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Manual Transmission Fluid Garbage

Brnzbronc

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So I finally got around to changing out transmission oil. After draining the oil I’ve come to conclusion that it’s absolutely shit oil they put in the transmissions. I have 12k miles on mine and it came out like water. No wonder why these things are failing so early. I started to get the rumble noise and also noticed 3rd gear was becoming more notchy to shift into. I bought BG Syncro Shift 2 and it is night and day. It shifts like butter again and I haven’t heard any rumbling noise yet. Will have to see on a cold start tomorrow morning if the noise is gone… fingers crossed. I understand the reason for the light weight oil for the transmission due to hitting those mpg numbers, I think Ford needs to re-evaluate the oil used. I’ve never had a manual gear box with this thin of an oil 😬.
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So I finally got around to changing out transmission oil. After draining the oil I’ve come to conclusion that it’s absolutely shit oil they put in the transmissions. I have 12k miles on mine and it came out like water. No wonder why these things are failing so early. I started to get the rumble noise and also noticed 3rd gear was becoming more notchy to shift into. I bought BG Syncro Shift 2 and it is night and day. It shifts like butter again and I haven’t heard any rumbling noise yet. Will have to see on a cold start tomorrow morning if the noise is gone… fingers crossed. I understand the reason for the light weight oil for the transmission due to hitting those mpg numbers, I think Ford needs to re-evaluate the oil used. I’ve never had a manual gear box with this thin of an oil 😬.
I’d agree but my last manual used ATF fluid which is probably even thinner. Had over 150,000 mi on the car when I got rid of it. Difference here is that the Bronco is a lot heavier.

Did you just use the fluid or also the additive they offer? I’ve been reading up and some of the Mustang guys use 2 quarts of the spec fluid and the balance the thicker 75w-90 in GL4
 
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Brnzbronc

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I’d agree but my last manual used ATF fluid which is probably even thinner. Had over 150,000 mi on the car when I got rid of it. Difference here is that the Bronco is a lot heavier.

Did you just use the fluid or also the additive they offer? I’ve been reading up and some of the Mustang guys use 2 quarts of the spec fluid and the balance the thicker 75w-90 in GL4
Yeah I did a bunch of searching about Getrag transmission and went down the worm hole. Mustangs transmissions are also Getrag and they weren’t having as bad of problems but enough to warrant some R&D that’s how I found the BG stuff. I didn’t use any modifier yet, just testing ground with new oil and see if it’s helps. I will say it is slightly thicker oil which is fine with me, I don’t care about mpg, I care about longevity.. makes me wonder what they put in the differentials
 
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Brnzbronc

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Well… I definitely suspect the oil is the culprit, unfortunately looks like the damage has already been done to mine. The synchros chattered this morning but surprisingly it wasn’t nearly as bad as it was before. I would recommend changing fluids asap before the damage is done if you guys have not had any issues yet. I have noticed the transmission is substantially smoother now with shifting, clutch engagement, and no weird bucking on take offs. Wonder if the input shaft isn’t getting adequate lubricant causing the weird bucking.
 

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This kit will work? I’m one of the lucky few that don’t have any scraping noises. I’d like to keep it that way. Code on my transmission has it built January 2021.

https://www.opmustang.com/store/p4/...II_Synthetic_Gear_Oil_-_MT82_Kit_.html.html#/
Yes, The oil meets the Ford specs of XT-11 and WSS-M2C200-D2 which you can find in the Owners Manual under Capacities.

BG Syncro Shift meets the Ford XT-11-QDC Spec. WSS-M2C200-D2.

You only need 2.5 quarts or so of fluid though so look around. You may find 3 quarts for a bit less. I think Harbor Freight has a pump like in the kit. Up to you though. Your link is for the correct fluid.
 

zombie

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I'm also lucky to have a manual with no unusual noises, but I'm not doing a damned thing outside of what the scheduled maintenance calls for. I paid for an extended factory warranty, and I'm not spending my own money to save Ford from having to spend theirs.
 

BigHoof

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If I could spend $75 and it actually headed off an issue and months at a dealer, it would be well worth it.
 
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Brnzbronc

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This kit will work? I’m one of the lucky few that don’t have any scraping noises. I’d like to keep it that way. Code on my transmission has it built January 2021.

https://www.opmustang.com/store/p4/...II_Synthetic_Gear_Oil_-_MT82_Kit_.html.html#/
It’s cheaper on eBay, I bought two 1.6 liter bottler for $80, and a cheaper transfer pump from autozone and just pitched it when I was done. Just be careful pumping, the hose fits in the fill hole but will seal the hole and potentially over fill.. lesson learned.
Ford Bronco Manual Transmission Fluid Garbage 1680548921268
 

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Now to just find a shop near me that'll change the fluid.
 

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If I could spend $75 and it actually headed off an issue and months at a dealer, it would be well worth it.
I'm not giving them grounds to deny (or attempt to deny) warranty coverage if something does go wrong.
 

redone17

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There is that…
 

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So I finally got around to changing out transmission oil. After draining the oil I’ve come to conclusion that it’s absolutely shit oil they put in the transmissions. I have 12k miles on mine and it came out like water. No wonder why these things are failing so early. I started to get the rumble noise and also noticed 3rd gear was becoming more notchy to shift into. I bought BG Syncro Shift 2 and it is night and day. It shifts like butter again and I haven’t heard any rumbling noise yet. Will have to see on a cold start tomorrow morning if the noise is gone… fingers crossed. I understand the reason for the light weight oil for the transmission due to hitting those mpg numbers, I think Ford needs to re-evaluate the oil used. I’ve never had a manual gear box with this thin of an oil 😬.
It's nice to see somebody actually trying to do something instead of just bitching and moaning about it (ie: the @zombie Approach).

With Mitsubishi Evo's the secret sauce was a 60/40 mix of Redline MT90 and Penzoil Synchromesh and once that was discovered all the 5-speed transmission issues went away and people were getting 50K miles out of them at 600+ WHP.

Personally I'll be sending a sampling of the factory engine oil and transmission fluid to Blackstone Labs to get baseline of what's going on instead of how a fluid "looks".

https://www.blackstone-labs.com/information/sampling-procedures/transmission-sampling/

I look forward to trying some different fluids over a controlled period and having them tested to see what works best for this transmission. Amsoil now makes a light weight synchromesh which could be blended with their 75w90 GL-4.

Edit to post Ford's recommended transmission fluids for MT vehicles.

Ford Bronco Manual Transmission Fluid Garbage Screenshot_20230403_194944_Drive
 
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UM_Ftown

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I will be running Amsoil DCT in mine once it’s back from the TSB work. Or maybe I won’t if it looks like water. Lol
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