VOA's of Red Line MT-90 and MTL

Props to Molakule: Analysis by Road Rage

Redline MT-90 5/12/2003
Metal

Iron (Fe) 2
Copper (Cu) 0
Chromium (Cr) 0
Aluminum (Al) 3
Lead (Pb) 3
Tin (Sn) 6
Silicon (Si) 15
Sodium (Na) 18
Potassium (K) 21
Molybdenum (Mo) 1
Phosphorus (P) 2410
Zinc (Zn) 2750
Calcium (Ca) 2840
Magnesium (Mg) 11

Physical

Water (W) N
Fuel (F) /
Antifreeze (A) /
Viscocity At 40 C (V40) 0
Total Acid Number (Tan) 1
Total Base Number (Tbn) 3
Viscosity At 100 C (V100) 14.3
Particle


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Redline MTL 5/12/2003 Analysis by Dyson

Metal

Iron (Fe) 1
Copper (Cu) 0
Chromium (Cr) 0
Aluminum (Al) 3
Lead (Pb) 3
Tin (Sn) 5
Silicon (Si) 25
Sodium (Na) 21
Potassium (K) 11
Molybdenum (Mo) 1
Phosphorus (P) 2520
Zinc (Zn) 2820
Calcium (Ca) 2860
Magnesium (Mg) 11
Physical

Water (W) N
Fuel (F) /
Antifreeze (A) /
Viscocity At 40 C (V40) NR
Total Acid Number (Tan) 1
Total Base Number (Tbn) 4
Viscosity At 100 C (V100) 11.2


Iso Code Rating (Iso) 19/12

These Manual Gear Lubes also have the new Boron additives, not tested.

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Analysis: These gear oils are essentially the same, save for viscosity. The MTL is close to Honda's MTF. The ZDDP levels are higher than Honda MTF, but the Red Line lubes also have similar calcium components as Honda's MTF. This makes me more convinced that the Ca is what is used by Honda (Mobil) and Red Line to adjust the coefficient of friction. The Red Lines have high silicon levels to eliminate foaming at high RPM.

On the formulation alone, either looks to be a good choice for the S2000, assuming the Ca rules. However, it has to offset the basic lubricity of Honda and Red Line's base stocks, which is unknown. That may account for why some people have loved MTL, and others have not. The oil may be more lubricious than Honda's OE fill, and therefore synchro action is not ideal. I have not tried it so I cannot say.

Caveat emptor, but one thing is very certain: MTL wil not shear nearly as much as Honda's MTF, so it will be a better choice for those who want to fill and forget.

You know have the knowledge base to make a cogent choice. Happy lube hunting!
RR.

Great info, RR. Thanks for sharing this with us. Your comments are appreciated.

great info:thumbup:
thank you so much!

Road Rage:
Quick question,
which oil would you use in the tranny if you were not to drive in temperatures below 50 degrees and where much of your driving would be in the 70-95 degree range (as it is in the No. Calif during spring-summer months).
Also, what might the advantage, if any, of the MT-90 oil be over the MTL in those temp. ranges?
I am looking for a syn oil for my tranny.
Thanks in advance.

Since the MT-90 and MTL addtives are so similar, I would expect shift action to be similar, but it is possible the MT-90 might slightly reduce wear over the long haul. But that could be offset by the MTL's lmmediate pumpability. You will also lose some HP with MT-90 due to parasitic drag. I think it is a toss-up with no clear winner.

Thanks for your response. I never had the problems with my tranny that some have mentioned and have changed the Honda MTF at 10k miles with OEM MTF but prefer to use syn oil whenever possible. I appreciate your info re: the LE607 lube for the diff and will use that. Again, many thanks and happy motoring!