SirKeats, to sum it all up, I'm not particularly impressed with this guy ... although I'm sure he has gotten negative internet-driven feedback before ... so he knows what he's up against and his initial comments reflect that. Truth is, some internet discussion is good, some is BS. Often, telling the difference between the two can be hard.
I could put you in touch with a chemist/physicist who DOES blend oils as a day job ... or at least he did before he shut down his company due to logistical problems over a year ago. He'll tell you the same thing ... he's where I got a lot of my knowledge from. And if he was still blending, I'd recommend his syncromesh fluids (Specialty Formulations - offered in four (4) different weights) over every other brand ... it was the only stuff that made my Nissan 6-speed shift worth a d@mn.
And what I'm telling you is to more closely match your fill with what the factory uses and asks for … Now, does that sound nuts? Doesn’t it sound like common sense instead?
Now, to pick apart some of the RP dude’s response:
” First. How is it working? Excellent, right? Improved easier shifting - less noise, lower temps.”
The first thing you’ll notice is less shift effort … well duh! If the oil is thinner, there will be less fluid resistance! That says nothing about how it is protecting (or failing) your tranny. How would you know the temp before and after? (of course you probably wouldn’t) And when was the last time you heard noise from ANY syncromesh transmission? I don’t think I ever have. Unscientific gibberish!
” Although marginally lighter in fluid thickness, or viscosity at 100 C, the Synchromax has 300 percent greater oil film strength …”
Going from a 9.08 cSt fluid (Pennzoil) to a 7.7cSt fluid is a reduction of 15% … 20% if you use Amsoil instead of Pennzoil. That’s more than marginal in my book. And he’s talking about “300% greater film strength” … um, compared to WHAT? What a load of vague, marketing puffery!
” I'm using the same Synchromax in my personal vehicle which is putting 650 lb-ft of torque through the manual transmission.”
That’s probably a Corvette … or a car that uses a modern ‘Vette transmission which is designed to use a super-thin oil like ATF (factory recommended). RP Syncromax is perfectly appropriate for THAT application. But your car calls for a thicker fluid … that’s a fact.
SirKeats, you paid good money for that oil so I am not gonna suggest you dump it. If you want to be on the safe side, drain it into a thoroughly cleaned catch-pan. Buy 1 quart of RP’s gear “Max Gear” oil and make something close to a 25/75 mix (heavy on the Synchromax). And pour it back in (I’d filter it through a coffee filter first … or at least a clean, piece of cloth to catch any large particles.
BUT, if you are driving your car gently and putting only light loads on the driveline (like most Ecomodders) you might be fine with a 15-20% lighter fluid in the box. This is especially true if you live in the northern third of the U.S. or Canada where it is colder and a slightly thinner fluid has some benefits. It will be better shifting in extreme cold of morning … and the decreased hydrodynamic drag might give you a measurable increase in fuel economy.
However, this goes the other way if you live in the southern third of this country or Mexico where I’d want to use something a little thicker like Red Line Oil MTL (cSt 10.0-10.5) to protect the bearings, etc … in the intense heat that tends to thin out these fluids.
I still say the safest thing is to use the proper weight of fluid and off-the-shelf Synchromax ain’t it.
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--- Bror Jace
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