Originally posted by todras:
Originally posted by RogerB:


ROGER: The high wear metals are not unusual finds in the oil from a new transmission. Lead is
coming from marking compound used at the factory, and it should mostly wash out with this oil change
or possibly the next one. Copper is left over from new parts wearing in and should also improve nicely
with the next oil change. Universal averages show typical wear metals for an oil from this engine after
about 20,000 miles use. Insolubles read at 0.1%, which is fine for a manual transmission. No
contaminants found. Check back to see improvements.






...a trans oil can only come from one source...the
plain bushings that the stoc shft forks slide on.No
other component is copper or lead.Lead marking/meshing
fluid is not used on the assembly of an MTX,(as
opposed to a stoc 'rear end' meshing check)the meshing
on an MTX is fixed as the crown wheel,input & output
shaft positions are fixed in the cases...FWIW!



...high miles MTX's that have run from day one on ATF
has been,in 9 out of 10 cases,that the shift forks are
very tight/stiff on the shift rods(Vs a new stoc
fork),this leads me to think that long term exposure
to ATF fluids causes the lead based shift fork
bearings to 'grow' and become tight on the shafts and
maybe 'shed' some of the lead during operation when
stiff.To take lead and copper out of the MTX is done
when I fit slick shift forks,the bearings are all
steel roller type....FWIW!!!





Terry? Zat you?

Thanks, Todd. Did Terry see this analysis? I was going to post on his forum, too, but maybe I'll save the drive space.



Function before fashion. '96 Contour SE "Toss the Contour into a corner, and it's as easy to catch as a softball thrown by a preschooler." -Edmunds, 1998