ok guys here is my story i replaced my tranny and rear fluids about 14 months ago and i was very satisfied with the results but i noticed a little grinding noise when shifting from 3rd to 4th (at high rpms), but it was no biggie.... about 2 months ago i did my summer tune up in which i replaced the tranny and rear diff fluids but now there is a grinding noise when i shift from 1st to 2nd at high rpms (8000 and up). i already order a set of red lines fluids, but i was just wondering if anybody had this type of problem with royal purple?????

i think a few years back there was an issue with red line or purple royal diff fluids- i forget which one (or possibly both).

basically, everyone who used those had to get their transmissions replaced... u should read up on mazda's TSB's for 3rd party differential fluids, or search for the thread on the forum. there was a ton of info on it...

This phenomenon was discussed as far back as 4-5 years ago.

my tranny had all the syncros fall apart. I won't use RP in my transmission again.

I had the same problem with the tranny. Rear diff on royal purple is ok, BUT the tranny need to be replace with Red line MT-90 GL4, i repeat MT-90 GL4 only. Do not use any GL5 or mix GL4 and GL5 Fluid (that's what Royal Purple is) on the tranny. I try them all and MT-90 so far is the best for my tranny.

hmm, how about in an auto differential...just changed my diff fluid to royal purple 75w-90 so this kind of worries me

The differential is fine with RP.
The tranny doesn't like RP (except for Max-Gear, maybe?).
The rest is still debated as to what works and what doesn't. I have used Mobil1 (GL-5), Eneos, Pennzoil, Valvoline, and others with no issues.
We also have a parallel problem with weak clutch pedals that may have clouded the research/investigation these past 6 years with regard to grinding and difficult shifting.

thanks guys for all the info i cant wait to get my red line fluids. I will keep you guys updates once i change the oils :)

The only thing I don't like about the "exotic" fluids being used on street-driven cars is that such fluids are not meant for the long service life expected by street car drivers.

Remember, race cars have far more stringent maintenance regimens than street-driven cars so their fluids and such are replaced far more often.

Other than that, enjoy yourself..... it's a celebration! :lol2:

The differential is fine with RP.
The tranny doesn't like RP (except for Max-Gear, maybe?).


That's what I used - rp max gear.

I still have rp in my rear diff. No issues from that.

Although I never had a problem with it, I got scared off RP fluid in my tranny. Switched to BG Synchromesh 2 and grinding was reduced. It's been in there a year or more now. Still feels great.

RP stuff stayed in my trans for about three days (that was 5 years ago) and once I took it out I started playing around with all kinds of different fluids. I haven't cared much for the RP stuff since then so I didn't bother to remember which RP fluids worked or not.

I had heard about the BG stuff but have yet to use it. We just sent a sample of some Eneos fluid to Blackstone for evaluation as we at BHR love the feel of Eneos in our transmissions but we want to be sure before we open our mouths about the stuff. I have every confidence in the world that it is good fluid and will work well in the RX-8 trans (and I even gave away several quarts of it to early flywheel/clutch customers) but we want to be extra-careful before we discuss it further.

i've been using GM synchromesh in my 95 Ranger now for about 50K miles with excellent results. i use redline MT 90 in my RX-7's and so far i have had no problems. in my 85 GS with a 13B, i did however notice more gear whine when initially switching to RP from the conventional valvoline 80W90. the gear whine turned into bad bearings and i subsequently replaced the trans. i'm not sure if the RP caused it but i wont use it in my transmission anymore. i'm still decding what i want to switch over to with the 8...

I am using RedLine MT90 Trans and 75W90 Diff and so far 5900 miles and it is great, shift change is Bloody Beautiful....smooth as silk!!

But, it is a little stiff when cold, but this is normal.

At my age my joints are a little stiff too when cold!

^^ but your car is... how old? less than a year eh?

Yep...I know it is not "old" but I am happy with Redline, IMO way better than the factory trans oil...my tranny is BOLT action smooth in every gear.

I out in amsoil about 9 months ago and have been very happy with it. In the diff and tranny.

I out in amsoil about 9 months ago and have been very happy with it. In the diff and tranny.

Yep, IMO Amsoil make a good OILS...

http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=120874&highlight=royal

Here you go, documented that rp is way to thin.

I'm not sure how much you track your car if at all. But I have played with tranny and diff oils for a couple years now and found something that holds up very well in a race application. Now this is definitely not recommended for the average street cat but only because I have not tried in a street app...1 and half qts of Redline 75w90 gear oil and a half qt of Redline ATF in the trans and ofcourse 75w90 in the diff.

Now, in my street car I run Redline half and half Redline MT-90 and MTL in the trans and Redline 75w90 in the diff. I've had no problems what so ever.

http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=120874&highlight=royal

Here you go, documented that rp is way to thin.

thanks Bro!

Good info

Add myself AND Newcastle to the list of failed Transmissions with Royal Purple.
Both of us switched to RP and within a couple months our synchros were FUBAR'd.

