Engine Drivetrain 1st Gen Cooper Most liked posts in thread: 2005 R50. Do I use Redline D6 or Redline MTF ?

Midalnds talk: I put in 2.5 litres instead in the 2 litre in the manual. The biggest issue is the engine slants back so 2 litres is not enough to cover the input shaft bearings. The weakest bearing is the input shaft which falls apart due to lack of oil. Another issue is the 5th gear lacks oil due to the oil way is very small. I drill out a bigger hole. You can see from this photo a failed input bearing

 

That is sort of odd Scott. I thought that MTL had a friction modifier to help the syncros do their work. My box of gears has MTL in it & I could not detect a change from the oem specified lube, both work well for me. My experience has been that thicker lube tend to accentuate notchiness. At least in my Miata box.

 

I always use the Redline MTL

 

I found the Redline MTL a little bit to thin. My shifts are a lot notchier than before.

 

No problem with the synchros, but it is definitely notchier that the OEM stuff.

Maybe a problem elsewhere.....?

 

Could it be the shift cables?? Did this happen right after the fluid change? If it did I'd try a change back to the oem fill to see if this issue then goes away. Do the cheap & easy stuff first.

 

No, the notchiness was not really as apparent before the change but it was there. I will take a look at the cables and levers when I get the car up on stands next.

 

I changed mine a few months ago and used the D6. Everything seems to be fine and shifts are smooth.

 

My understanding the ATF stuff isn't as nice to the synchros.

 

I use MTL in my Midland box for the rallies. I used it in the Suzuki Swift which has a similar box with no issues. I do like Royal Purple to but I can't find that in CR.

 

I have never been a fan of Red line or Royal Pimple stuff. I used to use Amsoil diff fluid but Eneos is better and nice and smooth.

Eneos (3092300) GL-5 Certified 75W-90 Differential Fluid Gear Oil - 1 Quart
Amazon.com: Eneos (3092300) GL-5 Certified 75W-90 Differential Fluid Gear Oil - 1 Quart: Automotive

 

I think I've probably posted this opinion seven times already... I agree with Scott, MTL feels notchy in my tranny when I first swap the fluid. But after a few thousand miles, it's good to go. It feels great on the track, too. No performance loss on hot days.

 

I do have to say it has gotten smoother after all this time. Is it as smooth as OEM.....not sure.

 

I forgot to mention I moved to Redline 75W90 NS from MTL after the LSD broke. So far this oil seems to work very well.

 

MTL is thicker (like Texaco MTF94) and is spec'd for the Midlands and the
6-speed Getrags with LSD, and D6 is spec'd for the 5-speed Getrags and
the 6-speeds without LSD. MTL in the Getrag won't hurt anything, but it
might cost 0.5 - 1 mpg and be a little stiffer in cold weather.

 

While I'm a bit partial on this I'd stick with OEM for the first change. I attribute my last trans partially to Redline.
A lot of transmissions since they're sent off with "lifetime" oil don't react well to changes as they've become acclimated to the particles in the oil.

Take that with a grain of salt though. I'd just do a bit more homework.

 

My differential bearings went.
Is that a common failure mode also?

 

the problem is the gearbox is an 80's design for a 1.4L engine with 14" wheels. Add the heavy Mini, 1.6L engine and 15" wheels is just a ticking bomb for the Midlands. Diff bearings are not the most common to go. The diff exploding is! if you look in the photo you can see the crown wheel is pressed on instead of being bolted. The crown wheel can drop off. here is the Gripper LSD with bolted crown wheel whith some teeth missing after the crown wheel let go.



regarding the oil I change it every year.