I'm going to resurrect this thread. Is there a consensus between redline and OEM tranny fluid? I'm wanting to replace my tranny fluid this weekend and from what I've read it sounds like sticking with OEM fluid at $12.50/qt is the safest option.

 

I would stick with OEM. I have used redline in other vehicles and found no advantage.

 

I'm of the other opinion, I use Redline MT85 in both my race and street Z33 trannys, and haven't used anything else for years. It works well and I won't be going back.

 

Why not just use the OEM fluid that Nissan recommends lol?

That's what I'm doing today for my transmission and differential fluids. Gonna change them myself!

 

Nissan doesn't really recommend OEM, the manual says anything that is 75W85 and GL-4

 

well i just changed my transmission fluid.. I didn't even use the fluid quart pump thing.. BIG WASTE OF TIME because with each pump it only pumps a little fluid.. would take a really long time if i continued doing it... so what i did was take a clear hose and run it through passenger side engine bay and just put a funnel on the top and poured oil through it while i had the end of the hose stuck inside the fill plug.. took like 5 minutes

 

photos:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/wzi0l6dzir...%2026%20PM.jpg

https://www.dropbox.com/s/livkzu273z...%2012%20PM.jpg

https://www.dropbox.com/s/7yyqpxvllt...%2018%20PM.jpg

 

When my first trans started getting notchy I switched to Redline which made it better for a little while but shortly everything went downhill relatively quickly and 3rd went out.

Wintertime (even in FL) will exacerbate the notchiness and bring all issues to the fore after a season or two.

Transmission fluid is one of those things...if you want longevity and dont care about raceday temperature stability (which it can be argued OEM is fine for anyway)...OEM is usually the way.

 

Should I buy three or four quarts?

 

Mvolps22 - Buy 4.

singh - Your stack of wood scares me. I hope you don't use that when you're under the car because they don't even look nailed down.

Over 9 years of ownership, I've personally tried several different transmission fluids in my Z and driven many others' Zs with different fluids. While I am a big fan of Redline products, I was not impressed with MT-85 and I thought the shifts weren't as smooth as it could be. Before MT-85 was available, we used to 50/50 mix MTL and MT-90 and that worked really well for many of us. Of all the different fluids I've tried in my Z and others' Zs, my favorite is the 50/50 mix and is what I use.

 

the wood has no use except to just be there if the stands + jack happened to fail.. i don't use them as ramps if that's what you're thinking

 

Since I first changed mine after break in back in '07, I always had used Mobile One full synthetic, but I did clutch/flywheel upgrade fairly recently and the kit came with the Redline full syn. fluid. After about 1,500 miles with it with a good variety of driving conditions, I'm impressed with the Redline. I honestly can't say It's any better than Mobile One, but IMO they are both top notch. *also, yeah buy 4 qts. as you will need most of it until it starts to drip out of fill hole.

 

I just put Royal Purple Max Gear 75w-90 in mine hoping to save it from needing a rebuild, and am happy with it. But it is expensive was over $80 for 4 quarts..The shifting feels a little smoother than it was before, but really all oils of the same viscosity should be about the same thing regardless of the brand. If I do end up getting new synchros I would use the Nissan OEM stuff.

 

Reading the descriptions for this product (RP Max Gear 75W-90), it's primarily designed for use in rear ends and differentials. While RP claims its not corrosive to the metals in your Z33 tranny, it's not specifically designed for it either. The big difference for MT85 is that it meets the OEM design specs for lubrication and is specifically designed to provide enough friction for our syncros to work properly. As a synthetic, it's stable under high-stress situations and high heat, which is a real plus for my Zs.

 

https://conceptzperformance.com/Cart...n.php?II=12083

good deal OEM fluid, just swapped to a used CD009 and put the Nissan Fluid in it, fast shipping also

 

Redline here. No difference that I can tell. Stock transmission has 93k miles on it.

 

Bringing this from the dead cause I'm thinking of staying with Nissan Fluids when I change them this weekend now after reading this thread

 

There's no problem in staying with conventional fluids if you're just driving your Z on the street. But a high-performance lubricant like MT85 is cheap insurance if your car goes to the track.

 

Only reason I bought it is for the track. But seeing that everybody has shifting problems with MT-85 I'd rather not risk it

 

I've got the Redline MT85 in my '08 and it's been great for the last 30k miles or so. I never had any complaints with the original oil, though.