So I did a little research,
Is Red Line MT-LV one of the best options? I looked at Royal Purple Synchromax, it might work but not sure what the latest news is.
Kinda crazy Red Line MT-LV is $30/1qt, is that normal lol? First time doing a trans fluid change.

What are other options or is one of these just overall recommended?

Probably doesn't matter, I typically use Mobil1 for engine oil

 

Go with the MT-LV. Almost 2 years in my car so far and still shifting like butter. Much smoother and cheaper than the OE Toyota fluid that is special order from Japan and about $75/qt.

Order 3 quarts for the tC2. Drain the old fluid and then refill until It starts leaking out of the fill hole steadily and cap off. There is a DIY on here somewhere if you search. Change every 30k miles.

 

Can get for $18/qt from Pegasus and Summit Racing.

 

I have Redline 75w90 in a first-gen tC. It performs well but there's no info on longevity. I think I'm gonna replace it with Amsoil 500k and forget about it.

 

This works great in the 1g. 2g needs low viscosity everything. 75w90 gets too thick for it when it's warm and can get grindy.

 

Would be nice to know how long it lasts.

 

Should change tranny fluid every 30k even if it 'lasts' longer.

 

Yeah, I'm down with auto tranny fluid. Gear oil typically lasts a lot longer.

 

I do 30k in every vehicle I maintain regardless of tranny type. Most gear oil is recommended to be replaced every 30k as well after initial break in.

 

I just changed my manual trans fluid, with the Red Line MT-LV. It was the expected about 2.3quarts or until drip out of fill hole. Both 24mm are underneath, did it all with the car lifted and retorqued bolts to 29 ft lbs.
Changed mine at 35-36k miles and old fluid looked brand new 👌

 

Good deal. Old fluid usually 'looks' pretty good, but the smell will more tell you how it is aging. I did mine shortly after getting the car (around 60k) and it smelled burned. It was definitely time to replace.

 

Mind naming one? Not even ATF manufacturers recommend replacement after 30k.

 

Gear oil does not burn.

 

What the bottle recommendation is and what real world driving and habits are are completely different when determining fluid lifespan. Continued hard driving and city-style accelerating will cause the fluid to break down much faster than on a vehicle that primarily sees highway driving and constant rpm range. Transmissions are not cheap to have worked on and no fun to replace. Drain and refills are cheap and you will always notice a difference in shifting performance even changing at the lower interval. I, and nearly any mechanic you talk to that is worth anything, will tell you the 'recommendations' are much too long for advertised tranny fluid service life.

FWIW my parents 2019 CR-V actually recommends gear oil changes every 30k for the rear diff with the first change needed at 15k. Toyota also says the tC2 can go 10k between oil changes (with ideal driving conditions) with 0w20 but with that increment it's only suggested to last 180k. Should do more frequently if you want it to last longer. Do what you want, but any trans fluid should be changed every 30k if you want what's best for the vehicle.

The f*ck it doesn't. Probably 85% of the gear oil and trans fluid I've ever changed on different vehicles has had a hard burned smell after exceeding 45k miles (10+ vehicles).

 

All I asked is to source your info. Sounds like the source is you.

Burn comes from heat. Motor oil burns as a result of internal combustion. ATF burns from high pressure friction. Most engines and auto transmissions are water cooled. Gear boxes and differentials are not.

 

I generally agree with you for most of your advice, and I understand how damage happens to fluid. Just stating that the manufacturer recommendation is wrong in most cases and you can't go by the bottle (which probably says UP TO x miles if it says anything at all). Do what you want, at the very least check it every 30k to see how it looks and smells if you have atx. If you have mtx, it's cheap insurance for your synchros to change there.