a few questions about our tranny.....

Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives

ok, i've been reading up and found that most people dont agree on what type of trans fluid to use, but i had a few questions hopefully some of you guys could answer.

1. what size tool, or socket or whatever is needed to take out both plugs on a 99 csvt?

2. is a friction modifier the best way to go with any fluid?

3. whats the best type of synthetic fluid to use?

thanx guys.....

Originally posted by LukeDuke:
ok, i've been reading up and found that most people dont agree on what type of trans fluid to use, but i had a few questions hopefully some of you guys could answer.

1. what size tool, or socket or whatever is needed to take out both plugs on a 99 csvt?

2. is a friction modifier the best way to go with any fluid?

3. whats the best type of synthetic fluid to use?

thanx guys.....

Royal Purple, hands down.

am I wrong for running Mobil 1 atf?

Originally posted by CSVT.UA.SHO:
am I wrong for running Mobil 1 atf?

I dont think that creates any problems... A few people here use that and it seems to work fine... But I highly suggest you try out Royal Purple... HMS (Haynes Motorsports) uses it in their built MTX-75's and I rarely ever hear about those transmissions failing.

Originally posted by LukeDuke:
1. what size tool, or socket or whatever is needed to take out both plugs on a 99 csvt?

Look in the FAQ. There are 2 different possibilities.

Originally posted by LukeDuke:
2. is a friction modifier the best way to go with any fluid?

Use whatever you want, it's your transmission. I just changed my fluid last weekend, and the Mercon + FM looked almost new after 3 years of hard use.

Originally posted by LukeDuke:
3. whats the best type of synthetic fluid to use?

You'll have varying answers. Most will say Ford Honey or Royal Purple Syncromax. I personally went with the RP Syncromax. No problems.

Mark

Don't use friction modifier

for the love of god wtf good is that supposed to do in your MTX? Its for rear end differentials!

alright thanx for the info so far. thats mostly what i read so far. except i havent found the tools needed to take the plugs out yet. sounds like RP is highly favorable with most, where can i get that at and how much is it usually? thanx and any more info would help.....

Originally posted by AliasJerkâ�??¢:
I dont think that creates any problems... A few people here use that and it seems to work fine... But I highly suggest you try out Royal Purple... HMS (Haynes Motorsports) uses it in their built MTX-75's and I rarely ever hear about those transmissions failing.

Wrong ... HMS RECOMMENDS Ford "Honey" ... their transmissions ship dry.

Originally posted by fastcougar:

Originally posted by AliasJerkâ�??¢:
I dont think that creates any problems... A few people here use that and it seems to work fine... But I highly suggest you try out Royal Purple... HMS (Haynes Motorsports) uses it in their built MTX-75's and I rarely ever hear about those transmissions failing.

Wrong ... HMS RECOMMENDS Ford "Honey" ... their transmissions ship dry.

Im confused, Rawburt told me they told him to use Royal purple... Unless thats what he told me he ordered, not what they suggested.

Originally posted by AliasJerkâ�??¢:

Originally posted by fastcougar:

Originally posted by AliasJerkâ�??¢:
I dont think that creates any problems... A few people here use that and it seems to work fine... But I highly suggest you try out Royal Purple... HMS (Haynes Motorsports) uses it in their built MTX-75's and I rarely ever hear about those transmissions failing.

Wrong ... HMS RECOMMENDS Ford "Honey" ... their transmissions ship dry.

Im confused, Rawburt told me they told him to use Royal purple... Unless thats what he told me he ordered, not what they suggested.

Honey is a definite. RP Synchromax is a "maybe." Terry wouldn't use anything but the Honey in his own car, I suspect.

The Honey is Motorcraft XT-M5-QS manual transmission fluid. (Named after its color.) I think the cheapest is around $15/quart, and the RP about half that or less.

Originally posted by RogerB:

Honey is a definite. RP Synchromax is a "maybe."

Exactly. I'm going to use the RP when my tranny comes home because I'm a cheap bastage.

Originally posted by rkneeshaw3.0:
Don't use friction modifier for the love of god wtf good is that supposed to do in your MTX? Its for rear end differentials!

There was a huge thread about a year ago about problems encountered with RedLine MTL. In that thread, different fluids were discussed ad-nausium. In that thread, someone posted a copy a page from his Ford shop manual (95 or 96 IIRC) showing that the factory recommendation was to add about 2 oz of Ford Friction Modifier to the ATF used to refill the MTX-75.

