Hi, i want to change my manual tranny fluid but i can't find the manuals recommended fluid, i have an m47, so what's the best oil to use, plz be specific. Thanks

 

Redline MTL is about the best.

you /can/ use any 70W80 GL-4 Gear Oil, or even 10W30 motor oil (note that gear oil viscosity is a completely different scale than motor oil)

 

You will find so many thread and comments on this subject, it will wear you out. Volvo calls for type F trans. fluid. Most people say redline fluid.

Some people run 30 wt. motor oil. Im not a big fan of that.

Myself, I put volvo synthetic in my M47 I have researched for hours on this subject. Type F will be ok, but it will break down. We have far better lubricant technology now days. We ran Type F in our manual transmissions yrs ago, but we would drain the fluid after every race and replace.

Volvo did not put Type F in the M47 from the factory. They put some kind of lifetime synthetic fluid in it. Im sure you will get some other comments on this. If you do the redline change it every 30000 miles.

 

no to the motor oil in the tranny, yes, yes to the Redline MTL. They have a GL-4 synthetic which is what you want for your manual transmission. Avoid GL5s which may have additives that are corrosive to brass synchros but its ok in a differential. Go with the synthetic Redline and you will be amazed at what a difference it makes on a cold winter morning.

 

I've had four cars over the years that used this transmission. Volvo always called for 10W30 motor oil and that's what I ran in all of them. This is thinner oil than normal gear lube and this is what is needed for the OD unit.

That being said, as the cars got more and more miles on them, I eventually replaced the oil in the transmissions with Amzoil 10W30 synthetic and always had good service from these gearboxes until the thrust bearings in the OD units gave out. But those bears have nothing to do with the oil being used.

 

you're thinking of the M46 w/ OD. he has an M47 5-speed.

 

I KNEW THAT! I was just testing you to see if you knew.

Yeah, THAT'S IT! that's the story I'm sticking to. LOL

 

Ive never ran amsoil GL4 oil in my M47 but I have heard nothing but good things about it. I do have a Volvo part # for what they call for around here somewhere. Ill find it and post it. You can still buy it on ebay.

 

Heres the volvo part # 1161645. That what I put in mine and jack the car up and overfill it, it helps 5th gear live longer especially if its an early M47.