opinion of the Amsoil you picked.

So you feel more resistance when shifting now? Did you have any other ills that were fixed or still remain? Or was your transmission more or less operating ideally before the fluid change?

 

It works very good, no issues here. It shifts into every gear even when it's cold. I still have about half a quart in my garage so I ordered 2 bottles of the new MT-85 which is actually 75W85 just like the original nissan mt fluid. My 6 spd tranny takes about 2.3 quarts to fill up and I'll be doing the gear oil change this coming weekend so I'll be reporting about it.

 

I knew there was a member here who was going to get the MT-85, couldn't remember the name though. Before I put the Amsoil in, I had the usual 3rd gear crunch/notchiness. I say both because it always gets better when the tranny gets really warm, say after 20 minutes of driving in the summer. So it goes from a crunch to notchiness after it really warms up. In fairness to the Amsoil, I haven't driven with it in very hot weather yet like I was able to over the years with the MT-90, BUT, it has made the tranny shift so stiff in cold weather I don't care.

First gear has gone from harder to shift into when cold with MT-90 to "Is my clutch broken?" with the Amsoil. 2nd gear when cold now feels like what 3rd gear used to when cold with Redline. 3rd gear is a bit worse when cold than the Redline, but nothing drastic. Needless to say, I'll be switching to the MT-85 for sure after this summer. Provided the performance of the Amsoil is ok during the warmer months. I'm just pissed Redline didn't come out with MT-85 only 2 weeks sooner, I'd be running it instead of Amsoil now. I really want to hear your thoughts on the MT-85. How come you haven't put it in yet?

 

Hey kbo,let me know if the mt-85 works any better for you.My 2nd gear is getting notchy when its cold and use to go away after a few minutes or so but now it seems to take longer to get rid of the notchiness.Im going to order the mt-85 today so whoever gets it in first we will have to see.im curious about it.

 

 

It'll definitely be you who gets it in first as I won't be ordering until after the summer. I'm very interested to hear of your results, especially while the weather is still cold.

 

Just want to point out that these oils have 2 numbers for a reason. If one of them reads 75w90 and the other reads 75w85, that means their cold weather viscosity will be the same, and when warmed to full operating temperature, the 85 will be thinner. Thinner is not always better in a synchromesh transmission like ours, as a thicker fluid can help the synchros operate better.

Either way, the mt 85 may be a different blend all together and perform better, but I'm not entirely convinced that it being thinner at operating temperatures will help cold performance.

 

Yeah, even though they are both 75W-XX, the 75-85 is still thinner than the 75-90. You can see on Red Line's info pages that MT-85 is less viscous at all temperatures than MT-90. I'd also assume that, since it is much newer than MT-90, the technology involved in its creation was more advanced, so all processes attached to the product would (theoretically) be better than MT-90, even if only slightly.

MT-85 vs MT-90

I got married shortly after I bought it, so that ate up a solid ~2 months. Once the newly-wed thing settled down, winter hit like, um, like how it hit the rest of the country, and I am not going to attempt to change it until this Sunday/Monday, when it's finally going to hit the upper 40s. It's 21 right now, yuck.

For now, the MT-85 is performing extremely well in the basement. Yep. Increasing the speed of my dryer's shifts, even.

 

Motul 75 85 ftw!

 

Redline MT-90 seemed to be a little smoother than Amsoil for me. MT-85 sounds like the next thing I'll try.

 

I have tried a few different gear oil options and honestly haven't seen a big difference in any case. This transmission is just notchy and difficult to shift.

I know that the newer version of the 6speed has better synchros along with the 4.1 FD. I didn't get a 05+ 6 speed when I replaced mine, but when this one fails I'll be aiming to go in that direction... probably from a 06-07ish spec V for cheaper prices and easier LSD availability.

 

Just got the 2 quarts of mt-85 that I ordered today. Can't wait for the weekend.

 

Sounds good; let us know how it goes. I might jump on the bandwagon and try MT-85 myself.