Redline D4 versus MTL in the TR6060

[Camaro Dude]

Originally Posted by Camarotobeornottobe

Camaro Dude and/or Blakjak -- you ever make the MTL switch? Curious to your thoughts?

I just finished datalogging fuel trims and sent them out to tuner last night, 5 weeks behind schedule .

Once tuning is done, I'm doing ALL fluids.

I promise to report back.

[Camaro Dude]

Originally Posted by Camarotobeornottobe

Camaro Dude and/or Blakjak -- you ever make the MTL switch? Curious to your thoughts?

Finally done!

3 quarts MTL, 1 quart D4. Actually, it was shy of a total of 4 quarts, so in reality, it's really 3 quarts MTL, and the final bottle I added in of D4, most likely 0.8-0.9 quarts.

Before we get to the noise, let's start with the feel. Results and conclusions on feel are better than I expected! At full operating temperature and more(when you get it hot after hard driving), the shifts in the hand feel like they are going in with much more authority, no clumsiness, much smoother. I'll describe it differently again like this. Before with the 4 quarts D4 in, I LOVED how it felt right after a cold start. In fact, I wish it would still feel like that when it would hit normal operating temperature. After a few hard runs, whilst I really never had a problem with the feel per say with the D4 in, it just felt like it was almost thinning out if you will, it just felt a hair clumsier/clunkier when shifting in. Now with the 3 quarts MTL, it just feels puuuuuuuurfect .

I mixed the 0.9 quart D4 in with the MTL, for peace of mind to be honest. I was thinking that since there might be the occasion, I'll go visit someone out in the country, where temps may fall a bit lower than usual at night(12Celcius-15C), and a prolonged stay, it might be wiser to have it just a tad thinned out, for wear and tear sake during those first 5 min of warmup as I drive off.....

Now to the noise. I did not observe a reduction of noise going from 4 quarts of D4 to 3 quarts of MTL and a bottle of D4. Maybe there was, but I make it a rule, if I have to force my imagination, or "force anything" to reach some sort of conclusion, I just disregard it. Funny enough, if I compare the noise today, to 2 years ago, it is quieter, but perhaps that is just a case of break-in? I dunno.......or perhaps the contrast from day1 OEM fluid, to today with MTL is what I'm really seeing?

Conclusion: I fully recommend this switch if you drive the car summer only, and ESPECIALLY if summer only and track! I think the MTL is a must for hot track duty, the shifter simply feels awesome in my hand now when everythjimg is nice and hot. It wasn't the case before. I am very happy with this outcome!

For noise reduction, like I said, i did not see any difference at all going from D4 to MTL, and I doubt a difference would have been made had I decided to use 4 quarts of MTL as opposed to 3 quarts with 1 bottle D4 mixed in. I never had a complaint about the noise anyways, although I was conscious of it at times.

[Camarotobeornottobe]

Thanks for the reply. Your impressions when the tranny is cold, reference engagement, force needed, etc?

[Camaro Dude]

Originally Posted by Camarotobeornottobe

Thanks for the reply. Your impressions when the tranny is cold, reference engagement, force needed, etc?

Ambient temps at this time of year here, are essentially room temperature. A "cold" tranny (not at operating temperature) under those ambient temps, with the 3 quarts MTL, to me feels the same once it reaches normal operating temperature, which is the real beauty in all of this thus far.

Before with the D4, this wasn't the case. Ditto with the OEM fluid as well. With the D4 and OEM, whilst shifter feedback in my hand felt gorgeously perfect while rowing through the years with the tranny "cold", that perfect feel in my hand would deteriorate as it approached operating temp, and significantly felt different enough when "hot", that I became consciously aware that searching for a solution would not be in vain.

I'll report on the real answer to your question, once we experience a dry and cold enough night, like say 12C. Allowing Sledge to sit outside for at least 8 hours under those temps, will be what I do believe it is you wish to be answered. I too would like to know .

As it stands though today, with these type of true summer temperatures, for me anyways, the 3 to 1 ratio was spot on perfect. Let's see if that remains the same when an actual cold enough summery night comes along.

[nxttruck2002]

I am going to try this. On cold startup with straight D4 the car shifts perfect. Once the car is warmed up it get kinda notchy. It is the summer now in Houston and today we hit 110F.
My combination is going to be 2 quarts D4 and 2 quarts MTL.

Is the MTL y'all are using MTL 75W80 GL-4 Gear Oil?

[White_SS/RS]

Yeah that's it. http://www.redlineoil.com/product.aspx?product=50204 I would suggest going straight MTL.

[Camarotobeornottobe]

I'm still rocking the 50/50 split of MTL and D4. Feels right when hot.My 1-2 and 3-2 shifts can be a little stiff when first pulling out of the garage (when fluid cold). But, I suspect this is the nature of the tranny, not an indicator of the fluid being a thicker (i.e. it would be that way even if straight D4). Never a grind, just a little stiffer (and clunkier, maybe?) when engaging the gear shifter into the 2nd position than after a minute of driving.This everyone else's experience?

[2014CamaroSSRS]

I just got some MTL and D4 myself, for my 2014 2SS/RS LS3/tremec.. have 5000 miles on the car.. going to try the 50/50 D4/MTL mix in the tranny, and the 75W90 gear oil in the differential...

now just have to figure out how I'm going to get under it to do it, while keeping the car level LOL

[White_SS/RS]

Originally Posted by Camarotobeornottobe

I'm still rocking the 50/50 split of MTL and D4. Feels right when hot.My 1-2 and 3-2 shifts can be a little stiff when first pulling out of the garage (when fluid cold). But, I suspect this is the nature of the tranny, not an indicator of the fluid being a thicker (i.e. it would be that way even if straight D4). Never a grind, just a little stiffer (and clunkier, maybe?) when engaging the gear shifter into the 2nd position than after a minute of driving.This everyone else's experience?

I would say that my experience is about the same. Im 100% MTL and it feels (clunky) when cold. Goes away after running through the gears a few times.

[SSMY1LE]

Used Royal Purple, made a huge difference !
Not trying to debate the different makes just saying that the original stuff seems to be crap.

[Camarotobeornottobe]

Originally Posted by White_SS/RS

I would say that my experience is about the same. Im 100% MTL and it feels (clunky) when cold. Goes away after running through the gears a few times.

Yea, I'm guessing that was the same with the "thinner" fluid too, right?

[White_SS/RS]

Originally Posted by Camarotobeornottobe

Yea, I'm guessing that was the same with the "thinner" fluid too, right?

MTL seems to have fixed the 3 gear grind that I would get on track but downshifting into 2nd has been a little clunky. At first it was really nice at shifting through all gears. I noticed the clunkiness after I put some heat in the fluid. Trans fluid has been running at about 250* on the track. Maybe that has something to do with it. overall I think the MTL has better gear protection for track use over the D4.

[2014CamaroSSRS]

So I did this today...

Put in redline 75-90 gear oil in the differential..

And 50/50 redline D4/MTL...

Went for a half hour ride, and it's great... Quieter and smoother... Definitely worth doing it!

[White_SS/RS]

I have the redline 75/90 in the rear as well, no complaints on that. Keep us posted on the 50/50 mix of D4/MTL. Do you do any track or auto-X?