i just bought a 99 SE with MT.. my shifts are feeling littel bit notchy. specially when racing or sport shifting.. i want to know which would be the best oil to imporve the feeling.. or is it normal for 99 max to be notchy ????

 

I can't answer for a 99. I put redline in last spring and the shifts in my 04 improved substantially. When I did the change, Amsoil did not have fluid with the proper specs and Redline did. Now Amsoil has reissued a grade they had discontinued and now have a fluid with the proper specs, again. I would use either one with confidence.

 

I dont have a 5 speed, but god i wish i did, but anyway id trust Redline more, i hear good things about their stuff

 

both are very high quality fluids. I use redline and royal purple in mine, but would use amsoil if I could get it locally for a decent price.

 

Amsoil MTG 75w-90 is awesome, shifts are butter smooth now...

 

Thief...

 

Not my fault eddie dumped me amsoil into teh dirt!!!

lol that was great.

 

Amsoil MTG 75w-90 its also GL4. I have used both the Redline MT90 and the Amsoil MTG.
Amsoil hands down.

 

I also use Amsoil. It shifts smoother than it ever has. If you need some go here.

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=439914

I got mine from him.

 

I been using Redline for the longest time. You think its worth switching to Amsoil ?? Ill be changing in a bout two months.

Let me know what you guys think ??

-matt

 

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=446847

 

I use Amsoil in my AT. Shifts like freshly churned butter...

 

So whats the verdict ?? Redline Or Amsoil ?? Ive been using Redline for about 30K miles and I would like to keep using it unless someone gives me a good reason to switch.

-matt

 

Wow and it hasnt degreded with 30k miles? Reason I ask is because I had Redline for just under 10k miles. At 1st it was great, but as the miles came by the shifter got notcher, and notchier. By about 9k miles I changed it for some Amsoil and it was a NIGHT AND DAY difference. Butter smooth, both cold and warm.

Also, OT a little but relevant to this redline issue, I had a similar experience with redline motor oil. My valves were ticking nasty after only 2500 miles, this is when I switched back to mobil 1 and everything was back to normal.

Lots of people have had great experience with Redline, Im not one of them. And coming from some1 that has had both Redline and Amsoil in their tranny, Im telling you get Amsoil, its definatly worth it

 

I got quoted by talkinghorse $56 shipped for 6qts of amsoil MTG...

i'm a loyal customer of myoilshop and always buy my redline mt-90 from there...6qts of mt-90 from www.myoilshop.com is currently running for $48.75...i might just make the jump to amsoil pretty soon...its only $8 more...heard this stuff is better than redline too....I should be able to notice the difference since I been using redline for almost 2yrs now...

i'll keep this thread updated...anybody else switched over from redline to amsoil MTG and noticed a difference?

 

Ed (talkinghorse) just informed me that there is actually a difference between MTF and MTG in amsoil's lineup

MTF = 5w-30 synchromesh transmission fluid

MTG = 75w-90 GL-4 gear oil

and the MTG is the product that most of their customers talk about...just wanted to clarify that since I said "MTF" in the previous post, when I meant "MTG"

 

I got quoted $86.96 for 10 qts of the MTG from talkinghorse. Im going to be putting it in my Pickup truck as well.

Now I just need to decide if I get the MT-90 from Redline, or the Amsoil MTG. I like the Redline MT-90 alot, and with the S/C, I think the Redline is better to be running.

Performance wise, people tell me that the Redline MT-90 is better.

-matt

 

i should be making the move in less than a month...just need to rack up some money....i been a redline user for 2yrs now...and i definitely know how it shifts compared to stock tranny fluid (whether in my car, or other maximas)....lets see if theres a difference in the amsoil i put in...

Ed, I'll PM you before I paypal you...just to give you the heads up on the order....thanks

 

I wonder if the comparison between Redline that has been used in a trannie for 2 years and Amsoil just put in the same trannie will be a valid comparison? I know that my trannie with Nissan original trannie oil shifted much better when it was new than when I changed it at almost 30 K miles. I also know that the Redline I put in at 30 K miles on my Max shifted better when new than the same fluid does now with 45 K miles on my Max.

 

i don't see why its not a valid comparison? and btw, my tranny fluid has been changed 2 or 3 times in the course of my ownership...and the smoothness of the tranny does not change "that" much as the fluid gets older....it might not apply to everybody...but it's my car, and my experience....

 

Whats the benefit of using MTF over MTG or vice versa?

 

i'm not sure...but from what i know, everybody on the org has the MTG...so just go with that

 

I ran Redline MT-90 in my car for the last 2 years and just a few days ago switched to Amsoil MTG GL-4 75W90.

My initial impressions......

So far, the shifts don't feel noticeably different than before. They might be a little "smoother" but this could easily just be a placebo effect or the difference between old fluid and new stuff.

