I'm replacing the starter on my 90 si, and while the old one is already off I figure its a good time to flush the transmission fluid. I have a feeling its been quite awhile since its been changed, the fill bolt is completely rusted in place, and it feels a little soft when shifting.

Anyways, I was wondering what brand and grade of manual transmission oil you would suggest or use yourself. I have a d16a6 with si tranny, motor is completely stock.

Any tips to getting that fill bolt off would be appreciated too! Thanks.

 

I have a stock si tranny and I just run standard 10w30, but I hear people ranting and raving about honda "manual trans fluid". It depends on what kind of driving you do to if its mostly stop-n-go or a lot of highway miles. I just went with the cheap sh#t. And you could try spraying it with wd40 and when you do get it off put a magnetic plug in.

 

Supposedly there is some sort of additive in the actual Honda MT fluid which is better than running standard motor oil.. I run synchromesh in mine and it shifts just fine. Use the reverse sensor hole or speedo sensor hole to fill.

 

mtf ftw

 

I have always just ran cheap 10w30 in mine and never had a problem.

 

Honda MTF fluid, and use the fill hole to fill it. I dont get why people are always suggesting using the speedo hole, or the reverse sensor.

 

regular 10w30 or honda mtf...!!!

 

Becuase he said that the fill bolt is completely rusted in place

 

Honda MTF. When i bought my car it felt so sloppy while shifting and it sometimes would grind once the tranny had time to warm up. then i used the honda mtf and it felt soo much better. Dont go with the cheap stuff cause youll be paying for it later on, trust me.

 

honda mtf

 

I'm not a huge fan of the new MTF, especially in cold weather(notchy); my brother uses it in his 93 Civic and I use it in my 92 Accord. For the price, I prefer Pennzoil/GM(which is currently in my 88 Civic) or if you can get some, the older MTF. I've used Amsoil too but it's pretty expensive.

You still need to get the fill bolt off to correctly fill the transmission(with car on level ground, fill until fluid overflows from the fill hole). It's easier to fill through the speedomoter or reverse hole because it's hard to get a funnel into the actual fill hole(due to angle and location).

 

Thanks for all the input guys. I guess I'll be getting some honda mtf then!

As for the fill bolt, my dad brought me some penetrating lubricant called Kroil from his work (I already tried wd-40 to no luck). I'm going to give that a try and see if it works any better.

 

Oh yeah, any suggestions on a good brand/grade of motor oil to use? I just replaced the oil pan on my car and haven't filled up yet. I don't mind paying a little more for a quality oil. I don't want to go synthetic.

I've heard Royal Purple is the shiz...or is it just hype?

 

Taken from the FAQ page, explains the reasoning behind the speed sensor method. Hope this helps!

https://honda-tech.com/forums/honda-civic-del-sol-1992-2000-1/faq-axle-replacement-tutorial-pics-382416/

 

Good write up and info. Although with the starter already out of the way the fill hole is very easy to get to, so theres no need for me to use this method. It's just all that damn rust on the bolt! lol

 

GM sncryo mesh here, same as honda MTF but I find it a lot cheaper locally.

For your other querey relating to motor oil, I just run castrol 5-30.

If you deem a full syn Amsoil is what I personally use and recommend for motors that do require it.

 

Already ordered some honda mtf, but thanks for the input.

Thanks for the 5-30 suggestion, I remember back in the day I used 10-30 for all my cars.

 

another vote for the honda brand stuff...makes my 150k tranny shift as smooth as butta.

 

Honda MTF