[Civi9]

^^^^^^ me neither...

 

[TruckinSI2012]

I would also like to add that my car has 20,000 miles on it. It has been driven moderately hard its whole life. The fluid looked pretty good coming out, maybe a little dark, and I did NOT notice any change in my shifting after this.

Erkon,
I change my fluid in the manual transmission pretty regular as well. I have 29,500 currently on my Si and I use the Redline manual transmission fluid that Redline recommends for the 2013 Si application (Red Line Synthetic Oil - Gear Oil for Manual Transmissions - MTL 75W80 GL-4 Gear Oil). I have to say I've been pretty pleased with the results and it does seem to shift smoother. However, could just be me and there may truly be no difference LOL, but it sure seems to. Oh, I also added a magnetic drain plug the first time I changed out the fluid thinking that might help as well.

 

[Erkon]

Erkon,
I change my fluid in the manual transmission pretty regular as well. I have 29,500 currently on my Si and I use the Redline manual transmission fluid that Redline recommends for the 2013 Si application (Red Line Synthetic Oil - Gear Oil for Manual Transmissions - MTL 75W80 GL-4 Gear Oil). I have to say I've been pretty pleased with the results and it does seem to shift smoother. However, could just be me and there may truly be no difference LOL, but it sure seems to. Oh, I also added a magnetic drain plug the first time I changed out the fluid thinking that might help as well.

A magnetic drain plug wouldn't be a bad idea. I may get one to install with my next fluid change. I think I will stick to doing it about every 20-25,000 miles. I will consider the Redline fluid but I like sticking with Honda MTF if possible.

 

[ScootR]

Erkon,
I change my fluid in the manual transmission pretty regular as well. I have 29,500 currently on my Si and I use the Redline manual transmission fluid that Redline recommends for the 2013 Si application (Red Line Synthetic Oil - Gear Oil for Manual Transmissions - MTL 75W80 GL-4 Gear Oil). I have to say I've been pretty pleased with the results and it does seem to shift smoother. However, could just be me and there may truly be no difference LOL, but it sure seems to. Oh, I also added a magnetic drain plug the first time I changed out the fluid thinking that might help as well.

My plans to once Spring gets here. No 0W20! ??

 

[MattalliSI]

IDK and pissed. I should hear from my oil company friends but it is almost Xmas. Somebody makes this stuff for them. I always told folks about OEM branded fluids...would you buy a piston or cam etc...from a gas station? No. I'll buy my oils from top tier oil companies. I've seen first hand what most oils will do.

ScootR, I have to ask...Short story...

My former boss working logistics did a material handling system for an oil packaging system. They filled quarts and jugs for the masses. He said they produce/import/whatever, huge vats of oil and then when production starts, the various plastic jugs flow thru to get filled. Name brands, then generics, then short runs of gas station specific jugs. He said they also ran the same oil as they were running various weights of oil. I asked him and he laughed that it was a $$ vs. sub-weights that it did not pay to have umpteem different weights when each was SAE certified to cover the adjacent weight.

He likened it to the Michigan gas pipeline which is run by Wolverine and all goes to the same distilleries where the most they can do is additives. The same tanker fills up and supplies all our local hillbilly gas stations since it would be logistically impossible for Sunoco to have a truck deliver to each station when they can hit them all. Now I suppose these tankers have multiple chambers within them but limited in grades.

He used whatever oil was available at cheapest and laughed at all the cost differences.

Curious if you have any input. I have changed my 8th Gen fluid many times over 306k and tried a few different ones. I never felt any differences. A new oil change be it trans or engine always feels smoother for a while. Possibly placebo effect.

Sythetic oil/Honda MTF guy for warranty.

 

[ScootR]

My past comes back to haunt me. This is true for SOME BOPs, blend oil plants, carry over, cross contamination. Not just SAE vis but additives too. Its a serious issue, especially anti-wear ZDDP. Polar and can easily be deactivated. The larger, better, oil companies have their own and/or do blend checks. Reminds of a great story I'll share shortly.

 

[ScootR]

He used whatever oil was available at cheapest and laughed at all the cost differences.

Stupid! Trust me there are 3 types of oils out there:
Top tier
Mainline
Bottom of the barrel

Sorry but I can't name names. You get what you pay for. Many oils run the API tests multiple times to get a pass. Top tiers run once and as article stated double length or longer. I was the first to convince an oil to do this in 1992.
Typical pass/fail rate for all test 1/3. Formulating more of a black art vs science. Too many variables. But the end results, the parts speak for themselves!

 

[ScootR]

Baseoils are only made in certain location, west and east coast, Texas, etc...near water ports. So majors to save $ buy oil from competitors and vice versa. From there additive package is put in at a blend plant.

