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What Transmission oil do you guys recommend for a 00 CSVT

Ziyad said:
Please see this post by Terry Haines.
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And a counterpoint here. ;)

Big Jim said:
I respectfully disagree. ATF works well enough that it was factory fill for most of the life of the Contour with the change to Ford Honey just a few months before the end of production. Not only was it factory fill, Ford claimed that it good enough that it never needed changing.

Now, most anyone will tell you that there is no thing as lifetime fluid. Changing the ATF may have been enough to keep that from hapening. Also using a fluid with more friction modifier may have prevented those forks from getting so sticky. The additional friction modifier could be from adding Ford XL3 Friction Modifier as the Ford shop manual specified in 95 and 96 or it can be from a fluid that already has more friction modifier such at ATF+3.

Friction modifier makes the fluid more slippery. It is probably best that messing with the fluid formulation be left to oil chemists so a high quality fluid such as Torco, Specialty Formulations, or Royal Purple that is specifically blended for manual trans use would be preferred. Stay away from RedLine as we have seen that it isn't suitable due to sludging. RedLine should have been OK from it's published specs, but it wasn't.

The use of Mercon ATF, synthetic or dino, with added friction modifier has been well enough validated by many CEG members that it is safe. The use of ATF+3 has been as well.

Mercon by itself might not be too bad if changed often enough, but the overall shift quality and transmission operation is greatly improved by using a fluid that has more friction modifier than plain Mercon comes with.

Mercon V might also be a reasonable answer as it also has a bit more friction modifier than Mercon, but less than ATF+3.
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I recently took my car in to get the fluids changed and they wanted to use the Mercon in the tranny. They told me they wouldn't put anything else in because that wa inthe ford service bulletin. I wanted to put the ford honey in. Will somewhere else put an alternaitve fluid in?
 
SVTC1136 said:
I recently took my car in to get the fluids changed and they wanted to use the Mercon in the tranny. They told me they wouldn't put anything else in because that wa inthe ford service bulletin. I wanted to put the ford honey in. Will somewhere else put an alternaitve fluid in?
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Where did you go? Almost any independent shop would put the fluid that you spec, in for you. They will just marked it up 50 or 100 percent. If the shop doesn't, go to one who wants your business.
 
CSVT4LIFE said:
What Transmission oil do you guys recommend for a 2000 Contour SVT
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Torco MTF or RTF hands down. Warmonger will back me up on this one as will Redlineracer12.


torcortfcs2.jpg

Torco RTF (Racing Transmission Fluid) is fully synthetic and you can view/buy it here for $13.90 per litter, you'll need 3.

torcomtf6sz.jpg

Toroc MTF (Manual Transmission Fluid) is a synthetic blend and you can view/buy it here for $6.95 per liter, again you'll need 3.
 
Originally Posted by Big Jim
I respectfully disagree. ATF works well enough that it was factory fill for most of the life of the Contour with the change to Ford Honey just a few months before the end of production. Not only was it factory fill, Ford claimed that it good enough that it never needed changing.

With respect to this post, I'm just wondering if Ford discovered something along the way - most likely due to more than normal MTX failures - which caused them to switch their thinking from using ATF and to develop the new formulation which is the Ford Honey. And I suppose that the true test would be if Ford would respect a warranty job on a MTX which still had Mercon in it.
Karl
 
I don't think that Ford has disclosed why they made the change. The TSB only said that there was a new fluid. The new fluid would be factory fill starting with production in early 2000. The new fluid was required for transmissions that came with it and was suitable for replacement or top off on earlier transmissions.

The current lube charts furnished by Ford show that the new fluid replaces the old fluid.

What else we have learned along the way is that the new fluid is synthetic (probably group III), has a very high TBN (total base number, which is a reflection on it's ability to keep from forming sludge), and has little or no EP type additives. It is also slightly more viscous than the old fluid.

Mercon ATF is a form of gear oil. There are mild levels of EP type additives in keeping with it's use in automatic transmissions. Mercon also has a very mild dose of friction modifiers. Mercon has not shown to have a problem with sludge build up. The shift fork operation is not as smooth as Ford synthetic, especially as the friction modifiers are depleted.

Some EP and friction modifier additives are high in sulpher. The sulpher tends to generate acids. Gear oils with EP additives that are intended for differential use may have levels of sulpher and other additives that may damage yellow metals (synchro's) in manual transmissions. The acid build up also contributes to the formation of sludge.

There are more costly EP additives available today that will not damage yellow metals or lead to sludge build up.

Gear oils that were blended with manual transmission use in mind with the correct balance of additives may have high enough levels of EP additives to be classified as GL5 oils and still be safe for synchros.

Which would you rather have?

Synthetic Ford controlled distribution manual trans fluid that sells for nearly $20.00 a quart but has very little gear protection but is highly resistant to sludge.

Mercon which is cheap and easy to find and is suitable for manual transmission use where specified.

An aftermarket synthetic boutique fluid specially blended for manual trans use that is suitable as a gear oil and resistant to sludge, but sells for a fraction of the cost of Ford's oil. Examples are Specialty Products, Royal Purple, and Torco.

We have learned tha RedLine MTL is not suitable for our tansmissions as it allows for sludge build up that can cause accelerated wear to the differential cross shafts.
 
CSVT4LIFE said:
What Transmission oil do you guys recommend for a 2000 Contour SVT
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Ford Spec Fluid
Torco RTF (race spec GL5, all synthetic excellent shifting in cold weather or hot)
Torco MTF
Penzoil Synchromesh
Royal Purple Synchromax
Royal Purple Gearmax (race and HiPerf, Hi Temp apps.)
Redline MT90 (Hi Temps and loads)
 
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Big Jim said:
I don't think that Ford has disclosed why they made the change. The TSB only said that there was a new fluid. The new fluid would be factory fill starting with production in early 2000. The new fluid was required for transmissions that came with it and was suitable for replacement or top off on earlier transmissions.

The current lube charts furnished by Ford show that the new fluid replaces the old fluid.
..
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Note that Ford also did the same thing for Automatics. For many years, it was only "Mercon and don't put Mercon V on automatics with Mercon specs."

Then Mercon V ATFluid superseded Mercon ATFluid (which was used for many years) and is the recommended fluid now.

From TSB #06-14-4, dated June 29, 2006

"ISSUE:
MERCON® Automatic Transmission Fluid is being replaced by MERCON® V as a service fluid.

ACTION:
Beginning immediately all automatic transmission / transaxle applications requiring MERCON® can now be serviced using MERCON® V or MERCON® Automatic Transmission Fluid or dual usage fluids labeled MERCON® / MERCON® V. After July 1, 2007, MERCON® Automatic Transmission Fluid will no longer be manufactured, therefore, availability of this fluid will only continue for however long it takes to deplete what remains in inventory."
 
Mine takes nearly five qts with the Bulldog pump/filter/distribution block assembly. I'm also using an oversized filter for more capacity.

I recommend RP Synchromax, but I am tempted to try the Torco RTF, maybe this summer.
 
FWIW, My understanding was that the "honey" fluid was spec'ed as a result of hard shifting complaints in the cold, most likely due to the use of the bronze bushings in the shift fork to rail interface instead of the earlier (and later) bearings.

I haven't decided which fluid yet, but I plan to refill my trans w/ one of the synchromesh-type fluids that warmonger has listed above.
 
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