29,000 + on the new transmission with Redline fluids and ZERO problems.

Add myself AND Newcastle to the list of failed Transmissions with Royal Purple.
Both of us switched to RP and within a couple months our synchros were FUBAR'd.

29,000 + on the new transmission with Redline fluids and ZERO problems.

i ordered my Red line liquids yesterday they should be here soon, i can't wait, im so pissed off with this royal purple stuff i love my 8 i feel like i ve done my 8 wrong :(

thanks for the info jedi!

After switching around a bit, I'm currently using Motorcraft XT-M5-QS because of a tip from the miata.net guys and I must say I like it very much at the moment. I've changed transmission oil brands at every change, but I think next time I'm going to stick with the Motorcraft.

hey guys i finally replaced my rp fluids for red lines and there is still a little grinding noise when i shift from first to second at high rpms, but its not as bad as before :( im begining to think its my tranny eventouht it was shifting just fine before i tried the royal purple stuff :(

any advices guys???

Have you researched the "Broken Clutch Pedal" issue and verified your own pedal is okay?

Everyone that I've ever seen whose had a problem with RP was using the WRONG product!!! Which one were you using? You should be using Max Gear 75W90 in both the transmission and the rear end. Do not use Syncromax. I've used these for a long time and Brillo has also been using them in his RX-8. It works great. The problem is that people don't use the correct product and then they blame it on that company rather than their lack of proper oil choice. There is NOTHING wrong with RP at all! It is not too thin.

Everyone that I've ever seen whose had a problem with RP was using the WRONG product!!! .
Nope, you're incorrect on that one.

Myself AND Newcastle had transmission failures with RP while using the correct types. (I even confirmed it with you via a PM)

:dunno:

i definately had maxgear 75w90. As I said in an earlier post, I still have maxgear in my diff. The transmission felt wonderful with it for around a year before it fell apart.

my dealer asked mazda for a replacement. mazda said no - they would rebuild it. As soon as the tranny was dropped and opened up, they decided they would have to replace it as it was too far gone to be rebuilt. That's how bad it was.

Dont use RP Maxgear in your Transmission.

Use GL-4 ONLY.

I hate products that "support" 2 similar standard. RP Maxgear is one of them, GL-4 and GL-5. (their engine oil is great tho) I know 2 standard are similar (in some way). but im not using them in my tranny,

both my FC and SE use Redline in the tranny, works great :)

Rear use Mobil1 75w90 LS. no issue :)

Your mean FC and FE don't you, I bet you can not find SE on any part of your car..;)

I went to my dealer and bought two bottles of the oem fluid. I'm using that for now.

I had tried out amsoil, but the new transmission still felt notchy with it. it's not any better on the oem fluid, but at least I won't get any surprises down the road like i had with the max gear.

Your mean FC and FE don't you, I bet you can not find SE on any part of your car..;)

Well, the code name for RX-8 is SE3P.

I know it has FE written all over the car body ...

Mazda Japan probably told the press this is the new "FE3P"(back then)

but with the horrible japanese accent, the press misunderstood it as "SE3P" and published it ... then Mazda is like ahh, whatever.

SE3P ... :(

Somewhat off topic but is there anyone who makes better syncros and shift forks for the 8 transmission. Mine will need a rebuild soon and I would prefer something better.

^^ None.

Just buy the updated shift fork from Mazda.

the Syncros ... hmm there is not much you can do about it. Aisin totally messed this transmission up. if you want better tranny, you should go for the 09+ tranny.

Your gear ratio will change, but its a much better tranny than the pos 04-08

is the 09 tranny a drop in replacement for the older cars?

Yes it is :)

Mazmart used to have some, brand new, I think they were asking for 2K + shipping ?

I thought about the 09 but I have seen a few people on here having problems also. Plus I would like to upgrade the clutch and flywheel at the same time.

Everyone that I've ever seen whose had a problem with RP was using the WRONG product!!! Which one were you using? You should be using Max Gear 75W90 in both the transmission and the rear end. Do not use Syncromax. I've used these for a long time and Brillo has also been using them in his RX-8. It works great. The problem is that people don't use the correct product and then they blame it on that company rather than their lack of proper oil choice. There is NOTHING wrong with RP at all! It is not too thin.

hey rotarygod i was using the right oils in the tranny and diff i guess its just one of those things where it just work better for different people :). in my own experience i notice red line made my car shift smoother and also quieter I will choose red line over royal purple anyday.

Have you researched the "Broken Clutch Pedal" issue and verified your own pedal is okay?

thanks charles i'll do that!

I thought about the 09 but I have seen a few people on here having problems also. Plus I would like to upgrade the clutch and flywheel at the same time.

how about using the tranny from a rx7 turbo II?? if i remember that was the strongest tranny for the 7's :)

how about using the tranny from a rx7 turbo II?? if i remember that was the strongest tranny for the 7's :)

There will be some work involved with that swap. Someone here has done it though. I want that swap myself.

