Manual Transmission Fluid Options??

Mike97528i6spd · 08-01-2012, 12:36 PM

Ok so I'm gonna state a few things first.

1. Yes i did search and all i found seemed to have been from way in the past so looking to see if opinions changed, or is there something new.
2. I am an e39 528i, yet that forum has little or no activity whatsoever.
3. My 6spd manual ZF tranny (my car was auto and manual version is the 5 Spd, which i didnt want) is the same as the 335's i believe.
4. I have a UUC aluminum Flywheel as well as a stage 2 clutch.
5. At first with just OEM fluid i had some gear lash noise and adding a bottle of redline gave me smoother shifting as well as reducing the noise (when the car is really hot, with the a/c on you could here it pretty consistently.

Now im hovering around 40,000 miles on the tranny and want to change the fluid, but opinions seem to be very different.

Should i stick with factory fluid?
Is Royal purple worth all the hype?
Redline, or anything else better?

Appreciate it

2jzn54 · 08-01-2012, 12:48 PM

I currently have Royal Purple Synchromax as it was laying around.. It was decent initially.. I'm switching to Redline D6 ATF this weekend.

JamesM3M5 · 08-01-2012, 01:09 PM

ATF is OK in those transmissions, but for a rattle, mix 1 liter of ATF with 1 liter of 75W140 gear oil such as Motul Gear Competition or other thicker oil to reduce the noise. BG Synchroshift is highly regarded in the DSM world to make their boxes actually shift, and I've used it successfully in hundreds of street/moderate track BMW transmissions from the 90s up. It's thin, so it won't do any good for solid flywheel transmission rattle. I have that in my 335 since Sept last year, about 12k miles.

For maximum longevity of a dedicated track/race car, I use Motul Gear Competition 75W140. Keeps synchros happy for years.

Otherwise for everyone else, BMW MTF-LT3 is best. That's what the trans builders for Grand Am (and other series that have to use stock gearboxes) recommend.

Mike97528i6spd · 08-10-2012, 02:29 PM

Thanks guys, did you ever switch to that D6 ATF, notice anything?

The car is a daily driver, and on many occasions gets driven pretty hard. I would like to minimize the noise, however I'd rather live with it than using a fluid that doesnt lubricate properly.

08-01-2012, 12:36 PM	#1
Mike97528i6spd Enlisted Member 8 Rep 34 Posts Drives: 1997 White 528i Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: South Florida iTrader: (0)	Manual Transmission Fluid Options?? Ok so I'm gonna state a few things first. 1. Yes i did search and all i found seemed to have been from way in the past so looking to see if opinions changed, or is there something new. 2. I am an e39 528i, yet that forum has little or no activity whatsoever. 3. My 6spd manual ZF tranny (my car was auto and manual version is the 5 Spd, which i didnt want) is the same as the 335's i believe. 4. I have a UUC aluminum Flywheel as well as a stage 2 clutch. 5. At first with just OEM fluid i had some gear lash noise and adding a bottle of redline gave me smoother shifting as well as reducing the noise (when the car is really hot, with the a/c on you could here it pretty consistently. Now im hovering around 40,000 miles on the tranny and want to change the fluid, but opinions seem to be very different. Should i stick with factory fluid? Is Royal purple worth all the hype? Redline, or anything else better? Appreciate it
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08-01-2012, 12:48 PM	#2
2jzn54 Captain 41 Rep 823 Posts Drives: 07 E90 335i 6MT Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: United States iTrader: (6)	I currently have Royal Purple Synchromax as it was laying around.. It was decent initially.. I'm switching to Redline D6 ATF this weekend.
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08-01-2012, 01:09 PM	#3
JamesM3M5 Some dude 92 Rep 1,780 Posts Drives: E92 335i Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Northern VA iTrader: (0)	ATF is OK in those transmissions, but for a rattle, mix 1 liter of ATF with 1 liter of 75W140 gear oil such as Motul Gear Competition or other thicker oil to reduce the noise. BG Synchroshift is highly regarded in the DSM world to make their boxes actually shift, and I've used it successfully in hundreds of street/moderate track BMW transmissions from the 90s up. It's thin, so it won't do any good for solid flywheel transmission rattle. I have that in my 335 since Sept last year, about 12k miles. For maximum longevity of a dedicated track/race car, I use Motul Gear Competition 75W140. Keeps synchros happy for years. Otherwise for everyone else, BMW MTF-LT3 is best. That's what the trans builders for Grand Am (and other series that have to use stock gearboxes) recommend. __________________ RRT E92 335i/6MT with stuff and things
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08-10-2012, 02:29 PM	#4
Mike97528i6spd Enlisted Member 8 Rep 34 Posts Drives: 1997 White 528i Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: South Florida iTrader: (0)	Thanks guys, did you ever switch to that D6 ATF, notice anything? The car is a daily driver, and on many occasions gets driven pretty hard. I would like to minimize the noise, however I'd rather live with it than using a fluid that doesnt lubricate properly.
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