That new manual transmission fluid feeling

Joined
May 5, 2013
Messages
128
Location
Maryland
I have a manual transmission Tacoma with the r156f transmission. Seems like a lot of people with this transmission and the previous generation 155f(2005-2015 models) complain about 2nd gear and 3rd gear engagement being best described as notchy. So far I've tried redline mt-90, motul 300v and currently on liquimoly 75w90 gf-4 fluid. Anytime I change the fluid the transmission shifts sooo smooth and beautifully that I don't want to stop driving. After a couple hundred miles, which I'm assuming is once the oil breaks in, that beautifulness disappears and I'm back to the notchy shifts. Any ideas why this happens and is there a way of addressing it?
 
I believe the Motul 300v and Liqui-Moly are both GL-5 especially the LM because they do not sell a 75w-90 GL-4 in the US market.

Why not try a 75w GL-4? NOT a synchromesh variety...but a REAL 75w GL-4 only gear oil?
 
Originally Posted by AC1DD
I believe the Motul 300v and Liqui-Moly are both GL-5 especially the LM because they do not sell a 75w-90 GL-4 in the US market.

Why not try a 75w GL-4? NOT a synchromesh variety...but a REAL 75w GL-4 only gear oil?


I'm personally one of those guys who believes heavier oils protect better, I forget the exact term people label us on here, but yeah I'm one of THOSE guys
grin.gif


Anyways, OEM specs 75w90, and I don't see my self going lower unless it will actually be beneficial other than just gaining a fraction of a MPG. I doubled checked, both LM and Motul do make GL-4 variants. Correction: the motul was a gear 300, not a 300V. One of the reasons I actually tried the LM was because it's not a full synthetic. As GL5 is too slippery for transmissions I thought maybe the synthetic GL4 oils I was trying were maybe too slippery causing the undesirable shifting characteristics. The LM product I got is supposed to be a semi-synthetic(however way they're defining it) and it was a let down too. Atleast at $10 a quart I dont feel terrible with my experiment.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted by AC1DD
I believe the Motul 300v and Liqui-Moly are both GL-5 especially the LM because they do not sell a 75w-90 GL-4 in the US market.

Why not try a 75w GL-4? NOT a synchromesh variety...but a REAL 75w GL-4 only gear oil?


Redline is a REAL GL-4 only gear oil isn't it?

https://www.redlineoil.com/mt-90-75w90-gl-4-gear-oil

Honestly if none of those fluids has addressed the feeling your having nothing is going to IMO. I can't explain the 'feeling great for a while' symptom though.. haha
 
Originally Posted by 2000Trooper
I'm personally one of those guys who believes heavier oils protect better, I forget the exact term people label us on here, but yeah I'm one of THOSE guys
grin.gif



I'm one of those too. We're "thickies" haha!
laugh.gif
 
My 2004 Honda S2000 has a finicky 6 speed that liked to grind going into 2nd. Royal Purple Syncromax tamed it.
 
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