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Pennzoil Syncromesh sucks

21K views 50 replies 32 participants last post by  Chris @ Rvenge Performance 
#1 ·
Read the whole post to fully understand why GM/Pennzoil syncromesh sucks ass-

When I got my 93 TT a couple weeks ago I noticed the shifting was pretty rough for a transmission with only 400 miles on it (receipt from dealer for installing new tranny.) I drained the fluid in the tranny and refilled with Pennzoil Syncromesh.

Initial Results
As soon as I shifted I noticed a dramatic difference. Shifting was much smoother and all gears were much easier to shift into. The roughness between 1-2 and 2-3 was gone. The transmission shifted like butter. I figured this syncromesh wasn't bad, I was wrong...

2 weeks, 2,500 miles later
I just returned from a 1,800 mile round trip from florida and noticed the transmission was getting back to the way it was- rough between 1-2 and 2-3. I thought the transmission may have a leak so I pulled it into my shop tonight and drained the fluid. The fluid level measured exactly 2.5 quarts so I didn't have a leak. What I did notice was the fluid was no longer its brownish/clear color. It looked shiny and silver- like if there were a bunch of metal particles floating around in the fluid. It looked exactly like the pictures in this thread- http://www.3si.org/forum/showthread.php?t=254510

After reading about all the silver particles coming from syncromesh in various trannies I decided to trust an experts opion- Frank @ Kormex Transmission and filled the tranny with 2.5 quarts of Mobil 1 10w30 motor oil.

Result
Put about 20 miles on the car tonight and the roughness between 1-2 and 2-3 is gone again. Car shifts better with 10w30 than it did with the syncromesh. So far, so good. I will drain the fluid after putting 2,500 miles on it and see if the fluid has the same silver color. I will alse post about the shift quality.

Final Impression
All and all syncromesh appears to be really good for tranny- for about 2,000-3,000 miles :rolleyes:. Personally, I don't want to change my oil and transmission fluid regularly, just oil is expensive enough. I highly recommend against syncromesh unless you like changing your tranny fluid regularly. Mobil 1 all the way!
 
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#3 ·
I have to add

I put PSM in the SLT trans and hell it only ran 50 or so runs. When I drained it, it was VERY sparkly. Not flakes or chunks, but a VERY VERY fine metal sparkle to it.

Hmmm, me thinks I may change hearing this.
 
#4 ·
Definitely a very interesting review.

I put Syncromesh in my car about 6 months ago. It helped with the three problems that I had:

- First gear popping out while starting to drive from a stop
- Grinding while going back into 1st while coasting
- Small grind going into 2nd from 1st

Up to this day, the problems still have not returned. I'm keeping my fingers crossed though. :(
 
#9 ·
Hmm, I just found this thread. The DSM guys have been swearing by syncromesh for years now. It makes our trannys shift like butter, even old trannys on their last leg still shift smoother after putting this in. However, I do not like how that fluid looks at all. Looks like I won't be taking the cheap route. I think i'll run some redline from now on.
 
#11 ·
-1BADVR4- said:
I agree. I had the same problem, except it was with Mobil 1. The fluid looked silver. I have since switched to Pennzoil synchromesh and changed twice and it still looks like that. I'm going to say that it's not the fluid. It's something else.
exactly, so this whole review is bunked...
 
#12 ·
GM Syncromesh and Pensoil Syncromesh are the same right??

Here a suggestion, add in a little bit of Lucas Oil Stabilizer in with the sycromesh, not a huge difference but it did shift a little easier after that. Most people thought my tranny shifted like butter and it did especially after I drove a couple other 3000gts and realized how much smoother mine was., it didn't feel notchy at all. Thats until a couple weeks ago when I tried to shift into 2nd at 7300RPMs and fryed my 2nd gear syncro:mad:
 
#13 ·
smokinvr-4 said:
GM Syncromesh and Pensoil Syncromesh are the same right??
Yes, they are both identical and made by Penzoil
 
#17 ·
12k on synchromesh on mine and no problems.


metal is normal to an extent. its the design of the basic synchro assy.

excessive metal for such a short time i would say 1 of 2 things. something is wrong or it was a brand new tranny.
 
#19 ·
Guys I think it would be a good idea for someone to go ahead and send a trans fluid sample to a lab and settle this once and for all. I am very curious about whether its the fluid or the trans, and people have been having this problem very often with synchromesh. It seems like its either a huge coincidence that most people who use it have crappy transmissions, or the fluid simply sucks.
 
#20 ·
when i bought my car, i did not know what kind of oil was in the trany. However after i drove it for a while, i noticed that the shifting was very rough....actually rougher then my 88 supra. so what the hell do i know about 3000 Gts it was my first one and i thought that is the way it supposed to be. but after i read a couple of threads about how good pennzoil syncromesh is, i decided to use it. so i drain the old oil out( it did not look like the pic at all) and replace it with the " magic penzoil syncromesh". at first i noticed a great improvment in shifting, very smooth and no grinding at all. Now after 3500 miles, the problem seems to come back and even worse. now i can't get to the first gear above 5 miles PH and down shifting is horrible. you can actually hear my gears wihle i am shifting if you drive behind me. tomorrow i am going to drain this oil out and replace it with red line. i will snap a pic of it and let you guys know.
 
#21 ·
55k miles GM synchromesh--I change the fluid about twice a year and I was putting about 15k miles a year on the car. Its easy to do so I dont mind changing the fluid as soon as it gets a little notchy. Trans always shifts good. I also shift/downshift with rev matches which helps prolong it.

Sam
 
#22 ·
I have heard that there are a couple flavors of Syncromesh. one is good for our transmissions and one is very very bad. Because one can eat away at copper parts which is what our syncro's are made of I think.
anywho I could be completly wrong. I know I have had Syncromesh in my car and have not had a lick or problems and my fluid doesnt look like that either just comes out like old motor oil.
-John
 
#26 ·
thread from the dead...
 
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