Change your manual transmission fluid!

The Tremec 6sp manual in my Chevy calls for 45,000 mile changes of the tranny fluid. Required lube is pretty much Dextron IV. Tremec sell their own fluid now but I’m happy with Redline ATF Equivalent.
Pretty sure you should be using Dex3 equivalent. AFAIK, GM has not recommended DexIV as backwards compatible for the manual transmissions. They have a special part number for the ACDelco MTF. The tremec fluid looks more like regular GL4 75w85 MTF. I like the shifting action now. When time comes I may go with Redline, I like their fluids.
 
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BMW MTF LT-4 is 75W-90 GL-4 too. I currently run it on my Mini.
At 100°C 15.8 cSt, VI 215 btw..

Just changed the manual transmission fluid on my 13 Golf tdi which has never been changed. I got the car just over 6 months ago and now it has 140000km at the moment, I put in some liqui moly top tec 5100 mtf which is GL4 rated, and I can say the shifts are a bit smoother, but that wasn't necessarily the aim... Well, glad I did, old stuff looked like used engine oil

To be complete your TDI has a 02Q/MQ350 transmission and it
came with either VW G 052 171 (up to 9/2012 production) or VW
G 052 527 (from 9/2012 up). Both are very similar and I bet they
are fully replaceable and compatible. The biggest difference is the
price.
I replaced the MTF (G 052 527) on my Mk7.5 GTI at approximately
5000 km on the odo (with Castrol Syntrans V-FE) and for another
time at roughly 50,000 km (G 052 527). They're both excellent and
feel virtually the same. Perhaps slightly different near freezing but
none is perceptibly better or worse.
I replaced their MTF on my Mini and my Porsche in shorter intervals.

I'm a long-time proponent of early transmission oil changes. On this
forum? Repeatedly!
.
 
Guess you never owned a Honda with a manual? My 87 f250 takes sae 50 motor oil in it's manual transmission. I went with 40 because 50 was too hard to find.
I have actually, but it was an 05 civic and I didn't own it long enough to end up replacing the fluid on it
 
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BMW MTF LT-4 is 75W-90 GL-4 too. I currently run it on my Mini.
At 100°C 15.8 cSt, VI 215 btw..



To be complete your TDI has a 02Q/MQ350 transmission and it
came with either VW G 052 171 (up to 9/2012 production) or VW
G 052 527 (from 9/2012 up). Both are very similar and I bet they
are fully replaceable and compatible. The biggest difference is the
price.
I replaced the MTF (G 052 527) on my Mk7.5 GTI at approximately
5000 km on the odo (with Castrol Syntrans V-FE) and for another
time at roughly 50,000 km (G 052 527). They're both excellent and
feel virtually the same. Perhaps slightly different near freezing but
none is perceptibly better or worse.
I replaced their MTF on my Mini and my Porsche in shorter intervals.

I'm a long-time proponent of early transmission oil changes. On this
forum? Repeatedly!
.

Thanks for the info. For whatever reason, the liqui moly doesn't list the two vw specs you mentioned on their bottle, but it does list VW G 052 178... I did some cross referencing and Febi 21829 MTF is also a GL-4 75W, which is the exact same as the liqui moly 5100, the only difference is the febi carries both the G 052 178 and the G 052 171 spec.

I actually used the same liqui moly 5100 on my buddies 14 jetta tdi with the same transmission, I did his at 90000km, has 175000km now and still shifts great
 
Pretty sure you should be using Dex3 equivalent. AFAIK, GM has not recommended DexIV as backwards compatible for the manual transmissions. They have a special part number for the ACDelco MTF. The tremec fluid looks more like regular GL4 75w85 MTF. I like the shifting action now. When time comes I may go with Redline, I like their fluids.
Thanks yes…DIII Equivalent. Which is Redline D4 ATF. My memory got the 4 number from there.
I put this in @ 45,000 miles. MUCH better than OEM fluid, especially in cold mornings. Now at 90,000 miles I will replace with the same.

D4 ATF - QUART​

  • Our most versatile ATF, use where Dexron III®, Dexron II®, Mercon® and Mercon V® fluids are recommended, for use in automatic, manual transmissions and power steering
 
My'86 Fiero V6 4 spd called for motor oil in '86. It was always a bit stiff on colder days. Some years ago I changed to the new synchromesh which has been an improvement. I still have a small stash of G4 for my wife's old MG.
 
Our 92 Sentra was 5W30 too. It shifted pretty good. For countries with less "maintenance knowledge" there's universal tractor oils, that are for the engine, the transmission and hydraulics, and final drives. Tractors don't use hypoid gears though which helps a universal oil work.
 
Guess you never owned a Honda with a manual? My 87 f250 takes sae 50 motor oil in it's manual transmission. I went with 40 because 50 was too hard to find.
I never knew Ford called for 50wt in any of their transmissions. All the old 4 speeds I’ve messed with (assuming that’s what you have) have always had 90wt in them. I’d say the drive ability is a litter better with 50wt.
 
Our 92 Sentra was 5W30 too. It shifted pretty good. For countries with less "maintenance knowledge" there's universal tractor oils, that are for the engine, the transmission and hydraulics, and final drives. Tractors don't use hypoid gears though which helps a universal oil work.
I ran Low Viscosity Hygard in my 03 Ranger with a M5OD for a long time. It was well worn and got where it didn’t want to go into gear well. I decided to try it and drove it another 3 years before the bearing noise got really out of control and had it rebuilt. It definitely shifted better over ATF.
 
I had a '79 Saab 99E that took 10-30 for the transmission. I vaguely remember Chrysler products around 1950 that took engine oil in a common sump with the auto transmission. You had to be careful because you drained out a whole lot more than 5 quarts on a change of oil.
 
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I never knew Ford called for 50wt in any of their transmissions. All the old 4 speeds I’ve messed with (assuming that’s what you have) have always had 90wt in them. I’d say the drive ability is a litter better with 50wt.
 

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I ran Low Viscosity Hygard in my 03 Ranger with a M5OD for a long time. It was well worn and got where it didn’t want to go into gear well. I decided to try it and drove it another 3 years before the bearing noise got really out of control and had it rebuilt. It definitely shifted better over ATF.
Oil is oil? Well maybe for worn out manual transmissions eh! I do have some Duratran tractor hydraulic fluid in the power steering of the Focus, I had to partially drain it and move some hoses around to get at the thermostat and got it all put back together and didn't have whatever the correct fluid is. So that was the closest thing I had on the shelf.
 
Thanks for the info. For whatever reason, the liqui moly doesn't list the two vw specs you mentioned on their bottle, but it does list VW G 052 178... I did some cross referencing and Febi 21829 MTF is also a GL-4 75W, which is the exact same as the liqui moly 5100, the only difference is the febi carries both the G 052 178 and the G 052 171 spec.

I actually used the same liqui moly 5100 on my buddies 14 jetta tdi with the same transmission, I did his at 90000km, has 175000km now and still shifts great


LM suggest Top Tec MTF 5300 70W-75W for VW G 052 171
and G 052 527 applications:


Great specs!
Another contender ist Castrol Syntrans V-FE 75W-80 (now
Castrol Transmax Manual V 75W-80, it's the exact same).


Again great specs. Castrol know about automotive gear oils.
.
 
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