Honda Car Forum

How do I lube a 4 speed manual transmission, in the 88-91 Civic Hatch? I
know I have to use gear lube, but where do I put it?!?

If you look at the right-side face of the transmission housing (where
the right CV shaft comes out the differential), there is an oil filler
plug above it (on the side face). The transmission drain plug is at the
bottom (side) of that side-plate.
Replacement capacity = 1.8 L (1.9 U.S. quarts)
Torque settings: Oil filler plug = 45 N.m. (33 lb-ft)
Oil drain plug = 40 N.m. (29 lb-ft)

Use Genuine Honda Manual Transmission oil, NOT gear lube. The manual
will say to use 10W-30 engine oil, but that was 15 years ago. From what
I have heard, the oil chemistries have changed, so need to put the
Honda stuff now (dealer service departments stock it....about $3 per
quart). If you have problems locating the filler and drain plugs please
drop a line, I will scan the diagram off the service manual and e-mail
it over.

gmctruck68 wrote:
> How do I lube a 4 speed manual transmission, in the 88-91 Civic Hatch? I
> know I have to use gear lube, but where do I put it?!?

gmctruck68 wrote:
> How do I lube a 4 speed manual transmission, in the 88-91 Civic Hatch? I
> know I have to use gear lube, but where do I put it?!?
>
you sure its gear lube? i thought that generation used 10w40.

"gmctruck68" <gmctruck68@aol.com> wrote in
news:c1b6fc69c2979d8e5f381f3b5d4bf0dd@localhost.ta lkaboutautos.com:

> How do I lube a 4 speed manual transmission, in the 88-91 Civic Hatch? I
> know I have to use gear lube, but where do I put it?!?
>


You have to put the car on stands and get underneath. There are two plugs
in the side of the tranny case pointing at the right front wheel. The upper
one is a fill, the lower one a drain.
http://www.tegger.com/hondafaq/misc/...oil_change.pdf

The above PDF is from the '92-'95 Civic, but the plug locations are the
same as yours. The drain plug takes the square drive of a ratchet. Scrape
out the dirt before inserting the ratchet to make sure it goes in far
enough not to strip as you try to crack the drain loose. If the plugs have
not been removed in a long time, you may have great difficulty breaking
them loose.

To fill, you need to have the car LEVEL, and you'll need a pump to attach
to your lube bottle (a lot like a hand-soap bottle pump). The pump needs to
have a clear vinyl hose that goes into the fill hole. Fill until it
dribbles out.
The pump is available at any auto supply store. The vinyl hose can come frm
Home Depot if your pump didn't come with one.


And use Honda MTL, not "gear lube" or the 10W-30 specifed in the workshop
manual.


--
TeGGeR®

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

"TeGGeR®" <tegger@tegger.c0m> wrote
> "gmctruck68" <gmctruck68@aol.com> wrote in
> > How do I lube a 4 speed manual transmission, in the
88-91 Civic Hatch? I
> > know I have to use gear lube, but where do I put it?!?

> in the side of the tranny case pointing at the right front
wheel. The upper
> one is a fill, the lower one a drain.
>
http://www.tegger.com/hondafaq/misc/...c_mt_oil_chang
e.pdf
>
> The above PDF is from the '92-'95 Civic, but the plug
locations are the
> same as yours. The drain plug takes the square drive of a
ratchet. Scrape
> out the dirt before inserting the ratchet to make sure it
goes in far
> enough not to strip as you try to crack the drain loose.
If the plugs have
> not been removed in a long time, you may have great
difficulty breaking
> them loose.

A 1.5 foot breaker bar should be sufficient, though as
always, be careful. Brace yourself so you don't get hurt,
etc.

> To fill, you need to have the car LEVEL, and you'll need a
pump to attach
> to your lube bottle (a lot like a hand-soap bottle pump).
The pump needs to
> have a clear vinyl hose that goes into the fill hole.

Gravity feed works fine for 88-91 Civics; no pump is
necessary.

