Am I being paranoid?

"Not a Sunburst Miata" (moezsayani)
10/02/2017 at 18:55 • Filed to: None

I’ve got my third HPDE this weekend and I feel like I’m being paranoid about my trans/diff fluid. I’ve got 15k miles on the car, two track days and 3 autocross events. I’m doing the oil change tomorrow morning (6k mile interval), the RBF600 brake fluid still looks good(done the week after I got the car), and the Gloc R10 pads still have plenty of life left in them (track duty only). The manual says trans/diff fluid should be changed every 30k miles but I’ve got a nagging feeling I should change it this week. Should I go ahead and spend that $200 to get the fluids done?

DISCUSSION (12)

MR2_FTW - Group J's resident Stig > Not a Sunburst Miata
10/02/2017 at 19:02

You should be fine. But if it’s something that bugs you, when you do change the fluid, put in a better-than-oem synthetic high performance gear oil, that can take the temperatures better without degrading.

crowmolly > MR2_FTW - Group J's resident Stig
10/02/2017 at 19:06

Yup. If it’s a Torsen diff go synthetic.

RacinBob > Not a Sunburst Miata
10/02/2017 at 19:13

I assume you are talking about a manual.

Integra Type R with torsion diff. Probably 5 years and 15 hours on same synthetic fluid with no problems. Prior was a CRX si with torsion and 10 years and 50 hours with synthetic fluid and no problems. My wife’s ‘02 SI, 15 years and 200,000 miles on original fluid.

In my opinion, synthetic oils do not wear out. As long as you are using synthetic and keep things wet and slippery, you will be fine.

WRXforScience > Not a Sunburst Miata
10/02/2017 at 19:35

Your fluids are fine, you don’t have enough miles (track or otherwise) to need a change.

Also, that’s a bunch to spend on fluids. That’s like twice what I spent on brake, diff, and transmission fluid when I changed all mine last January.

Sweet Trav > crowmolly
10/02/2017 at 19:35

Sorry, totally disagree on this. a Torsen works because of friction, using a synthetic fluid will change the torque bias ratio. Torsen recommends using a non-synthetic gear oil, unless your ring and pinion was equipped with synthetic from the factory. A torsen will live in damned near anything from 120w145 to ATF, but thicker, thinner, and synthetics will affect the TBR which isn’t a good thing.

Not a Sunburst Miata > WRXforScience
10/02/2017 at 19:37

Unfortunately I don’t have the time this week to do the trans/diff myself so the cost includes my shop doing it for me while I’m at work.

WRXforScience > Not a Sunburst Miata
10/02/2017 at 19:42

It’d take me longer to go to a shop than to do the fluids. You literally just lift the car, take out the plug, then fill.

I wouldn’t worry about changing the fluids now if you can’t do it yourself. I changed mine after 50% more miles and 5x the autox and track work. The fluids were in good shape and didn’t need a change (the old maintenance schedule was to change fluids at 60k).

Not a Sunburst Miata > WRXforScience
10/02/2017 at 19:56

Looks like this is a reason for me to get another set of jack stands so I can do it myself haha, I’ll wait until before the next track day in Feb/March

crowmolly > Sweet Trav
10/02/2017 at 20:29

Didn’t think of that, to be honest. I just recalled all of the ZT diffs done at SLP being filled with synthetic (and at the factory for 99+ F-bodies) and at the time Torsen was saying use whatever you choose.

Thanks for the correction.

WRXforScience > Not a Sunburst Miata
10/02/2017 at 22:46

Or, you could befriend Miles and come to our annual off-season, usually in early January, fluid swap party (that sounds dirty, but I’m leaving it) and use Miles’ uncles shop with lift in Colleyville.

The new guy has to bring beer (Shiner for us, Miles’ uncle is a Miller Lite guy).

WRXforScience > Not a Sunburst Miata
10/02/2017 at 22:46

The new guy has to bring beer (Shiner for us, Miles’ uncle is a Miller Lite guy).

Not a Sunburst Miata > WRXforScience
10/03/2017 at 12:58

That sounds like fun, I’ll send him a message