That aside, yes, friction modifier, the wrong kind in particular, used in too heavy of a concentration may not be good. BUT, adding friction modifier to most any manual trans brew has been a know cure for sticky synchros for decades.

Friction modifier is one of the items used to blend a good manual trans fluid. Even ATF has some friction modifier to start with. The Chrysler spec ATF+3 and ATF+4 has a higher level of ATF to start with than does Mercon or Dexron III and works very well in the MYX75 with no additional friction modifier.

While I will agree that you are better off most of the time allowing the oil chemistist (tribologist) to do the blending that cooking up your own brew, experience of many of us here at CEG has shown that Mobil 1 ATF (which is Mercon rated), Mercon, and even Ford Honey benefit from a mild dose of friction modifier.

What do I have in my car? Ford Honey with 2 oz of friction modifier. What's going into it on the next change? Probably AFT+4 without any additional friction modifier.

Do you know the function of friction modifier in the diff? It is only needed on clutch style limited slip systems. The friction modifier makes the oil more slippery so that the clutches don't grab when turning. If you have even driven an LSD car with the wrong fluid in it, you sould know what I'm talking about.

It is the same property of improving the slipperyness that often benefits synchros on a manual trans.

Jared, you are definetely confused. RP is the fluid I decided to use after the ATF+3 break in. Knowing that I wasn't going to put Redline MTL back in, I asked for Terry's opinion. Obviously he first told me to use honey. When asked for an alternative to that, he suggested RP.

Originally posted by RawBurt:
Jared, you are definetely confused. RP is the fluid I decided to use after the ATF+3 break in. Knowing that I wasn't going to put Redline MTL back in, I asked for Terry's opinion. Obviously he first told me to use honey. When asked for an alternative to that, he suggested RP.

He recently said that whatever type of fluid you plan on using for the life of the transmission, that should be the fluid you use to break it in.

Originally posted by muntus:

Originally posted by RawBurt:
Jared, you are definetely confused. RP is the fluid I decided to use after the ATF+3 break in. Knowing that I wasn't going to put Redline MTL back in, I asked for Terry's opinion. Obviously he first told me to use honey. When asked for an alternative to that, he suggested RP.

He recently said that whatever type of fluid you plan on using for the life of the transmission, that should be the fluid you use to break it in.

Yeah thats okay. I wasn't going to waste 3 quarts of RP for a near 1000 miles. No harm done.

I went to a ford dealer today, normally decent on their prices, and asked about what they had for my car. He looked it up and showed me what his book recommends, a fully synthetic motocraft manual transmission fluid. Stuff was $20 a quart and I would need 3 of them. You add the ford honey friction modifier to the ATF fluid and not this other fluid, right?

Originally posted by elraido:
I went to a ford dealer today, normally decent on their prices, and asked about what they had for my car. He looked it up and showed me what his book recommends, a fully synthetic motocraft manual transmission fluid. Stuff was $20 a quart and I would need 3 of them. You add the ford honey friction modifier to the ATF fluid and not this other fluid, right?

Correct. The "fully synthetic motocraft manual transmission fluid" is nicknamed "Honey" and requires no friction modifier. The Royal Purple Syncromax requires no friction modifier, either, and is far cheaper than the Ford Honey. Friction modifier is added to ATF to make it behave like the Honey.

You will need almost 3 full quarts of whatever fluid you run.

So I will be using Mobil 1, can someone point me in the right direction to get friction modifier?

Originally posted by muntus:

Originally posted by elraido:
I went to a ford dealer today, normally decent on their prices, and asked about what they had for my car. He looked it up and showed me what his book recommends, a fully synthetic motocraft manual transmission fluid. Stuff was $20 a quart and I would need 3 of them. You add the ford honey friction modifier to the ATF fluid and not this other fluid, right?

Correct. The "fully synthetic motocraft manual transmission fluid" is nicknamed "Honey" and requires no friction modifier. The Royal Purple Syncromax requires no friction modifier, either, and is far cheaper than the Ford Honey. Friction modifier is added to ATF to make it behave like the Honey.

You will need almost 3 full quarts of whatever fluid you run.

Ford Honey works better for me WITH added friction modifier.