Redline MTL vs MT85 vs 50/50 MTL/MT90

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JFK

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Ok I have a 2005 Toyota Camry with 2AZ-FE engine and a 5 speed manual transmission.

I have used Redline MTL/MT90 50/50 blend for years with nothing but fantastic results. It is a pain to blend.

I have tried Royal Purple products in it and was very disappointed in cold shift performance as it seemed to lose it's cold shift performance in under 20K miles of use.

BG Synchro shift and Synchro Shift II work almost as well as Redline but by 30K miles it has lost it's cold shift characteristics.

Amsoil Sever Gear was totally disappointing from a cold shift and warm shift perspective.

I do not think any of them have had any issues protecting the transmission from wear and tear all of them come out looking and smelling like new.

The shifting though is terrible once they other fluids start to go south. Since I put Amsoil Sever Gear in the shifting has been terrible. I put this fluid in during Winter and now I am having a difficult time with 5th to 4th down shift and 4th to 3rd.Sometimes it is just fine sometimes it is difficult.

I often have to shift back to 5th and try again to get the shift to go through.

I am going back to Redline since I have never had any issues using Redline and it easily makes it to my 50K mile OCI with out losing it's shift feel and ability.

I decided not to do the MTL/MT90 blend but instead running MTL 100%. The only difference I see between the MTL, MT85 and Mt90 is viscosity.

So anyone else run 100% MTL, MT85 or MT90? Seem's like all of them are GL-4 70W80 to 75W90 and the cst at 40C and 100C all seem close enough to be interchanged. I can not see where blending MTL and MT90 makes much sense.

I will let everyone know how it goes after I drain and refill with MTL. It will be interesting to see if warm shift performance radically improves with the change. The recent problem with warm downshifting.

I lost all my records recently when my wife cleaned out my file cabinet.
 
I found that Redline MTL worked wonders for me. I use it in every manual tranny I've owned, even my 96 tacoma which calls for heavier 75w-90. Previously I used Their MT 80 which didn't shift as good. In my 98 M3 I use a blend of Redline MTL and their automatic D4 fluid. Fantastic. Even after 40k miles!
 
Originally Posted By: JFK
Since I put Amsoil Sever Gear in the shifting has been terrible. I put this fluid in during Winter and now I am having a difficult time with 5th to 4th down shift and 4th to 3rd.Sometimes it is just fine sometimes it is difficult.


Severe Gear is completely the wrong oil for a synchronized manual transmission. It's for rear differentials,it's not an MTL. Amsoil's manual transmission offering is Amsoil MTG.
 
I've never noticed any difference in shift "quality/feel" when switching to Redline/Amsoil/PennzSynchromesh/etc.

Shifts just as bad/good as it did before.
 
Originally Posted By: surfstar
I've never noticed any difference in shift "quality/feel" when switching to Redline/Amsoil/PennzSynchromesh/etc.

Shifts just as bad/good as it did before.


Do you have the same vehicle? some transmissions aren't picky...
 
Originally Posted By: JFK
Ok I have a 2005 Toyota Camry with 2AZ-FE engine and a 5 speed manual transmission.

I have used Redline MTL/MT90 50/50 blend for years with nothing but fantastic results. It is a pain to blend.

I have tried Royal Purple products in it and was very disappointed in cold shift performance as it seemed to lose it's cold shift performance in under 20K miles of use.

BG Synchro shift and Synchro Shift II work almost as well as Redline but by 30K miles it has lost it's cold shift characteristics.

why were you blending to begin with? doesn't your transmission call for a 75w-90? mt-90 would seem ideal, thats what I use in my toyota trucks transmission.

Amsoil Sever Gear was totally disappointing from a cold shift and warm shift perspective.

I do not think any of them have had any issues protecting the transmission from wear and tear all of them come out looking and smelling like new.

The shifting though is terrible once they other fluids start to go south. Since I put Amsoil Sever Gear in the shifting has been terrible. I put this fluid in during Winter and now I am having a difficult time with 5th to 4th down shift and 4th to 3rd.Sometimes it is just fine sometimes it is difficult.

I often have to shift back to 5th and try again to get the shift to go through.

I am going back to Redline since I have never had any issues using Redline and it easily makes it to my 50K mile OCI with out losing it's shift feel and ability.

I decided not to do the MTL/MT90 blend but instead running MTL 100%. The only difference I see between the MTL, MT85 and Mt90 is viscosity.

So anyone else run 100% MTL, MT85 or MT90? Seem's like all of them are GL-4 70W80 to 75W90 and the cst at 40C and 100C all seem close enough to be interchanged. I can not see where blending MTL and MT90 makes much sense.

I will let everyone know how it goes after I drain and refill with MTL. It will be interesting to see if warm shift performance radically improves with the change. The recent problem with warm downshifting.