The real test will be when the cold weather returns in 6 months or so. And when I say cold I MEAN cold as I probably live in one of the coldest climates on the ORG.

One other comment.....the MT-90 that I drained still "looked" pretty good coming out. I realize that this is by no means a scientific analysis but after 50,000km of relatively easy driving (I don't drive hard very often), it still appeared to be fine and I probably could have run it quite a bit longer with no ill effects.

 

thats good to hear...i wonder if there will be any significant change in the shifter feel? i know you didn't experience it, but some others did....i mean, how much better can an already "good" redline mt-90 get? we'll find out more...i'm going to make the switch over once my OCI is done with....or if my clutch goes out...i mean it's only $8 more...

 

BigFly,
Thanks for this info on Redline. For those who don't do km to miles conversion very well, your 50 K km is about the same as 31 K miles. That is about what I plan to put on my Redline before I change it. I put 30 K miles on the original trannie fluid and would recommend to others that they not go past 20 to 25 K miles before changing this fluid. It is good to know that Redline performed well for you for over 30 K miles. Based on your experience, I may push the Redline to something higher (like 45 K miles).

I too am interested in the question of which is better -- Redline or Amsoil manual trannie fluid for Max's. Your statement that: Shifts "might be a little 'smoother' but this could easily just be a placebo effect or the difference between old fluid and new stuff." This was my concern, too -- about the fact that "old fluid might not work quite as well as new fluid" no matter which brand you were replacing. I hope you will report back on the Amsoil after you have used it through one of your winters.

Thanks again for giving us your opinions. I'm afraid that is all we will get on this question -- but each person's personal experience and opinion is worth considering.

 

I had my transaxle gear oil changed at 56,800 miles (mostly highway) in February 2005 for the first time. I found out at the time that the interval should have been about 30K, but the owner's manual is silent on that and just refers to inspecting it. I did not like the color or viscosity of the gear oil. However, there was no perceptible difference in shifting relative to when the car was new and it was perhaps somewhat smoother when replaced, although it could have been just placebo effect.

I just stuck with a dino GL4 80w90 gear oil and for my money I will go dino gear oil every 30K from now on. I couldn't be bothered with Redline or Amsoil in my manual transaxle. If I had an autotragic I might be inclined to go the Redline or Amsoil route, but I question the benefits in my manual transaxle, particulary given the % of highway driving the car is exposed to.

Just my $0.02.

 

As Steven88 indicated, MTF is the AMSOIL Product Code for Synthetic Synchromesh 5w-30 Transmission Fluid. It is specifically designed for manual transmissions and synchromesh systems that require a light viscosity oil without extreme pressure additives...GM, Chrysler and Honda specify this fluid in some of their applications. MTF should not be used in your Max

MTG is the AMSOIL Product code for GL-4 75w90 synthetic manual transmission and transaxle gear oil. This is the product many of our members are using with very positive feedback concerning improvements in shift quality. MTG is formulated to prevent the thinning effects of mechanical shear and it maintains its viscosity and film strength for consistent, long lasting wear protection. It exceeds the limits of conventional mineral oils and protects against rust; it keeps seals soft for long life; and is compatible with the metals used in front-drive applications.

 

Hey talkinghorse,

I sent you a PM and an E-mail.

Thanks,

Kam

 

I also replaced the stock OEM fluid at 50K km and it "appeared" to be in much poorer shape than the MT-90 did over the same distance.

I will definitely report back after a little more time on the Amsoil MTG. As I said, I haven't really noticed a big improvement with the Amsoil but I can say with 100% certainty that the shifts are at least as good as they were before. And I was happy with the MT-90 so at this point I have absolutely no complaints with either the Redline or Amsoil.

 

I replaced my tranny fluid from Redline to Amsoil about 500 miles ago. I had been running the Redline for about 25K miles and it still looked good when I was draining it. I mean, I could still see an amber color from the oil. Anyhow, it was still replaced. After replacing to Amsoil, here are my initial impressions:

I didnt feel any major difference in shifting. Dont get me wrong, Amsoil makes the shifting nice and smooth, but the Redline fluid is great stuff also. Both fluids produce smoother shifting than whatever was in the car when I got it (~32K, so Im assuming Nissan Manual fluid), but werent necessarily smoother than eachother. I had the Redline in for a little over a year, so I was able to experience the fluid throughout different seasonal temps. During winter and colder temperatures, shifting with the Redline was a bit notchy at first, with a warm up definately necessary in the morning, but after a few minutes, it was all good. However, since colder temperatures have already come and gone, I was unable to experience the Amsoil fluid to compare cold morning shifting.

