Help, I have no access to honda mtf until monday and need my car running by tomorrow. Ive heard that you can substitute other mtf's or even 10w-30 but im not sure. Any suggestions??

 

Year of car? 10w30 is fine as a temp fluid. It will work but the shifts will be a little stiffer. Get the Honda MTF in tree as soon as you can.

 

If your going to use regular motor oil use one that contains zinc like brad penn

 

Its a 1995. And how long will temp last? Worst case scenario it will be in till monday morning and ill swap honda mtf. Whats everyone talking about zinc?

 

Don't use mtf in a 92-95 tranny. Just use some 10w-30 oil

 

Yep. Pre 1996, 10w30 is all you'll need permanently.

 

Oil works fine 10w-30 or I have had luck with Pennzoil Syncro-mesh they should sell it at any generic auto parts retailer near you.

 

I always use Valvoline 10w30 or 10w40.

Don't use Honda MTF, This is for newer models ours 92-00 civics works with 10w30 or 10w40.

As 94EG8 stated a few days ago in a similar thread the Honda MTF kill the shaft bearings in this older transmissions.

 

You guys do understand that the reason they stopped using motor oil in honda transmissions is because they stopped putting zinc in motor oil after 1995 due to emissions. Use Mtf or an engine oil with zinc in it.

 

The Honda factory service manual recommends genuine Honda MTF in 1996 and up Civics. Can you even find motor oil with zinc in it anymore? (API-SL) The newer motor oils (API-SM) have 75% less zinc than the older SL oils.

 

Honda MTF, Brad penn grade 1, Joe Gibbs, royal purple, all motor oils with zinc. you can also use torco MTF, redline lightweight shockproof etc. If your using your car for anytype of performance reasons you dont want something with out zinc.

 

I know what the service manual recommends. I was a tech for 10 years. The reason you could use motor oil pre 96 was because it was basically the exact same thing as Honda MTF.

Will the transmission explode without using an oil with zinc? No, but you will eventually have premature wear problems on some components.

 

The service manual reference was not directed at you. It was directed at the guy who said don't use MTF in 92-00 Civics.

Ok, I'll stop thread hijacking now.

 

Quote it next time. Also read HARDER. I said 92-95 not to 00

 

Is this true? Ive never heard it before. I always used MTF in my old Sohc car and never had a problem.

 

The FSM calls for MTF, but it's too thin and has a tendency to fry ISB's. 92-95 should use straight 10W30.

 

Thanks for the advice, I'm gonna just run some Mobil 1 10w-30 amd see the difference!

 

Yes it is.

 

how long before it will have an effect on the input shaft bearing?

 

I know what YOU said. I can read. If you read HARDER, you would see that a few posts below you carlos8 mentioned 92-00. That is what I was referring to.

 

A while. Like 60,000+ miles usually.

The input shaft bearings are the same between '92 - '95 and '96 - '00, however the ISBs in the '96 - '00 transmissions have a much higher failure rate much earlier.

 

hmm, I Didnt know that. Thanks for the info