Gearbox oils

F

flybobbie

Elite
 Stourbridge
So still unhappy about how my 23i manual shifts.
Changed to redline D4 ATF (1 3/4 litres) some time ago with a very slight improvement. Went searching and noticed this;
http://www.pelicanparts.com/catalog/SuperCat/BE89/BMW_BE89_TRANSM_pg1.htm
Which lists non ATF for the zed manual and probably a much thicker oil for the box, because D4 is almost like water.
Also ebay search also brings up Fuchs gearbox oil for the Zed rather than ATF.

I know that when I drained the original ATF the guy who's ramp I used recognised the fluid coming out as the same stuff Land Rover use, as he specialised in Landy repairs, he showed me some in another bottle.

So why did BMW use ATF, is it just easier to stock and fill all autos and manuals with the same fluid and just let manual drivers put up with notchy shifts. Or will the thicker oil cause drag and make the situation better or worse. Is this box any different from the earlier Zed's.
 
If BMW state ATF they're not alone.

My 4.0L Morgan Plus 8 with it's Land Rover R380 manual 5 speed 'box used ATF. Going back a while now but IIRC the gearbox had it's own oil pump so maybe the lower viscosity ATF got round quicker and it's lower drag helped with the synchromesh.

I used Morris ATF, red in colour and you're right - not far off the consistency of water. But I would have though there might be something better around now.........?
 
That's my thought the thicker oil might be more drag on the synchro.
Just like to get rid of the notchyness going into 2nd.

My first car TR7 had a gear pump in gearbox, that box was 10x worse than the BMW, could barely get it into 2nd, to the point I stripped it down.
Couldn't afford at the time to replace the syncro (was £70 in 1984), but just replaced the pump rotors which were made of a Bakelite fibre material and jammed full of steel filings.
Made no difference though to the operation of the box.
On site where I work is a gearbox rebuilder, I will see what they recommend.
 
Funny as I was only saying to friend yesterday that the gear changes are notchy, especially compared to the Cooper.

Might have to take it in for a gearbox oil change.
 
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