I lost all my records recently when my wife cleaned out my file cabinet.


Why were you blending anyway, I thought those called for a 75w-90 GL-4, so straight redline MT-90 would seem ideal.
 
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The transmission does not need or call for a GL-4 but calls for a GL5 75W90 gear oil. That never worked well. I let a local repair shop change a CV-Joint for me and the put Castrol 75W90 in and it shifted just as badly as the OEM 75W90 factory fill. Amsoil Sever Gear was available localy.

Years ago I tried the 50/50 MTL/MT90 blend and have been trying different types of MTL and Synchro-Shift products.It was the best product but not available locally. All the other products where localy available.

This transmission is very notchy feeling even when brand new. You would think this was a transmission in a Big-Rig in terms of how slow it wants to be shifted.

Before Amsoil had a MTL/Syncro-Shift type of fluid they recommended their Sever Gear for it. That is why I tried it. That combined with no local Redline available. I did not want to wait around for mail order. Since I have yet to find anything at any price that works as well as Redline MT/MTL products.

If I followed OEM recommendations then no GL4 MTL/Synchro Shift type of products would have ever been tried. If my mind was that small then I would just toss some Super Tech Synthetic 75W90 in it and just live with lack luster shifting performance.

As I said before all fluids come out smelling and looking like new even when they have been pushed to 50K miles. This is not about durability since I already have 150K on the unit.
 
RoyalPurple Synchromax is one of the thinner MT fluids out there.

Pain to blend??? Fill transmission with either a quart of MTL or MT90, and top off with the opposite...

Search for Toyota 75w mtf
 
Quote:

The transmission does not need or call for a GL-4 but calls for a GL5 75W90 gear oil.


The owners manual says GL4 or GL5, 75W90.

I am running Amsoil MTG with good results.
 
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I used to run the redline in my Eclipse GSX which did call for a GL4 and it worked like magic. BG worked too, but the redline was better. The redline took a lot of the notchy feel out of shifting.
 
If I recall properly the transmission calls for 1.8 quarts of Gear Lube.

Trying to get a 50/50 blend while putting it in the car with either a funnel and hose or suction gun is anything but precise. It is also messy. I am highly allergic to all synthetic Sulfur compounds especially sulfites and sulfides.

It is not easy like it is on a 4X4 or rear drive vechile. Splash shields, radiator, and other plastic bits designed to direct airflow get in the way from the top and bottom making access to the fill plug anything but easy. On the other hand most all of the other things needing maintenance are easy and mess free to get at. No vehicle is perfect. LOL

It could be worse though it could be like my wifes Saturn Aura and have no dipstick tube/fill tube for the automatic. That was not easy to do a flush/fill and pan drop on.

Again my car does not call for MTF in the Owners Manual or the Passport Maintence Manual so why would I look for Toyota MTF? I had no idea Toyota made an MTF. They are a bit late to the game though if they do make one.

On top of that Toyota has not been known for it's incredible fluids their ATF,Gear Lube and Non-Bulk bottled oils have not proven to be so hot. In every case OTC and Boutique lubes have proven superior.
 
Tried to edit but too much time had past.

I said my transmission called for GL-5 but it might call for either GL-4/GL-5 either or in 75w90. I know I have never been to a Dealership in the state of Michigan that carried the GL-4 75W90 and they would not order it either. They usually use Pennsoil,Mobil,Valvoline or Castrol bulk oils and usually Pennsoil Professional Products.A lot of them will not even special order Toyota specialty fluids for me.

Other then the Toyota MR2 Spyder they use GL5 Gear Lube in all manual transmissions out of 1 quart bottles. I tried 3 different dealerships in 3 cities.
 
How many miles? If you sometimes have trouble getting it into gear maybe you're transmission or clutch is going south. I doubt any particular flavor of the specified fluid is going to prevent the transmissionn from going into gear, nor is any such fluid going to fix the problem.
 
For a transmission that usually specifies a 75W90, Redline 75W85, at a 12 cSt 100C viscosity, is a good choice.


Quote:

Toyota's gl5 recommendation is a pathetic choice for the MT.


For sure, a dedicated GL-4 MTL of the correct viscosity is the cat's meow.
 
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IMO Redline make the best gear oils in the world, but it IS transmission dependant.
If it shifted good on Redline you should try Schaeffers, I've never used it but its popular with the Porsche crowd, many of them prefer it to Redline.
 
There is no more reason to blend MTL and MT-90 as MT-85 is now available. MT-85 exists mostly for Nissan vehicles which spec 75W-85. As you seem to have plenty of time to spend trying different fluids and discussing their merits you certainly have the time to mail order 2 quarts of MT-85.
 
Quote:

If I recall properly the transmission calls for 1.8 quarts of Gear Lube.


2.6qts according to the OM. Perhaps that is related to the shifting problem.
 
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