Changed MTF to Amsoil Synchromesh, I am Happy!

Gotch said:

So a little back story... I purchased the Amsoil from a local dealer, very nice chap, really likes to talk. Anyway, grabbed 4 quarts, $91.53 taxes in (CAD) as he ordered a case in. I think he normally stocks it, or may in the future. Went to Jiffy Lube that I’ve had great experience in the past. It was their first Si trans fluid change, they have done a lot of oil changes on Xgen Honda’s. Anyway, they had a bitch of a time removing the fill plug up top. F-ing Honda techs! Needed a pipe on the ratchet to get it loose. So they drain out 1.6L on a 1.9L capacity...not the first time a Honda dealer underfilled on me! So they put the Amsoil in and just before everything is buttoned up, the service advisor noticed 300ml on fluid left in one of the bottles. I told him it needs both bottles, factory spec is 1.9L. So I tell them to put it all in...they argued a bit about only putting what came out back in... I told them to check the inspection plug... low and behold, no fluid came out. Anyway they ended up needing all of it and I told them to trust the specs, not what they pull out. No harm no foul, I’m glad I had the knowledge of this forum behind me.

Ok, second day impressions on a cold start situation. Way better than Honda MTF. Drove around for a bit warming the car up, shifts were excellent. Once warmed up I did a couple of 1 through 4th pulls, better than the Honda fluid but not a holy f@@k difference...but better is better. Going into reverse is the biggest change, just plops in no fuss no muss... so thus far a recommend from me, we’ll see how long it lasts.

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mis3 said:

Gotch: Thanks for the update, I agree, better is better. Are you concerned about overfilling the transmission? Is it possible that there was some MTF left in the transmission.

With my previous automatic car, my mechanics was real particular about the fluid level. He would first put in the exact amount he drained out (partial flush via the oil pan). He would ask me to drive around to cycle all the gears. Waited 10-15 minutes and measured the fluid level using a dip stick. Usually he would have to add a bit more ATF.

Is there a way to measure the MTF level? Dipstick?

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parshisa said:

2out 2in. Less than 2 out, 2 back in. It’s a splash lubrication, nothing’s gonna happen if you overfill it by 0.2qts. No need to over complicate

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mis3 said:

Gotch: Thanks for the update, I agree, better is better. Are you concerned about overfilling the transmission? Is it possible that there was some MTF left in the transmission.

With my previous automatic car, my mechanics was real particular about the fluid level. He would first put in the exact amount he drained out (partial flush via the oil pan). He would ask me to drive around to cycle all the gears. Waited 10-15 minutes and measured the fluid level using a dip stick. Usually he would have to add a bit more ATF.

Is there a way to measure the MTF level? Dipstick?

Click to expand...

Gotch said:

So a little back story... I purchased the Amsoil from a local dealer, very nice chap, really likes to talk. Anyway, grabbed 4 quarts, $91.53 taxes in (CAD) as he ordered a case in. I think he normally stocks it, or may in the future. Went to Jiffy Lube that I’ve had great experience in the past. It was their first Si trans fluid change, they have done a lot of oil changes on Xgen Honda’s. Anyway, they had a bitch of a time removing the fill plug up top. F-ing Honda techs! Needed a pipe on the ratchet to get it loose. So they drain out 1.6L on a 1.9L capacity...not the first time a Honda dealer underfilled on me! So they put the Amsoil in and just before everything is buttoned up, the service advisor noticed 300ml on fluid left in one of the bottles. I told him it needs both bottles, factory spec is 1.9L. So I tell them to put it all in...they argued a bit about only putting what came out back in... I told them to check the inspection plug... low and behold, no fluid came out. Anyway they ended up needing all of it and I told them to trust the specs, not what they pull out. No harm no foul, I’m glad I had the knowledge of this forum behind me.

Ok, second day impressions on a cold start situation. Way better than Honda MTF. Drove around for a bit warming the car up, shifts were excellent. Once warmed up I did a couple of 1 through 4th pulls, better than the Honda fluid but not a holy f@@k difference...but better is better. Going into reverse is the biggest change, just plops in no fuss no muss... so thus far a recommend from me, we’ll see how long it lasts.

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mis3 said:

My 2018-SI now has 32k km. I will go to a reputable mechanic to get it changed to Amsoil. Hopefully, they will do it right.
How about engine oil? Do you guys use Honda engine oil?

As for the change interval, I would probably still follow Honda schedule for the sake of warranty.

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ne0guri said:

Alright so I finally was able to switch out my MTF to Amsoil. I literally had my MTF changed about 6000 - 9000 miles ago by Honda, but I wanted to try changing this on my own for educational purposes.

Thanks to all the people who contributed to writing the instructions on how to to do the change! Was a very simple process!

Review:

I will probably edit this once I actually get some miles on it, but so far I don't notice too much of a difference. Basically from what I can feel so far... the actual gear slots and rowing through the gears have for sure gotten smoother. However, the gear ENGAGEMENT, there is not much difference. I'm not sure if this has anything to do with the Acuity cable bushings or if the MTF even effects that part of the shift. I do have the Stage 2 Short Shifter by Acuity, so it could be that the shifter itself is so short that I don't notice anything. Overall, I think it was still a good change simply because I know I can go for a long time on this fluid without changes. As I mentioned, I literally just drove it around the block, so I feel like I need the MTF to really get in everywhere after a few thousand miles before I really notice anything major.

One thing though, damn does MTF normally smell hella bad!? OMG It had such a foul smell when I was draining the Honda MTF! Smelled sort of like rotten eggs. My Old Engine Oil smelled a lot better than the MTF.

This is a bit off topic but I also went ahead and ENABLED Rev Hang back on my TSP tune.... and omg I can't believe how much I actually missed the Rev Hang (sounds crazy I know), but damn the jolting and herky jerkyness at low speeds was really killing me. I definitely notice the Rev Hang now, especially when I take the car up to 5K+ but I would take that over the jolting any day since I drive mostly locally.

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captinbakslap said:

just change it yourself people. Easier than an oil change, just make sure you have replacement crush washers

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mis3 said:

With 20k miles, this will be my first time to change MTF for this car. Probably too soon according to Honda schedule but I am too eager to change.
Is the factory MTF the same as regular Honda MTF or does it contain extra lubricants for new engine?

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ne0guri said:

Technically it’s more difficult than an oil change because I had to break the fill plug bolt on the transmission vs the oil cap on the engine. Plus there is also the oil filter. But yes, changing oil or MTF is seriously one of the easiest things I’ve done and can’t believe I had paid someone to do this before.

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