Buy the clear tubing at Lowe's or Home Depot for a few
bucks, tops, probably. Three feet should be plenty.

> And use Honda MTL, not "gear lube" or the 10W-30 specifed
in the workshop
> manual.

Elaboration: Reports are that superior shifting occurs with
the Honda MT fluid. More importantly, there are many claims
on Usenet that 10W-30 and -40 have changed since about 1991
such that their chemistry is deleterious to the
transmission. I don't buy that--yet. I have always used my
91 Civic's manual-specified 10W-30 or 10W-40. No problems
after 173k miles. Anyone saying there will be problems down
the road is speculating based on rumor innuendo. (Unless
someone finally has coughed up a reputable citation on the
subject.)

If Honda thought 10W-30 or -40 today is dangerous to the
transmission, I think they would have said something.

www.autozone.com has a free online repair guide /specific/
to the 88-91 Civic that covers manual transmission fluid
changes. With drawings and photos.

"Elle" <honda.lioness@earthlink.net> wrote in
news:8xbwf.4628$%W1.1753@newsread2.news.atl.earthl ink.net:

> "TeGGeR®" <tegger@tegger.c0m> wrote

<snip>


>
> A 1.5 foot breaker bar should be sufficient, though as
> always, be careful. Brace yourself so you don't get hurt,
> etc.



And make certain the ratchet square is well seated. You don't want to round
off the square in the bolt.


>
>> To fill, you need to have the car LEVEL, and you'll need a
> pump to attach
>> to your lube bottle (a lot like a hand-soap bottle pump).
> The pump needs to
>> have a clear vinyl hose that goes into the fill hole.
>
> Gravity feed works fine for 88-91 Civics; no pump is
> necessary.



Gravity works fine for my car too, and I used that method for years. But
I've since found it's easier using the inexpensive hand-pump.



>
> Buy the clear tubing at Lowe's or Home Depot for a few
> bucks, tops, probably. Three feet should be plenty.
>
>> And use Honda MTL, not "gear lube" or the 10W-30 specifed
> in the workshop
>> manual.
>
> Elaboration: Reports are that superior shifting occurs with
> the Honda MT fluid. More importantly, there are many claims
> on Usenet that 10W-30 and -40 have changed since about 1991
> such that their chemistry is deleterious to the
> transmission. I don't buy that--yet.



The anti-wear additives (ZDDP, for example) that used to be present in
motor oils have been greatly reduced or eliminated in the interests of
protecting the catalytic converter. Transmissions have no cat issues, so
Honda MTF has loads of anti-wear additives (hence its distinctive odor).



> I have always used my
> 91 Civic's manual-specified 10W-30 or 10W-40. No problems
> after 173k miles. Anyone saying there will be problems down
> the road is speculating based on rumor innuendo. (Unless
> someone finally has coughed up a reputable citation on the
> subject.)
>
> If Honda thought 10W-30 or -40 today is dangerous to the
> transmission, I think they would have said something.



They have.

An example from the '02 RS-X manual (pg 13-4):
"Always use Honda Manual Transmission Fluid (MTF). Using motor oil can
cause stiffer shifting because it does not contain the correct additives."



--
TeGGeR®

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

"TeGGeR®" <tegger@tegger.c0m> wrote in
news:Xns9745A9998379Dtegger@207.14.113.17:

> "Elle" <honda.lioness@earthlink.net> wrote in
> news:8xbwf.4628$%W1.1753@newsread2.news.atl.earthl ink.net:

>>
>> If Honda thought 10W-30 or -40 today is dangerous to the
>> transmission, I think they would have said something.
>
>
>
> They have.
>
> An example from the '02 RS-X manual (pg 13-4):
> "Always use Honda Manual Transmission Fluid (MTF). Using motor oil can
> cause stiffer shifting because it does not contain the correct
> additives."
>
>
>



Just checked the '96-'00 Civic Helm manual. It contains the same warning,
word for word.

