I need to change out the fluids in my celica. Manual calls for 5.5 quarts of API GL-5 75W90 in the tranny and 1.2 quarts of API GL-5 hypoid gear oil in the rear diff. I was planning on buying Redline 75W90 NS for the tranny and Redline 75W90 Gear for the rear diff but the stuff is so damn expensive! (about $100 total for 8 quarts)
Has anyone had good experience with cheaper tranny and diff fluids, or is this a "you get what you paid for" type of thing?
I'm pretty happy with the Penzoil synchromesh I just put in the WRX.
The key is it's GL-5. DO NOT use GL-6 or better: it'll eat the bronze or copper metals in the trans or rear end. I bought my GL-5 from a large NAPA store. Dust all over the quarts, and about $8/qt, but, they got it and it works.
look at it this way.. the money you spend ($100) is probably cheaper than changing the oil. Trans and diff oil usually lasts around 30 to 50,000 (or longer) and how many times do you change your engine oil in that same time period?
wick'd used 5w30 
mad_machine wrote:look at it this way.. the money you spend ($100) is probably cheaper than changing the oil. Trans and diff oil usually lasts around 30 to 50,000 (or longer) and how many times do you change your engine oil in that same time period?
I guess that is a good way of seeing it.... though $100 is still a lot for 8 damn quarts
I usually use the cheapest stuff I can find that meets specs. The one time I tried the super expensive stuff, I wasn't real happy with it. It made the rear axle in the RX-7 noisy. Swapped the cheap stuff back in, it's as silent as a tomb.
triumph5 wrote:The key is it's GL-5. DO NOT use GL-6 or better: it'll eat the bronze or copper metals in the trans or rear end. I bought my GL-5 from a large NAPA store. Dust all over the quarts, and about $8/qt, but, they got it and it works.
Do you mean GL-4 and GL-5? Because I know nissans need GL-4 because GL-5 eats the brass syncros and all that stuff. I have no idea if GL-6 exists, I don't need to keep up with that new crap. :D
~Alex
For anything without syncros, like differentials, I use Mobil SHC 630. You buy it at Grainger Supply. It lasts 6 times longer than conventional gear oil and was designed for heavy industrial equipment that gets filled when new and never changed for the life of the equipment. Lotus used it as a base for their magic transmission oil to hold a French gear box together at 50% over its designed power spec. I say for non-syncro applications because it is too slippery for the syncros to slow down the gears.
For anything with syncros, Redline MT90 or MTL. Just suck it up. It's cheaper than a new transmission.
