Hey guys im gonna do my fluid change pretty soon and i had a question... Ive been reading that a good alternative to using the best transmission fluid around (honda fluid) is using regular engine oil... is this true??? I was gonna use gear oil but i hear thats no good for hondas. Of couse im talking about manual transmissions it would be a no brainer WARNING to use in automatics. In my owners manual it says sf or sg 10w-30 or 10w-40. Please help quick because im about to do it, and if no one knows ill let you know
Also i have a 94 civic

 

TRUE. You'll be fine with regular oil in a MT. I went with the 10w-30 in my 91 when I changed.

 

hell yeah!! Thanks for that, thats all i needed. Im going for it

 

Quick update, i finished it right before it rained thank god, ive driven around about 25 miles and i have to say i dont feel a difference. Its most likely that if there are differences that they will show up in higher rpms or later on. But for now the shifts are really smooth (3000s) and overall it feels better than before i changed it (which was the point of a change right?) If any problems come up ill let you know

 

Okay so ive driven a good amount with 10w-30 motor oil in my tranny. It does the job, its nice and smooth and goes into gear pretty good. The only complaints i have is that when your going too fast to downshift into the next lower gear it doesnt want to shift into it. Which isnt a bad thing! But i definitely like it. I know this sounds stupid but i think im going to drain it and try Honda transmission fluid. I just want to really feel any differences. Since it IS the best thing for my car, I want to prove it

 

is there a filter to change too? if so, did you change it?

 

There is no filter in the manual transmissions. There is a magnet inside designed to trap the little bits of metal that grind off of the gears, but you really don't need to clean it unless overhauling the unit.

 

No there isn't any transmission filters on a manual. Only on automatics. Have you looked at the DIY? Its very easy, the only pain in the a$$ is getting the filler nut loose. Just get the filler off, have your pan ready in case any comes out of there, Then get the drain plug off. you have to put a 3/8 ratchet in there bare. Its a square. Let it all drain out. put a new washer on the bolt and tighten it back in. put a hose into the filler hole, and feed the hose through the engine bay to the top. From there put a cone in the top hose and just start filling it until fluid leaks out of the filler hole. It takes about 2 quarts to fill it up. 1.9 to be exact. Replace the washer for the filler bolt too.