If you are looking for a definative winner, its gonna be tough. I think both products are great, but expensive once shipping was added. If you can get your hands on one locally, I would go with that one. Since no one locally carries either product, I had to order mine. If you do order, Talkinghorse is a great seller of Amsoil products and will have it shipped out from the closest distrubution center giving customers the freshest oil with the quickest shipping. If you are ordering Redline, my oilshop.com was great for me. Great prices with fast shipping. Look for discount codes. Hope this helped the ever lasting question of "Which Tranny fluid is better?"

 

Mizike

I've owned my car since new. The OEM fill was notchy and progressively got worse. Downshifting from 5th to 3rd gear was impossible. At 30K I switched to RL MT-90, which I replaced again at 60K miles. Warm, the shifts with MT-90 were much smoother. Below freezing temps, MT-90 was silky smooth when cold, but as it warmed up, it would go through a nasty friction transition where the only way to shift smoothly was double clutching (it wouldn't get the synchros up to speed). Once at operating temps, there was still some notchiness, but nothing like the OEM fill.

At 73K miles I noticed my tranny leaking, which IMO is due to the ester base oil RL uses, causing swelling of the seals. So at 78K miles I got around to switch to an Amsoil MTG home blend (3.75 qts. MTG to 1 qt. dino gear oil), hoping to eliminate any possible friction transition during warmup (if any, I'll find out this winter) and to try to revive the leaky seal. After about 2K miles, the shifts are sightly notchy, just like straight MT-90, but still much better than the OEM fill.

 

I emailed and PMd the talkinghorse guy and no response. Well did it at 2am might have something to do with it. I definately need GL4 stuff in my cogbox, from what i read GL5 is kife for nissan trannies and should not be installed.

Thanks,

Kam

 

Kam,

Please excuse the delay, but I work days and generally respond to my e-mails during the evening hours.

Since you live in Canada, I recommend a dealer in the Toronto area who can help. You can contact him at nozar [dot] fard [at] Intellon [dot] com (written this way to protect against bots). Pricing is between you and him.

While I can still sell you the products for dealer cost, your order would be governed by the Canadian dealer price list and tax structure...Canadian prices are higher than what is listed in this post as the prices are in Canadian dollars. The point of contact I identified above is much more familiar with your local rules than I am...would also avoid exchange rates, international charges, etc on the currency if you were to pay with paypal versus direct with a credit card.

Concerning your latest e-mail that you recently installed Lucas 75w-90 GL-5, I recommend that you drain it as soon as practicable as the additives could be potentially harmful to your transaxles internal components. AMSOIL MTG is a GL-4, 75w-90 and will work well for your application.

Pls contact Nozar and he should be able to help you.

 

The one thing that would steer me clear of MT90 is that it's claimed to accelerate synchro wear, and Redline says "well... maybe it does and maybe it doesn't." My synchros are already bad enough with 165K on my original tranny, it's second nature to double clutch now. Has it been claimed that Amsoil MTG does this as well? If not it would warrant the extra $7 or so, but if there's little or no difference, MT90 seems to be cheaper... I dunno.

Ahh I'll probably go with Amsoil anyway but I'm curious now.

 

As far as Maxima 5-speeds are concerned, the general consensus seems to be that Redline feels better when warm, and Amsoil protects better and works better when cold. Redline seems to have the occasional incredible story on its side, like the Honda Civic that got nothing but Redline oil since day one and still had a new-looking valvetrain at 500,000 miles. There have also been a few stories of seepage, seal wear, poor metal wear protection, and the like. I have never heard a 500k mile story about Amsoil, but I have never heard a horror story either. Every story I've heard has been neutral, positive, or very positive.

AFAIK (and someone correct me if I'm wrong), polyol ester (POE), on which Redline oils are based, is great because it is naturally multigrade, sticks well to metals because of its high polarity, maintains its characteristics even with metal deposits, and has great film strength and lubricity on its own, without the need for additives. It's also very acidic if it breaks down, fairly hygroscopic, and unstable in the presence of water. Poly-alpha olefin (PAO), on which Amsoil oils are based, needs additives to work as well as POE but is far more stable, especially in the long run. It just doesn't have the problems that POE can have. In some cases it's been shown that even though Redline lubricates just as well as or better than Amsoil (depending on the product), Amsoil provides better wear protection.

I can also tell you that for all the fuss about Redline being the best oil, I have seen cases in which people have been told to stay away from Redline oil -- for example, I saw a spot in Sport Compact Car about a Quaife diff for a Focus, in which it was mentioned that Quaife recommended against Redline. Meanwhile, the worst thing I've ever heard about Amsoil is that it's no better than Mobil 1 for the price (which, to put it kindly, is HIGHLY debatable).

 

All Amsoil here baby.

 

I can't decide.

-matt

 

just ordered a case of MTG

switching from redline

 

I just recieved 11 qts of Redline in the mail on Friday. Its going in my Pick Up truck as well.

-matt