manual transmission cooling

[Vanilla Sky]

what i want to know, is if our manual transmissions get hot enough where a cooler would be worth putting in... i am gonna put one in for my auto transmission, as it only gives me real problems when it's driven a lot during the hottest part of the day... just wondering if it will serve as an aid in keeping the manual tranny solid after swapping... if not, it can always get used as an oil cooler... i'm thinking it can be taken out through the drain plug, and back in at the fill plug, and move the fill point up to the high point of the cooler (assuming too much oil isn't bad for it), or i could put the cooler somewhere that is lower than the fluid level in the transmission itself, and use a small oil pump for it...

what do you guys think? think it needs it? think it's overkill?

when i swap, i will be using a hybrid teg transmission, if that makes a difference

[DeathRat]

Try using a full synthetic fluid in the trans instead! It'll cool faster & lubricate better too!

[Vanilla Sky]

i try to only use synthetic

[PhydeauX]

Too much fluid is bad for the trans. There is no pump to circulate the fluid through the cooler anyway.

andy

[Vanilla Sky]

one could be added, though...

what i'm trying to get at is if it's worth the work

[k-roy]

Have you ever had heat issues with the tranny? I never have, even after 5 hours strait of hard driving.

[modu03]

well look... my tranny has been run at over 100mph for about an hour and a half in 100 degree plus weather with no problems... just always use synthetic and there shouldn't be any problems with heat... now I don't know about the automatic tranny... I can see where heat might affect that... but it's probably not worth the work anyway

[Justin86]

It could be a nice safe guard same with a engine oil cooler. They man not be necessary but it would be nice to have.

[Vanilla Sky]

well, then i'll just get one for the auto trans, and then when i swap, i'll use it as an engine oil cooler, since the general concensus here is that the manual transmission in these cars is really sturdy and isn't affected by the heat like the POS auto tranny...

[AccordEpicenter]

manual trannies dont need cooling... they dont get that hot. Conventional oil is better for gears than synthetics, synthetics are tooo slippery and dont stick to the gears that well.

[nismoracer99]

synthetic also shrinks gaskets, causing leaks!!

my dad put synthetic in his toyota pickup for a long time, and the oil pan gasket leaks now, but now he puts regular oil in it, the oil leaks slowed down a lot.

[Vanilla Sky]

:bs: synthetic also shrinks gaskets, causing leaks!! :bs:

it's that synthetic isn't the best to use when you use a thicker oil to keep the motor from leaking... synthetic is superior... reguarding putting it into a manual tranny... i'm calling a :bs: there, too... the only reason convention oil might "stick" better is because it doesn't clean the grime away... to my knowledge, synthetic doesn't break down like conventional does... i know TONS of people that use synthetic transmission fluid... also, if i'm not mistaken, synthetic sheds heat better...

[DeathRat]

synthetic also shrinks gaskets, causing leaks!!

my dad put synthetic in his toyota pickup for a long time, and the oil pan gasket leaks now, but now he puts regular oil in it, the oil leaks slowed down a lot.
Synthetics DON'T shrink gaskets!
It's impossible for the sythetic oil (by itself - no additional additives) to shrink any gasket! The gaskets were already SHRUNK!
The synthetic oil is THINNER than conventional oil is, therefore allow it to seep through smaller holes that were already present before the fluid was added to the system! I've run a lube shop for 7 years, plus have been an Amsoil dealer too.

The "LEAKS" were already there, it's just that the the thicker "dino" oil did not seep through the gap as the thinner synthetic oil will.

[DeathRat]

:bs: synthetic also shrinks gaskets, causing leaks!! :bs:

it's that synthetic isn't the best to use when you use a thicker oil to keep the motor from leaking... synthetic is superior... reguarding putting it into a manual tranny... i'm calling a :bs: there, too... the only reason convention oil might "stick" better is because it doesn't clean the grime away... to my knowledge, synthetic doesn't break down like conventional does... i know TONS of people that use synthetic transmission fluid... also, if i'm not mistaken, synthetic sheds heat better...
For Automatics, a trans cooler is your best ADDED INSURANCE to prevent a thermal breakdown of the A/T Fluid.

For Manuals, synthetic fluids are all that are needed to ensure that the fluid doesn't break down thermally too.

A trans cooler for the Manual would require a inline pump to circulate the fluid to/from the cooler & return it back to the trans.

Sythetic oil DOES "Stick" to the gears too BTW! In actuallity it can actually BOND to metal in the trans too.

Another advantage of sythetic over "dino" is that the service life of the sythetic is longer than the 'dino' oil, since it requires a longer time before thermal/chemical breakdown occurs.

Thermal breakdown:
1) Is when the oil changes colour due to extreme heat. (IE in diesels)
2) Is when the oil does no longer allow heat transfer due to insuffiencent propertites in the oil itself (IE: oil is burnt)

Chemical breakdown:
1) Is when the oil no longer protects against acid buildup due excessive condensation or excessive service intervals.

[Robs89LXi]

I've heard several members here recommend using Honda transmission fluid. Is it synthetic?

[DeathRat]

I've heard several members here recommend using Honda transmission fluid. Is it synthetic?Not sure.....
But considering Honda DID make our transmissions, the OEM fluid is what is DESIGNED to be used in them though!

[AccordEpicenter]

stick to conventional oils, no synthetics in manual gearboxes... theyre no good with gears. All honda fluids are conventional/non synthetic... Besides ive never heard of a manual gearbox suffering over thermal breakdown of oil... doesnt happen folks, nothing really produces heat (bearings/gears dont get that hot when they are bathed in oil) but in ATs the torque convertor and clutch packs can produce ENORMOUS amounts of heat... thats why they are cooled