As for lube, I just changed mine, as I previously posted I am running a little Redline cocktail of 75w90 and ATF in the trans and 75w90 in the diff. If feels a little differnt than the MT-90 and MTL I was running...shifts still feel perfect to me.

hey rotarygod i was using the right oils in the tranny and diff i guess its just one of those things where it just work better for different people :). in my own experience i notice red line made my car shift smoother and also quieter I will choose red line over royal purple anyday.



thanks charles i'll do that!



how about using the tranny from a rx7 turbo II?? if i remember that was the strongest tranny for the 7's :)

I guess you mean the FD tranny.

Well, FD's tranny can take a bit more abuse than FC's (both are considered as bullet proof, can take mad abuse)

Dunno how Aisin mess this one up ... :(

I like Redline too, too bad the dealer here wants 15 bux a quart. no thanks. maybe when Im out of Royal Purple I go back to Red Line thru online ordering.(Ester FTW!)

^^ i had to order my red line online, no one carry it around my area :(

Redline 75W140NS and no more broken transmissions, just sayin' ...

yeah, it's a GL-5 too, gotta love web experts ...

I guess you mean the FD tranny.

Well, FD's tranny can take a bit more abuse than FC's (both are considered as bullet proof, can take mad abuse)

Dunno how Aisin mess this one up ... :(

I like Redline too, too bad the dealer here wants 15 bux a quart. no thanks. maybe when Im out of Royal Purple I go back to Red Line thru online ordering.(Ester FTW!)

You want some Redline? I'll be going back to California in a couple weeks and can probably pick some up. I'm in NYC pretty regularly these days (like every other weekend) so if you want I can get it to you.

My advice though is to try the Motorcraft XT-M5-QS. It's quite expensive and generally you have to order online, but it's the only transmission fluid that I've felt is worth the price so far.

I have had nothing but good luck with RP Maxgear 75-90. I'm the original owner and have 62,000mi on my RX8 with zero issues using RP in the engine and tranny. I replaced my tranny fluid again with RP at 50K. I also routinely get 16-17 city and 23-24 hwy mpg.

Redline and Motul are also good products, and I've used them in other cars. I wonder if the folks having issues were original owners and if not, how the tranny was treated.

I love RP and will continue to use it in all my vehicles. I know plenty of people who use it without issue.

btw - I replaced my tranny fluid with maxgear three times during the first 50k miles.

That's break in with oem, redline for a bit, then three maxgear changes.

Redline 75W140NS and no more broken transmissions, just sayin' ...

yeah, it's a GL-5 too, gotta love web experts ...

yeah its GL-5 without the LSD additives. and its thicker than w90 oil.

most if not all other GL-5 fluid has LSD stuff in it ... and most ppl dunno products such as 75w140NS exist :)

so its easier to tell people to use "GL-4" only than explain to them what is LSD Additives. :)

You want some Redline? I'll be going back to California in a couple weeks and can probably pick some up. I'm in NYC pretty regularly these days (like every other weekend) so if you want I can get it to you.

My advice though is to try the Motorcraft XT-M5-QS. It's quite expensive and generally you have to order online, but it's the only transmission fluid that I've felt is worth the price so far.

I can get redlines online, with all the coupons and discounts, it will cost probably hmm 7-8 bux each. :)

thx anyway tho ;)

hey guys just a little update..

i went on a trip yesterday (crab monthly rx8 sushi meet) and after 100 miles my tranny is not grinding from 1st to 2nd at high rpms, i love this red line stuff :):):):) couldn't be happier

I'm still going to use RP. There's absolutely nothing wrong with it. It's great stuff and has always been smoother than anything else I've ever used. Then again I take care of my transmission and I suspect it's more of a driver issue than an oil issue. There are 2 weights of it available btw. 75W90 and 85W140. Nothing wrong with Redline. It's a great product. RP gets a bad rap from those who can't take care of things though. I know that statement will probably make some mad but I stand by it as it's the most logical answer.

/\
Got to agree with RG on this one..
RP are a very reputable company, I don't think they would market a product that would cause damage when used correctly.

I also believe that many of the "transmission issues" are owner/driver related.
These transmissions Series I and II take some time (miles on them) to loosen up.

And yes I also recognize that the early 04-05 RX-8 transmissions has suspect changing Forks.

This includes a little care when the gearbox is cold.

Personally, I use Redline.
GL4 for Trans, GL5 for Differential.

EDIT:..
I also believe that ALL the Gearboxes should have their fluids changed WAY before Mazda's recommended Schedule.

i agree with you guys and i appreciated the info and experience everyone had with royal purple, and i agree, it also depends on how the car is being driven.

but the issue here was very simple.

my tranny was grinding shifting from 1st to 2nd at high rpms using royal purple,
now is not grinding using redline. End of story! thanks for your comments guys!!

:):):):):):):):)

p.s. i just wanted to share my fail story with royal purple :(