It's a slight improvement...I think. I could be imagining it's better now using the stuff. It felt better just by changing out the fluid with the OEM Honda stuff about a year ago, so it may just be that it's new. I'm disappointed that it hasn't done all the wonderful "shifts like butter now" things I read. Only way to get it into third "like butter" is to double clutch, or shift very slowly. I don't think a fluid change is the answer to this design problem. Live and learn.

 

Another local owner found this same thing and went back to the Honda fluid. Although it can still be attributed to variations in cars, environment and driving habits, I think it's sometimes a shame when someone changes to something else, they feel a need to know that their effort and decision was worth it (so they blow the trumpet). Then others try it and are "compelled" to feel the same and the "reputation" of this miracle fluid snowballs, leading to more and more people to give it a try. Unless it is indeed the "magic elixer", eventually people like yourself and our local owner come along and can make an objective assessment NOT based on emotions and the "need" to have made the right choice.
But, I suppose it was cheap enough to give it a try.

 

xviper. Your response was so coherent and precise that I needed to re-read it. This is to say, I couldn't just scan and assimilate as you were actually conveying thought through precise use of language. I had to read it. I'm impressed! And your interpretation of herd mentality/ego is good too. And yes. Twenty bucks to give it a go wasn't bad. And the dealer installed it for me after all.....along with the replaced tire and wheel that sad week. So I have eight crush washers in a bag, and will think of yours hanging on your wall for years to come. I'll just be going back to the Honda stuff next time. And teaching myself to go gently into that third gear.

 

P.S. I like the Michelins. I was into vtec several times on wet roads no less yesterday to pass cars and all was rock solid. Kids don't try this at home. I'm an old man that has always driven rear wheel drive. While it might sound risky, it's the application and not the event. There is a right way to do everything. They do look thin though after the OEM tires, and it does feel more drifty. I kind of like it though. More involving to feel the car drift a bit. More normal. Think less people would get into trouble if this was the OEM tire. I'll shut up now.

 

HEY! I resemble those remarks!

 

try redline MTL (70-80 weight) or wutever weight Redline makes that appropriate for the S2000 transmission. It works wonders. i had valvoline full synthetic gear oil in my transmission in my corolla and it grinded in all gears constantly at operating temperature, then i changed to REdline and didnt grind again. period, stopped all grinding. i dont know if my case was a fluke, but that redline stuff worked great for me and ive heard it has worked great for others as well.

 

When my transmission fluid was due I changed to GM syncromesh. My shifting improved and shortly after that I put on a countersunk shift knob. I am very pleased with my current shift setup. I couldn't tell you if the GM stuff did anything different then the Honda stuff. I just know that changing the fluid helped with my notchniness issues. Which one is better... I don't know...

Syncromesh isn't a panacea for our notchy shifter IMHO.

For all we know Honda MTF could be the Pennzoil product sold under the Honda lable like the GM stuff

If your transmission is due for a change then give it a try, but I wouldn't drain good fluid just for the syncromesh.

 

i believe prolene was one of the early adopters of the GM synchromesh. my senses tell me that it worked better than the honda OEM stuff when i drove my S and his S back to back.

of course prolene's S was a few hundred pounds lighter than mine at the time...

 

It's not just our imaginations -- there is solid analytical evidence that the GM fluid produces smoother shifts. gernby, for example, has gone to great pains to document the orders-of-magnitude reduction in frequency of occurrence of gear-grinds. I personally have done two changes -- once to the Honda fluid, which produced little if any noticeable improvement; and then to the GM fluid, which has so far eliminated all signs of gear grinding or even notchy shifts, when either "cold" (for SoCal) or hot (at the track, where I had the most trouble with the Honda fluid).

However, it's true that some of the positive reports were probably premature. Two flies, in particular, seem to have been found in GM's ointment:
- It's not a long-lived fluid (grinds can begin to increase again after as little as 5000 miles);
- It seems better suited to milder/warmer climates (i.e. where freezing temps are fairly rare).

As far as I know, no one's found a "perfect" fluid, i.e. one that behaves well in subfreezing temps AND extremely hot temps. But for my purposes (street and track here in Calif.), the GM stuff has done wonders, and if it comes to it, I am perfectly happy to do more frequent fluid changes.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by twohoos
[B]
As far as I know, no one's found a "perfect" fluid, i.e. one that behaves well in subfreezing temps AND extremely hot temps.