--
TeGGeR®

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

"TeGGeR®" <tegger@tegger.c0m> wrote
E
> > If Honda thought 10W-30 or -40 today is dangerous to the
> > transmission, I think they would have said something.
>
> They have.

Sort of. But I don't discount the substance of what you
cited.

> An example from the '02 RS-X manual (pg 13-4):
> "Always use Honda Manual Transmission Fluid (MTF). Using
motor oil can
> cause stiffer shifting because it does not contain the
correct additives."

ISTM a manual transmission is pretty much a manual
transmission, so I agree that what's written in the 2002
Honda manual you cite above should apply to any year's
transmission, including my 1991 Civic's. In the future, I
will take note of it in posts, as it is helpful.

OTOH, I remain hesitant to translate this to a prediction of
disaster if one uses 10W-30 or -40. I can see that "stiffer
shifting" implies more wear, but ISTM it might be
negligible. Especially since the statement is qualified with
"can cause" vs. "will cause." To read this like a lawyer
blah blah...

So I'm not panicked on this point. My intent, stated in the
recent past, is to switch my 91 Civic to Honda MTF when the
next tranny oil change is required, see if the shifting is
superior, and draw more conclusions then.

On 1/8/06 3:47 PM, in article Xns9745AB0BBA8A6tegger@207.14.113.17,
"TeGGeR®" <tegger@tegger.c0m> wrote:

> "TeGGeR®" <tegger@tegger.c0m> wrote in
> news:Xns9745A9998379Dtegger@207.14.113.17:
>
>> "Elle" <honda.lioness@earthlink.net> wrote in
>> news:8xbwf.4628$%W1.1753@newsread2.news.atl.earthl ink.net:
>
>>>
>>> If Honda thought 10W-30 or -40 today is dangerous to the
>>> transmission, I think they would have said something.
>>
>>
>>
>> They have.
>>
>> An example from the '02 RS-X manual (pg 13-4):
>> "Always use Honda Manual Transmission Fluid (MTF). Using motor oil can
>> cause stiffer shifting because it does not contain the correct
>> additives."
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>
> Just checked the '96-'00 Civic Helm manual. It contains the same warning,
> word for word.

Go back another decade to the generation the OP has and check again. We had
an '81 and an '87 and the recommended manual trans fluid was 10w-30 motor
oil. There was also a caveat to not use synthetic because the synchros
wouldn't work correctly with it.

E Meyer <epmeyer50@msn.com> wrote in
news:BFE7C006.EB77A%epmeyer50@msn.com:

> On 1/8/06 3:47 PM, in article Xns9745AB0BBA8A6tegger@207.14.113.17,
> "TeGGeR®" <tegger@tegger.c0m> wrote:
>

<snip>


>> Just checked the '96-'00 Civic Helm manual. It contains the same
>> warning, word for word.
>
> Go back another decade to the generation the OP has and check again.
> We had an '81 and an '87 and the recommended manual trans fluid was
> 10w-30 motor oil. There was also a caveat to not use synthetic
> because the synchros wouldn't work correctly with it.
>
>


Yes, and my '91 Integra's shop manual also specifies 10W-30.

But the point is that the motor oils in use now are not the same as those
available in 1991. Honda's metallurgy for synchros is unlikely to have
changed more than motor oil formulation.

It appears that the changeover to the MTF specification coincides with the
planning and implementation of much stricter OBD-II emission controls,
which would have been the primary driver behind zinc and sulfur reductions
in motor oils.

Synthetic motor oils have greater film strength than mineral oils and are
meant to reduce friction as much as possible. Synchros require friction to
function. If the synchros cannot work correctly with the oil film that lies
between their surfaces, they cannot correctly apply the friction that makes
them work. Zinc and sulfur are sort of "sacrificial anodes", taking the
brunt of the friction before the underlying synchro metal does, should the
oil film break, which it will under heavy use. This is the reason Honda's
MTF has the additives it does.

Honda MTF is the preferable oil for any Honda manual transmission that
originally specified 10W-30.

--
TeGGeR®

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/