I have a 2012 Nissan Versa hatchback with 6 speed manual in it. The car runs fine, no issues, but gear changes are clunky in the shifter. It is not silky smooth. Will a better gear lube make shifting smoother compared to the factory fill? The car has a Nissan branded synthetic 80w-90 gear lube in it. How can I get a smoother feeling shift without the jerky clunk?
Trying to get a smoother shifting manual gearbox
- Thread starter s1mp13m4n
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Leave it alone, man. No additives, not changes. That's just how it is. Mine ain't exactly butter, either.
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MolaKule
Staff member
Some manual transmissions are just simply jerky/clunky types.
You may have to experiment to find the best fluid but I would start with Redline MTL 70W80.
You may have to experiment to find the best fluid but I would start with Redline MTL 70W80.
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I find that most factory change intervals (both clutch and trans fluids) are way too long. I change mine every 15-20k to keep that shift feel as smooth as possible.
Originally Posted By: s1mp13m4n
The car runs fine, no issues, but gear changes are clunky in the shifter.
Has it been like this since new? If so, changing the fluid will probably not make any difference.
The car runs fine, no issues, but gear changes are clunky in the shifter.
Has it been like this since new? If so, changing the fluid will probably not make any difference.
like Mola said: try different brands of gear lube.
I must say though: I've driven many different makes of M/T gearboxes so far, some of them are known to be "clunky" no matter how much you try (to improve it).
Also: don't tempt fate by means of adding unnecessary friction modifying additives for if you excessively altered the friction coefficient of the fluid (which will have an impact on the syncho rings during gear engagement), you'll gonna accelerate the syncho ring wear, which may lead to premature gearbox rebuild.
Q.
I must say though: I've driven many different makes of M/T gearboxes so far, some of them are known to be "clunky" no matter how much you try (to improve it).
Also: don't tempt fate by means of adding unnecessary friction modifying additives for if you excessively altered the friction coefficient of the fluid (which will have an impact on the syncho rings during gear engagement), you'll gonna accelerate the syncho ring wear, which may lead to premature gearbox rebuild.
Q.
MolaKule
Staff member
Originally Posted By: dparm
I find that most factory change intervals (both clutch and trans fluids) are way too long. I change mine every 15-20k to keep that shift feel as smooth as possible.
And I find that Nissan's viscosity specifications for their MT's are always about 2-5 cSt more than they should be.
I find that most factory change intervals (both clutch and trans fluids) are way too long. I change mine every 15-20k to keep that shift feel as smooth as possible.
And I find that Nissan's viscosity specifications for their MT's are always about 2-5 cSt more than they should be.
I changed to synthetic lube in several manual transmissions and thought shifting was smoother, particularly when cold.
Originally Posted By: flanso
I changed to synthetic lube in several manual transmissions and thought shifting was smoother, particularly when cold.
I've always felt that a suitable synthetic gear lube can make a difference in some cases . It's worth a try . Look at the Amsoil offerings or contact a dealer to see what they recommend as the proper type (if available) which is important . DO NOT change to something else without knowing it's acceptable .
I changed to synthetic lube in several manual transmissions and thought shifting was smoother, particularly when cold.
I've always felt that a suitable synthetic gear lube can make a difference in some cases . It's worth a try . Look at the Amsoil offerings or contact a dealer to see what they recommend as the proper type (if available) which is important . DO NOT change to something else without knowing it's acceptable .
You asked this last fall. You should take the advice offered and try a premium gear oil.
Redline MTL 70W-80 is a thinner synthetic: http://www.redlineoil.com/product.aspx?pid=45&pcid=7
Amsoil 75W-90 is excellent too but definitely thicker stuff than Redline's.
http://www.amsoil.com/shop/by-product/tr.../?code=MTGQT-EA
Amsoil 75W-90 is excellent too but definitely thicker stuff than Redline's.
http://www.amsoil.com/shop/by-product/tr.../?code=MTGQT-EA
My fathers Frontier gear box shifts better than when it was new with redline juice in it. GL4 75w-90
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I second the R/L for smoothness. Tried RP, amsoil, factory stuff over the years and find R/L has always been smooth across the board.
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: s1mp13m4n
The car runs fine, no issues, but gear changes are clunky in the shifter.
Has it been like this since new? If so, changing the fluid will probably not make any difference.
