OK so I have REALLY been trying to not have to ask this question but searching is yielding all kinds of answers...
I have a 2000 528i...What MTF do I need to use? gear oil? atf??
I am wanting to run the royal purple syncromax I keep reading a lot about but it seems that it need to have the correct color of sticker on my tranny to be able to run it? I dont want to put it in and the tranny actually need a heavy gear oil and ruin something.
Can someone please explain this to me?
Thanks
Use the Royal Purple Syncomax.
It's what I use in all of my manual trannys.
Last edited by Jason5driver; 07-01-2010 at 05:18 PM.
Looking for an E39 belly pan , passenger front inner fender liner …
RP Synchromax, Redline D4ATF, or Redline MTL all work well as substitutes for BMW's "MTL." Don't worry.
OK I was just getting thrown off by some places saying to use like 75w-90 gear oils in some of them...
edit: like here on ecs tuning, says this:
Gear 300 75w90 - 1 Liter
Fully synthetic gear oil, for use on the street or the track
Recommended for BMW manual transmissions with the "Green Label" or SHC 630
see wtf is this? so confusing lol
Last edited by 528iMatt; 07-01-2010 at 05:38 PM.
I've used redline MTL in my last two cars and it seems to work very nicely. I've not tried the royal purple, so I can't comment on its performance.
Don't be fooled by the numbers. Gear oil weight is a different number scale than motor oil. A 75W-90 gear oil is about equivalent to a 10W-40 motor oil. ATF is closer to a 5W-30.
/.randy
Run what BMW specs. No one does as much testing for compatibility, wear, and performance. If a commercial equivalent is available from a major lube manufacturer, you're golden. For the Getrag in the M5/540i, we're best off with the BMW fluid. No one makes an equivalent that has been blessed by Getrag.
For what you pay vs. a big name, the small lube companies barely do any testing and publish to few industry standards.
Nick, BMW CCA Member #425357
2010 Mini JCW, Konis, NM RSe05 Wheels
2002 M5, Silverstone, Caramel, Stock
2001 540i/6, Jet Black, M5 suspension bits, Konis, Dinan Sprinkles, & His Autograph on the Strut Tower, UUC SSK, First Aid Kit
2001 M5, Anthracite Metallic, Black Heritage Full Leather, Dinan Flywheel, Performance Clutch, UUC SSK, Selector Rod, First Aid Kit, Resto Project
2000 540iA, Biarritz Blue, Sport, First Aid Kit, Resto Project
1999 Dodge Viper GTS ACR, Viper Silver, Stock
1994 Mazda Miata - Classic Red, The AutoX Experiment, Sold
1989 Lincoln Mark VII LSC - Light Titanium Pearl Metallic, The Restomod, Sold
1986 Lincoln Mark VII LSC - Medium Graphite Metallic, The Hot Rod
OOOOk perfect, I apparently was just confused on those two scales. I was thinking about the difference between the ATF and the diff fluid in my Jeep, and THOSE are way different viscosities lol.
I just dont want to ruin something if it needed a specific thing, just really want to try this royal purple syncromax after all the good things I have been reading here about it
Thanks all.
That was my original problem, finding out what the hell they are specing, atf or gear oil lol
Last edited by 528iMatt; 07-02-2010 at 01:35 AM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost
The SynchroMax works well, but only for a little while before it gets notchy again.
MTF
"If everything seems under control, you're not going fast enough. - Mario Andretti"
Everything (tips, tricks, Redline) you ever want to know is here. I wrote it back in May 2006 and so far so good.
Here is my write-up:
http://bimmerboard.com/forums/posts/189240
I use:
-Gravity fill (no need for oil pump)
Man Trans: Redline MT-90
Rear Diff: Redline 75W90
Glad to see you used the MT-90. I think it will work better in the tranny than their ATF. I know if you speak to Redline directly they recommend ATF, but I think that is only because that is what most manual trannys use. Personally, I think an MTF created for synchro trannys works better.
"If everything seems under control, you're not going fast enough. - Mario Andretti"
I refilled with BMW fluids and its working well almost 2 years later. Changed at 100k FWIW.
Rules to live by:
- Fast, reliable, cheap. You can only have two.
- Do it right, or do it twice.
- BMW: Just because you can afford to buy one, that doesn't mean you can afford to own one.
1998 528i 5-speed sport - sandbeige with technical graphite trim - Jim Conforti Shark Injector - CDV delete - MY2000 M5 Xenon headlights - MY2000 M5 tails - PP M5 front bumper - E46 M3 paper filter - E60 545i shifter w/ E46 ZHP knob - 12" Alpine Type-R & 500w RF - CD53 w/ AUX input
cnn that is a great DIY write up.
Don't let the perceived viscosity at room temp rule your choice. Modern ATF's are extremely stable. Their viscosity at operating temperature is not that far off of 90 gear oil. Many years of development has gone into today's multi-grade oils. This technology doesn't really carry into the GL-5 EP rated gear oils. The extreme loads placed on the oil by a hypoid gear set would destroy the viscosity enhancing polymers of modern oils in short order. Thus the gear oil is more old tech, and will seem much thicker at cold temps.
Last edited by rf900rkw; 07-03-2010 at 11:16 AM.
/.randy
It's not called out in the manual and you can't ring the local dealer? Once you have the spec, search for an equivalent. If none exists, use the spec fluid for best results. I'd rather pay a little more for fluid than a transmission. I still don't like the small players for publishing barely anything on their fluid specs and tech data. I'm not for big oil, but I am looking from an engineering standpoint. Once I found enough info from Roadfly and the M5 board, I went with BMW fluid. The Royal Purple seems to work on the Getrag 6 speeds, but even at the high price of the BMW fluid, the cost savings is mitigated over the length of time the fluid will be used. It's 30 min of labor at a shop to change the fluid. It was another 30 min to change the rear diff. I used Mobil 1 75-90 I think. It'd take me way longer to get the car up AND level on my crappy driveway to do it myself. In 90 degree heat with high humidity, I left it for them.
Last edited by ND4SPDLSC; 07-03-2010 at 12:06 PM.
Nick, BMW CCA Member #425357
2010 Mini JCW, Konis, NM RSe05 Wheels
2002 M5, Silverstone, Caramel, Stock
2001 540i/6, Jet Black, M5 suspension bits, Konis, Dinan Sprinkles, & His Autograph on the Strut Tower, UUC SSK, First Aid Kit
2001 M5, Anthracite Metallic, Black Heritage Full Leather, Dinan Flywheel, Performance Clutch, UUC SSK, Selector Rod, First Aid Kit, Resto Project
2000 540iA, Biarritz Blue, Sport, First Aid Kit, Resto Project
1999 Dodge Viper GTS ACR, Viper Silver, Stock
1994 Mazda Miata - Classic Red, The AutoX Experiment, Sold
1989 Lincoln Mark VII LSC - Light Titanium Pearl Metallic, The Restomod, Sold
1986 Lincoln Mark VII LSC - Medium Graphite Metallic, The Hot Rod
Would this Redline Manual Transmission fluid be a good match for the unit in my M5... ? Just curious on what you guys thought.
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