I have a little insight about the "myth" of using friction modifier in the MTX75. It is incomplete because it was already a common practice before I joined CEG.

Shortly after buying my SVT, I found CEG and followed the postings on the Contour-L list before deciding to join. I emailed Lance about joining. In that email, I mentioned my background as a former Ford tech and then currently as a service manager. I also mentioned that I felt that using friction modifier in a manual trans was improper.

I found many that had tried adding the friction modifier and that the transmission behaved much better, especially when cold. There was one member back then, from Sweden, with a Mondeo, that complained to his dealer about the shift quality and the dealer added friction modifier and the problem was resolved.

Others mentioned that they felt that the 95 shop manual called for type F ATF with added friction modifier. I never confirmed that. I do know that Mercon does have a higher level of friction modifier than type F, so it seemed reasonable.

Since then I have made it a point to ask manual transmission technicians about their experience with friction modifier. Most knew nothing about it. A few, mostly old timers, were aware of it, and sometimes added friction modifier for special cases from time to time and some also always used it on their own transmissions.

I became a believer when I tried ATF+3 with great success.

There are other automotive applications where friction modifier became an unofficial cure. Many power steering technicians had been using a little friction modifier in power steering pumps to cut pump noise. During the worst of the trans torque converter shudder problems on the AODE transmission, a hot line engineer "unofficially" told me that many of them had been cured with the addition of some friction modifier, but that Ford no longer wanted it to be added so it could not be listed on the warranty claim. I have myself confirmed that indeed trans shudder could be reduced or eliminated with a 4 oz bottle of friction modifier. If that made a significant difference, I knew that the problem could be resolved with a complete trans fluid change. Ford eventually published that the entire problem was due to "tired fluid". That is part of why they developed Mercon V, although they have never officially sanctioned backfitting Mercon V into those older transmissions.

Jim Johnson 98 SVT 03 Escape Limited