I beg to differ. I changed the OEM fluid in my Cruze with Amsoil Synchromesh. The transmission's shifts instantly got smoother.
I'd recommend the appropriate weight GL4 or GL5, depending on what your transmission takes, from the likes of Amsoil or Redline.
Originally Posted By: s1mp13m4n
The car runs fine, no issues, but gear changes are clunky in the shifter.
Has it been like this since new? If so, changing the fluid will probably not make any difference.
I beg to differ. I changed the OEM fluid in my Cruze with Amsoil Synchromesh. The transmission's shifts instantly got smoother.
I'd recommend the appropriate weight GL4 or GL5, depending on what your transmission takes, from the likes of Amsoil or Redline.
Originally Posted By: dparm
I find that most factory change intervals (both clutch and trans fluids) are way too long. I change mine every 15-20k to keep that shift feel as smooth as possible.
X2. I used to change the tranny fluid in my 2007 Honda Civic Si with the 6speed manual every 15k miles with Amsoil or Redline. Going past that would result in gear changes getting harsher and not butter smooth. I'm sure Honda recommends either 60 or 100k intervals.
OP, I've had great success with Amsoil and Redline fluid in my cars (Si 6spd and tC 5spd) both are very smooth. Redline does seem to be just a pinch better though but didn't seem to last as long as Amsoil.
Experiment a bit and see if it gets better. I also suggest you do 2-3x drain n fills to remove as much of the old fluid as possible and replace with the new fluid of choice. Do the first drain n fill and then drive the car for a day or two and see if there is any improvement. If a slight improvement is felt, do another drain n fill and go from there.
I find that most factory change intervals (both clutch and trans fluids) are way too long. I change mine every 15-20k to keep that shift feel as smooth as possible.
X2. I used to change the tranny fluid in my 2007 Honda Civic Si with the 6speed manual every 15k miles with Amsoil or Redline. Going past that would result in gear changes getting harsher and not butter smooth. I'm sure Honda recommends either 60 or 100k intervals.
OP, I've had great success with Amsoil and Redline fluid in my cars (Si 6spd and tC 5spd) both are very smooth. Redline does seem to be just a pinch better though but didn't seem to last as long as Amsoil.
Experiment a bit and see if it gets better. I also suggest you do 2-3x drain n fills to remove as much of the old fluid as possible and replace with the new fluid of choice. Do the first drain n fill and then drive the car for a day or two and see if there is any improvement. If a slight improvement is felt, do another drain n fill and go from there.
Originally Posted By: PostalBound
I second the R/L for smoothness. Tried RP, amsoil, factory stuff over the years and find R/L has always been smooth across the board.
I agree. Just changed my 94 Nissan to RL and after 50 miles it is a lot smoother. I agree with Molakulel, start with MTL and then try some Amsoil. There is a difference that you will feel in your shifting. Two of my manuals use RL and one likes Amsoil.
I second the R/L for smoothness. Tried RP, amsoil, factory stuff over the years and find R/L has always been smooth across the board.
I agree. Just changed my 94 Nissan to RL and after 50 miles it is a lot smoother. I agree with Molakulel, start with MTL and then try some Amsoil. There is a difference that you will feel in your shifting. Two of my manuals use RL and one likes Amsoil.
I switched over to Redline MT-90 in a Solara I once owned and it completely smoothed out my notchy shifts, particularly 1-2.
Ive used Redline MT-90 in a couple of gearboxes with great results!
Redline MT-90 is API-GL4, so it doesn't harm the soft metals that the syncros are made of like the high detergent API-GL5. GL5 claims to be backwards compatible, but that is NOT true!
Overall, the Redline manual trans. fluids are the best that money can buy, IMO.
Ive used Redline MT-90 in a couple of gearboxes with great results!
Redline MT-90 is API-GL4, so it doesn't harm the soft metals that the syncros are made of like the high detergent API-GL5. GL5 claims to be backwards compatible, but that is NOT true!
Overall, the Redline manual trans. fluids are the best that money can buy, IMO.
I have no idea what was in my c60 transmission before, but I drained it and put in a little over two quarts of both Redline Lightweight Shockproof and Superlightweight Shockproof. After 2k miles, the shift is much more buttery smooth than when I first bought the car, and in winter, it eliminated clunky stiffness on cold starts.
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