 

[ScootR]

Sorry interruptions. So a major HD OEM calls me, sending sample from a large fleet as engines failing and used oil looks strange. Asked for a new sample. Shows up in my office and looks like water, clear. Touched it, its oil. Get analysis done and NOTHING in it, nothing. Vis very low. We call the fleet, they put oil drums on racks and pump into engine with electric pump and hose like at a gas pump. Fast. Trucking not hauling not making $!. They never see the oil, engines hold ~10 gallons. Drums marked xxx freight company but went straight there before blend plant. Oops! 10 dead trucks, $500,000 lost just on engine. Shipping clerk fired and several others. I was never told anymore due to BIG lawsuit. I still have sample. Moral to the story? Oil is not just oil. I've seen them blow up engines.

 

[ScootR]

One more. All kinds of moly additives. 2nd week on job Cummins NTC400 spits out piston and rod that looked like a pretzel. Moly attacked bronze piston pin bushing, rifle drilled for oil supply split rod right down the middle. I was there, shook entire lab then big fire. I said damn, this is going to be a fun job! Wish I could have kept rod. Moral of story? Do not add anything to your oil or mix brands or types.

 

[TruckinSI2012]

I've stuck with the same type motor oil in my Si since the first oil change and haven't mixed any yet. I will stick with redline....been using their products for years and they haven't failed me yet in any of my applications. Harley's, Cars, Trucks etc. Of course just my 2 cents.

 

[MattalliSI]

He used whatever oil was available at cheapest and laughed at all the cost differences.

Stupid! Trust me there are 3 types of oils out there:
Top tier
Mainline
Bottom of the barrel

Sorry but I can't name names. You get what you pay for. Many oils run the API tests multiple times to get a pass. Top tiers run once and as article stated double length or longer. I was the first to convince an oil to do this in 1992.
Typical pass/fail rate for all test 1/3. Formulating more of a black art vs science. Too many variables. But the end results, the parts speak for themselves!

Hmmmm. Seems to be something out there as it sounds like oil is a recipe of varying ingrediants. Perhaps I should ask if you think Mobil 1 5W-30 is better than Rotella T6 5W-40 HD diesel oil for my 306k 8th Gen? (both are full synthetics).

 

[MattalliSI]

Did I post before that one should remove the air box and hoses and fill from top when changing their transmission fluid vs. using a syringe style oil pump? So much easier. A chance to clean you plastic parts every 30k miles and look for funky stuffs.

Gravity always works. Devices...well....

 

[ScootR]

Both are top tier, best of the best.

 

[ScootR]

My Like button doesn't work anymore

 

[sekngen]

Did I post before that one should remove the air box and hoses and fill from top when changing their transmission fluid vs. using a syringe style oil pump? So much easier. A chance to clean you plastic parts every 30k miles and look for funky stuffs.

Gravity always works. Devices...well....

I remember reading somewhere that this method was only recommended for refilling after a rebuild or some other? Don't know how true that is, but I imagine going in from the top would be a lot easier. The method through the side isn't hard, just time consuming because of how slow you have to pour (I used a funnel).

 

[Hella JDM]

I installed my Skunk2 magnetic drain plug for the tranny today (installed the oil plug when I changed the oil 2 weeks ago. I drained from the bottom, filled from the top. No issues at all, and took me 10 minutes. I have never seen anything regarding the top fill plug only being used for tranny rebuilds. If the tranny is empty, it's empty.

 

[Civi9]

The issue with doing it that way is that you truly have to assume that 2 quarts is exactly what every Si takes no matter what. If that's off, then you are over or underfilling accordingly. The side-fill method is more theoretically accurate for how much fluid is right for EACH car.

 

[ScootR]

The issue with doing it that way is that you truly have to assume that 2 quarts is exactly what every Si takes no matter what. If that's off, then you are over or underfilling accordingly. The side-fill method is more theoretically accurate for how much fluid is right for EACH car.

I believe its a splash oil system, no pump. Err on the high side. It's 2 qts, more is way better than not enough!

 

[Hella JDM]

The issue with doing it that way is that you truly have to assume that 2 quarts is exactly what every Si takes no matter what. If that's off, then you are over or underfilling accordingly. The side-fill method is more theoretically accurate for how much fluid is right for EACH car.

Well, 2 quarts IS the capacity of the transmission, so it is completely within reason to drain 2 the tranny, and put two quarts in from the top without issue. It isn't like 1 tranny takes 1.5 quarts, the other takes 4... The specified capacity is 2 quarts so draining, and filling with 2 quarts shouldn't be an issue.

If you drain motor oil from the engine when the car is cold (all of the residual oil has drained from the engine into the pain), and put the specified capacity into the engine, and let that drain down into the pan, you will see the correct full oil capacity on the dip stick.