Best place to buy GM Synchromesh gear oil?

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Old May 14, 2005 | 02:02 PM
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Best place to buy GM Synchromesh gear oil?

I'm going to be changing my tranny fluid out pretty soon and want to try GM Synchromesh, is there anywhere besides a say a Chevy dealer where I can get this? I tried NAPA auto parts, they had a gear oil that was supposed to be an eqivalent to GM Synchromesh but it wasnt the real thing. Any ideas?
Old May 14, 2005 | 03:20 PM
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GM own's 20% of FHI, see if the subaru dealer carries it.
Old May 14, 2005 | 03:25 PM
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Well I wanna avoid going to any car dealership if possible... if I have to I will.
Old May 14, 2005 | 05:18 PM
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i just bought some at autozone in fremont, the one by kragen in irvington.
Old May 14, 2005 | 05:20 PM
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Sweet, how much was it per qt. ? My RS transmission needs about 3.7qt. ..... dunno if WRX is any different or not.
Old May 14, 2005 | 05:33 PM
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I am going to flush my tranny in a week or two also.
anywhere to buy synchromesh and some lightweight shockproof near SF ? (closer to SF than fremont)
Old May 14, 2005 | 05:46 PM
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Originally Posted by Yin
i just bought some at autozone in fremont, the one by kragen in irvington.
I just called there and they told me they don't carry it.. does it say GM synchromesh on the bottle?? Or what does the bottle look like?
Old May 14, 2005 | 06:23 PM
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If you find some, let me know! I need some baaadly!!
Old May 14, 2005 | 06:40 PM
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i think you have to goto a GM dealership. thats where i got mine.
Old May 14, 2005 | 07:58 PM
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how much did you pay in a GM dealership?
I've heard like $10 per quart in GM dealers
while the pennzoil ones are >$5 a quart in autozone
Old May 14, 2005 | 08:02 PM
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I didn't read this cuz I'm cooking dinner, but:

AutoZone has Pennzoil Synchromesh. I'm running 3 quarts of Redline Shockproof LightWeight and 1 quart of the Pennzoil synchromesh because the LW was too slippery and I was getting some 'snicketyness' between gears. I previously ran 100% Shockproof Heavy Duty which was definitely the best-shifting gear lube I have ever used (I've used a LOT), but it's very thick when cold and it's hard to shift until it warms up.

Hope that helps some. I wouldn't be preferential to the GM stuff over the Pennzoil....
Old May 14, 2005 | 08:51 PM
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Originally Posted by stg2lgcy00
I just called there and they told me they don't carry it.. does it say GM synchromesh on the bottle?? Or what does the bottle look like?
it was like $5 a qt. and there were only a few qts left, like two or three. the label said pennzoil synchromesh. only the directions/description says its used for GM vehicles. yellow bottle, black cap. and i think this is what is known as "GM" synchromesh. i think they are one and the same based on recommendations from some experts.

i use 2.7 qts of oem valvoline dino 75w-90 and 1 qt of pennzoil synchromesh. a good combo seems to be 1.7 qts of oem dino, 1 qt of synchromesh, and 1 qt of lightweight shockproof. this cocktail seems successful for a lot of users. i couldnt find the lightweight shockproof at any local shops so i just didnt use it. HTH
Old May 14, 2005 | 09:13 PM
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SummitRacing, btw, is the easiest place to get Shockproof of any weight. Even after shipping it's cheaper than you find it at most places around here, and Summit stuff comes REALLY quickly.... they must have a dist. center near-by.

Yin -- yeah, that's the stuff I was talking about! ...and I see you mentioned it in the post before mine, also. Definitely works nicely, but I don't think I would fill the whole tranny with it...
Old May 14, 2005 | 10:00 PM
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I heard syncromesh is good in the short-run but in the long-run it will cause damage to your tranny. I've heard it can leave sparks of metal in your oil when you change it after using the syncromesh.. that doesn't sound too good to me =\
Old May 14, 2005 | 10:46 PM
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...well there is a magnet on the tranny drain plug. Any metal shavings should stick to it.

The concern I would have is that it's not very slippery. It shifts smoother which means there's more friction. Synchros like friction, bearings don't. It's kind of a balancing act. Get a fluid that's really slippery (like the Mobil 1 tranny fluid) and you're going to have grinds all over the place. Get one that has too much friction and it's going to wear down your bearings and even synchros after enough miles.

^^^ I think that's why a lot of people have started mixing and making Subaru tranny cocktails, lol. ...and why I mentioned that it's probably not a good idea to fill your entire tranny with the synchromesh, like you stated. With one quart of it and the rest shockproof LW, I'm very happy.

Jeremy



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