My 5speed is getting pretty noisy as, what I believe, is the throwout bearing going bad. AMZOIL was recommended to quiet it, somewhat. I didn't get an owners manual when I bought the car and its on my to do list. I was wondering how much gear oil the car takes, thanks.

 

Your car doesn't take gear oil. It takes MTF, which is friction-modified 10w30 motor oil.

Call Honda or an Autozone. They'll be able to look it up.

 

What sort of noise are you getting? Is it a whining noise in neutral with the clutch out and when rolling with a low gear selected? Does the noise stop when you're sitting stationary and push in the clutch pedal? If so, the problem is not the clutch release bearing but rather the inboard mainshaft bearing inside the transmission case. This is a common problem with '88-05 D-series manual transmissions. Our shop has replaced four of these bearings just on '01-05 Civics in the past 6 months.

If this is the problem, you should address it by replacing the bearing ASAP. If you choose to keep running it as-is, you risk damaging both the transmission case and the mainshaft if the bearing fails, rendering the car undriveable and the transmission junk. You'll also soak the clutch disk in transmission oil. While installation labor can be a pricy proposition, the inboard mainshaft bearing itself and the main seal behind it will cost you less than $35. A good used transmission with a new clutch kit can run $600+.

Never EVER use "gear oil" in a Honda manual transmission. Ever. You will damage the trans by doing so.

The only two fluids that Honda recommends using in your transmission are Honda Genuine Manual Transmission Fluid, or if Honda MTF is not available, 10W-30 engine oil. The Honda MTF will have a much smoother shift feel.

You could also use GM Goodwrench Synchromesh, Pennzoil Synchromesh, Red Line MTL, Amsoil MTF, or BG Syncro-Shift II. These are the only non-Honda fluids I would recommend using.

 

^ x2

 

1.6 US quarts




Edit: *If Honda MTF is not available, you may use an API service SG, SH or SJ grade motor oil with a viscosity of SAE 10W-30 or 10W-40 as a temporary replacement. An SG grade is preferred, but an SH or SJ may be used if SG is not available. However, motor oil does not contain the proper additives and continued use can cause stiffer shifting. Replace as soon as it is convenient.


*Owner's Manual

 

MY bad, this AMSOIL is an MTF 10w-30, not regular gear oil.
Ya, that's the exact problem I'm having. inboard mainshaft bearing, wow i better get on that cause its continually getting worse. Noise can be heard in the third gear now.
1.6, cool, I really got get that manual, last time I'll ask about manual related issues, but glad i got feedback about the transmission noise, thanks guys.

 

Its called the Input Shaft Bearing or ISB according to Honda Canada, maybe the US dealers call it differently, anyway mine is having the exact same problem, and has been making the same noise since i bought the car in aug 07, it can be heard in neutral with the pedal out, push it in and it stops, and its heard in 1st, 2nd and 3rd. 4th and 5th dont make the sounds, or at least i cant hear it.
anyway it hasnt got any louder than it was when i got it, the sounds never changed in anyway.

I'm having a new clutch/pilot bearing/throw out bearing installed next weekend (jan 17th) i guess i'll bit the bullet then too have drop the trans and start stripping it down to replace that.

Also i seen above someone had said to replace it asap. I spoke with the master mechanic at the dealer here and he told me if the noise isnt changing or getting any louder and i dont notice anything with the car shifting then its not an absolute must to replace it just yet, he said he knows of civics that has had noisy ISB's for up to 5 years before it started getting any worse. not that i dont think it should be replace, it should because the noise fu*kin sucks, lol

 

The majority of the work involved in changing the bearing is dropping the transmission. If you have the trans out to replace the clutch already and you have a noisy ISB, you would be incredibly stupid to not open the case and replace it.

Once you develop shifting problems, it's too late - you've probably already damaged the transmission.

This is absolutely true.

If you want to play the risk game, go right ahead. I've known of cars running ball joints with large amounts of play in them for thousands of miles without a problem too. When the joint breaks and the wheel falls off the car though, you've got a lot more damage to repair than just a $30 ball joint . . .

 

lol i absolutely agree, sorry if i came off the wrong way, i'm having it replaced when the clutch goes in, like you said earlier best to do it before its too late.

 

Thank you TARGA for the info, I took my car in today. They said the exact same thing at the transmission shop. $485 to drop the trans and fix + parts. The thing is my car only has 57k on it and they said this usually doesn't happen till 120k+. I was in a front end collision a few months ago and the noise worsened. They said, unlike the body shop that fixed the car after the accident, the problem could have easily been worsened by the accident. Insurance claim! .

 

Just be sure when replacing the clutch and bearings; Grease the pivot points on the throwout bearing/fork. Also grease the splines of the input shaft. I went to Honda and the tech said they use Honda Uera(sp) Lube. If you're replacing the clutch you might as well spend less and buy an Exedy OEM replacement for longevity of the disc and pressure plate. Also don't forget to get the flywheel resurfaced (carquest or napa usually can do this, they charged me 30$ and was nice and shiny clean in 15 minutes. High Temp Loctite the flywheel and pressure plate bolts. Also I used HMTF forever, until I was told from a friend who races professionally to use Pennzoil Synchromesh. I love the way my shifting feels now. (but I also have shifter base bushings and shifter cable bushings). The fluid is easy, you can either get a funnel with a long bendable end and fill through the fill hole or take the speedo sensor out and fill from there. I used the Synchromesh and it comes with a nozzle head and I used some smaller vacuum tubing/fish tank tubing and used that to fill the tranny from the fill hole. Basically fill until the fluid comes out of the fill hole.


Take your time, do it right the first time. All in all a clutch replacement to a mediocre mechanic is 8 hours give or take.

 

I made this and used it to refill my MTF. It may look a little odd, but it certainly works great.

 

Ya, I was planning to replace the clutch of course while the tranny is out. What would be a good smooth clutch kit that runs close to the factory clutch price (which I was told is in the ballpark of $280). I just need something smooth that can take some minor abuse. I noticed Exedy, Clutch Masters, and Competition clutch all offer clutches in this price range. What would you guys recommend? Exedy?

 

An Exedy OEM replacement will suffice.

 

I have a Exedy OEM replacement to go in, i was told by many people that its better than the one from Honda