Dancer

Okay so maybe not a great topic title and this will sound like a dumb question to the veteran S2000 owners. I've been reading all about the notchy feel to the 1 - 2 shift and Mr. Road Rage seems to think that something called MTL-P 75w85 is considered to be superior to the GM Synchromesh fluid. Is MTL-P a Redline product? I really have searched and googled and I'm unable to confirm exactly what it is.

INDYMAC

I think MTL-P was made by Specialty Formulas. They are no longer in business, but were state of the art lubricants when they were in business.

Many people here, including myself, are having good luck with the new Honda MTF. AMSOIL MTF is a great choice too. GMSMFM was considered to be a good choice until the new Honda MTF came out.

I'm not aware of any MTF's that don't become notchy after awhile in the S2000. When that happens, it's time to change the oil.

vtec9

I wouldn't touch GMSMFM with your dirty girlfriend's tranny now that Honda released the new MTF formula. Honda or Amsoil.. and I don't think you need to look elsewhere.

DiamondDave2005

I just switched to the new Honda MTF about two months ago, and it has made a huge difference to my 1-2 shift.

It was always at best notchy in winter, and when really cold there was no way it was going into 2nd until it was warmed up. I still have to be firm with the 1-2 shift when the car is cold, but 99% of the time it goes into 2nd no problem.

I've put at least 2,000 miles on the car since the fluid was changed.

Dancer

Thank you for the updated info. (and I'll make absolutely sure that I don't touch GMSMFM with my dirty girlfriend's tranny)

I'll probably go with the Honda stuff but the Amsoil sounds interesting. I have a buddy that sells it so I'll ask him what to use.

KnowledgeIsPower

new honda mtf with the green top is awesome.

INDYMAC

The new Honda MTF has a white cap and green label.

Habitforming

I switched to the Honda green label MTF late last year, and I have found it to be much more notchy than a fresh fill of GMSMFM. Especially now that it's cold in the mornings, the 1-2 shift is nearly impossible until things warm up. And even after a long drive, not nearly as smooth as GMSMFM was.

But I just went to GM to pick up some of their fluid... $29/qt!!!!!

So I don't think I'll be using their stuff anymore, especially with the frequent change intervals it required.

Maybe a fresh fill of the Honda green MTL will make a difference? I doubt the current fill even has 3000 miles on it, as the car sat for 4 of the last 6-7 months it's had the fluid in it.

Any thoughts?

90crvtec

The best fluid I have tried so far has been Amsoil MTF. I was able to find it locally, I think I paid about $8 per quart, about the same as most dealerships charge for Honda MTF.

I have also tried Pennzoil Synchromesh, GMSMFM, Honda MTF, and the new formulation Honda MTFII. I got about 5200 miles out of my last MTFII change before I started noticing a decrease in shift quality.

Of all those fluids, MTFII was the best until I tried Amsoil MTF. The Amsoil stuff is smoother once the car is warmed up and when the car is cold the notchy shifting is gone. Now, the transmission still feels stiff when it is cold, but it isn't notchy like it was with the MTFII. I have about 700 miles on the Amsoil MTF so far. For me the biggest improvement was the smoothness of the gear change compared to running MTFII.

If I was in your shoes I would either try Amsoil MTF or Redline MTL. Both are nearly identical in viscosity compared to the OEM Honda MTF. Both are fully synthetic and are safe for transmissions with yellow metals (GL4 rated). With a bit of googling you should be able to find local dealers too.

Hope this helps.

Dancer

I went with the Amsoil MTF. I don't know what the prior owner had in there but this Amsoil stuff is definitely better... not perfect but definitely better.