Does all MTF stink or just Honda MTF?

[Pajamarama]

I did a drain/fill on my Fit's manual transmission today. Only had about 1 year and 15k miles on the old stuff, but I had some genuine Honda MTF sitting around the garage. I figured it was better in my transmission than sitting in bottles in the garage.

Anyway, what I noticed is this stuff smells awful -- nothing at all like the ATF which I've used in my Accord. Unfortunately I got a chance to really smell it as I spilled a bit on my shirt when I was under the car. I walked in the house in the middle of my work to get a drink and my wife asked me, "What smells like cat pee?"

I figure there must be some additives that make this MTF smell especially rank -- sulfur? I don't know.

Does all MTF smell like this?

 

[Quest]

all MTF (hypoid gear) lube stinks, regardless of whether it's Honda MTF, Amsoil or Valvoline.

It's the additives that makes it stink.

Q.

 

[HTSS_TR]

Some ATF smells fairly nice, but MTF is stink.

 

[oilmaven]

Have you ever smelled Chrysler-spec ATF+4?...nasty stuff...works great though.

 

[Pablo]

Ever smell Amsoil ATF?

 

[Smoky14]

IME Honda MTF has very little smell, I've changed mine about 5 times. Maybe it's a new product with which I'm not familiar.

How long had you had it, color of bottle and fluid??

Smoky

 

[eljefino]

Thick gear oils sure are stinky with sulfur; IIRC most "MTF" comes in a little thicker than ATF but much thinner than 75w90.

I'd put sulfurous gear oil in the "fecal/swamp muck" category, not "tomcat".

I, too, don't know what you have.

 

[Tegger]

Originally Posted By: Pajamarama
Anyway, what I noticed is this stuff smells awful -- nothing at all like the ATF which I've used in my Accord.

Just went and sniffed a bottle I have here. I think the smell is sulfur. The fluid smells exactly like any other high-pressure gear lubricant (stinky).

In any case, ATF is NOT the correct lubricant for a Honda manual transmission. Do not use it.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

I just changed the trans fluid in my Focus with the "Ford Honey". It looks and smells like 10w-40. No gear oil smell at all!

 

[ARCOgraphite]

I thouth the fit used a low additised gear oil that approximates a 5w30 SAE motor oil? I recall seeing a UOA here or on HondaTech.com.

BTW I have a fit too and the stock stuff seems still in grade wheras my former 08 Yaris mtf sheared to where the transaxle was whining loudly on the highway and i put in Amalie GL5/MT on a drain and refill (thats all my indie sevice guy had in the bucket pump). Trans Was touchy with balky synchros for a week then it bedded in, and the trans shifted OK. Quieter too - but i could feel more drag/windage with the Amalie - all times hot or cold.

 

[Pajamarama]

Thanks for the info. I learned a lot from your answers. Totally makes sense that MTF is just a gear oil and it's the sulfur additive that makes it stink. I'm still learning about fluids and lubrication.

On the test drive after the MTF change, I thought the shifts felt smoother and more solid. My wife -- who drives it 95 percent of the time -- said she couldn't even tell I had done anything with the transmission.

Oh well...

 

[MolaKule]

Quote:
all MTF (hypoid gear) lube stinks


Most hypoid gear lubes and MTF's have sulfur and phoshorous additives which give them that illustrious bouque.

The exception is the GM full synthetic - Friction Modified MTL. It has only a hint of that fishy phosphorous.

 

[Pablo]

What is the amine like smell - cat/horse urine - in some ATF's?

Is it an amine?

 

[MolaKule]

The amines are usually anti-oxidants but some of the friction modifiers also have that amine smell.

The best way I can describe it is it smells like dry dust or a slight hint of very weak ammonia.

 

[Pablo]

Have you smelled Amsoil ATF?

 

[MolaKule]

Cant say I have.

 

[Pablo]

Oh you are in for a treat! It has a distinct odor. Pregnant horse urine with a hint of big cat ppizss.

 

[MolaKule]

Originally Posted By: Pablo
Oh you are in for a treat! It has a distinct odor. Pregnant horse urine with a hint of big cat ppizss.


Send me a couple of gallons and I'll a do sniff test.

It can't smell any worse than some of the Redline ATF's.

 

[metalboy]

Most gear oil stinks. We used to have to run this English Shell concoction in the Hewlands that smelled like an entire warehouse full of fish had gone off while somebody took a dump on it. It was BAAAD.

Looking back, I wonder how many of the failures of those Weismann differentials were because people couldn't stand the smell of the proper oil and used something less nauseating.