How do I change Syncromesh fluid in trans?

[Talon00b]

Alright so I bought a new tranny and the person I purchased it from said that since it has been sitting so long I should change the Syncromesh fluid. So I said no prob... now the Tranny is sitting on my floor and Im woundering do I need to take it to a tranny shop for them to put in the new fluid or can I do it myself?
thanks

 

[dave99gst]

syncomesh is a brand -
it should be changed w/ the trans in the car- with the car being on a level surface.

 

[Diplomat]

If your intention is to install this transmission on your own, then you should be able to change the fluid with no problem. I'm guessing that whomever sold you the transmission has confused you a bit by using an odd term to describe what the rest of us would call transmission fluid/gear lube, or he was just using the brand name of a popular manual transmission lubricant, like dave99gst stated. Generally speaking, if you're talking about an automatic, it's usually called transmission fluid (thinner, hydraulic fluid), or if it's a manual, then it's usually referred to as gear lube (thicker, oily fluid).

A "Synchromesh" transmission is one that employs a clutch-like device (often called a "synchro") that synchronizes the speeds of mating parts before they engage. Many modern manual transmissions are fully synchroed. This guy may have been attempting to make it clear when he used the term "Synchromesh Fluid" that you do not want to use typical "transmission fluid" in your manual "Synchromesh" style tranny. Automatic transmission fluid would not provide adequate lubrication for your manual transmission. It might work for a [very] short time, but it wouldn't be long before you'd be shopping around for yet another transmission.

DSM manual transmissions had their fair share of problems even when they first left Normal, Illinois. After you put some hard miles on them, they don't get any better. One of the issues many new DSM owners discover early on is that it can be hard to shift into gear at high RPM. You may even occasionally have problems shifting at low RPM on older transmissions. "Mushy" shifter mount bushings and even old shifter cable bushings can contribute to these shifting issues, but the main problem is usually the poorly designed synchros inside the transmission. Some DSM shops offer "performance" transmissions with options like double synchros to bring our transmissions up to par with those you'll find on higher end cars. If all you got was a rebuilt OEM transmission however, don't worry. You can try the shifter mount and cable bushings (a good investment in any case) to see if they alleviate any problems. Also, there seems to been only a small selection of gear lubes that our finicky transmissions like. One of them is BG Synchroshift. It's what I've used in my DSM's and I can say that it makes a noticeable difference when shifting, especially at higher RPM's. Fortunately, there's not much need to shift real high in a stock to lightly modified DSM anyway. Most of your power is going to be midrange, and the 1G (14B) turbos usually start running out of steam at 5500 RPM.

Anyway, changing the fluid isn't difficult at all. There's a large, flat hexagonal drain plug on the bottom of the transmission. On my FWD (F5M33) transmission, the drain plug is 24mm, so you may have to run down to the hardware store if you don't already have a socket that size. However, I'd suggest you measure yours first before going out and buying the wrong size expensive socket. When you're ready to drain, make sure you have something to catch ALL of the old gear lube in. If you get it on the garage floor, the place will smell like ass for a week. Again, like dave99gst mentioned, hold off refilling the transmission until after you've installed it.

Oh, and don't worry, that funky odor on your fingers will go away... eventually.

 

[Talon00b]

wow thank you so much for the great discription! Well I feel better now... im not going to install the tranny my self since i already have a couple cars in the rents garage so thanks again

 

[daveyfx]

For future reference, VFAQ is your answer to almost all the general questions you can think of...

http://www.vfaq.com/mods/wayback/BradBauer/drivetrain/trannyoils.html

dave

 

[I_LOVE_DSMS]

Okay, now I have a question. My brothers 92 talon tsi's tranny grinds alot, from neutral to first, 1st-2nd, and 2nd-3rd, we figured it was the synchros (everyone tells us), but he's planning on getting a race tranny pretty soon anyways, so what's the best way to try and reduce the grinding? I know it'll end up getting worse and worse, but he doesn't want to spend money on a new tranny when he is already going to get a race one built. Thanks for any help.

 

[Diplomat]

"You can try the shifter mount and cable bushings (a good investment in any case) to see if they alleviate any problems. Also, there seems to been only a small selection of gear lubes that our finicky transmissions like. One of them is BG Synchroshift. It's what I've used in my DSM's and I can say that it makes a noticeable difference when shifting, especially at higher RPM's."

Like I said, these things may help (they made a difference in my case). However, there is no magic fluid you can poor into your transmission and expect it to repair any mechanical failures. Your brother will have to remove his transmission to repair it. There are no access panels or quick disconnects that make it easy, unfortunately. That's why just about any manual transmission failure will run at least $500 bucks at a repair shop and they start at about double that for automatics.

He can remove his transmission and send it to a reputable DSM specialist like Shepherd Racing or Team Rip Engineering. This usually ends up being the most cost effective solution, short of rebuilding it yourself.