3200GT automatic gearbox oil (BTR)

Tamariini

Junior Member
Messages
102
Hi,

Tried if similar topic would be available already but did not find one which is a bit of surprise!

I am starting "winter service" for my 3200GT and bumped into a problem with gearbox oil availability.

Manual says Gearbox oil should be Castrol TQ95 (or, apparently it's replacement Transmax TQ95) but these oils seems to be N/A. I've found some from Australia and new zealand but sellers wont be sending to northern europe. Well, it is on the other side of globe so i understand this =)

What oils have you used on your GTA's to replace TQ95?

best regards from snowy Finland :redface:
 

MRichards

Member
Messages
278
All manufacturers recommend maintenance fluids from manufacturers with whom they have financial arrangements and Maserati is no exception. The truth is that no oil has an advantage in performance over any other brand. If the oil complies with the relevant current international standard it will be satisfactory for use.
We must bear in mind that the 3200GT was made (around year 2000) when the then current oils complied with an SAE standard which specified a much lower performance than the currently available oils. So any oil commercially available to a current SAE certification will be significantly better than TQ95. I haven't seen Castrol TQ95 for sale in some time so maybe it's been superceded.
 

Lozzer

Member
Messages
2,280
All manufacturers recommend maintenance fluids from manufacturers with whom they have financial arrangements and Maserati is no exception. The truth is that no oil has an advantage in performance over any other brand. If the oil complies with the relevant current international standard it will be satisfactory for use.
We must bear in mind that the 3200GT was made (around year 2000) when the then current oils complied with an SAE standard which specified a much lower performance than the currently available oils. So any oil commercially available to a current SAE certification will be significantly better than TQ95. I haven't seen Castrol TQ95 for sale in some time so maybe it's been superceded.

I agree with everything there, but on the flip side of that, does anyone use anything other that Selenia 10w60 in their 3200? Does it boil down to risk managment?
 

voicey

Member
Messages
660
I agree with everything there, but on the flip side of that, does anyone use anything other that Selenia 10w60 in their 3200? Does it boil down to risk managment?

I use Shell Ultra Racing 10W60 in 3200s. As with most oil selection, if you understand the needs of the parts being lubricated then you can choose something suitable. In the case of 3200 oil one needs to be mindful of the viscosity and zinc content. This is a great example of where you cannot rely on modern standards being "better" than superseded standards. Modern oils are not permitted to contain as much zinc as in the past so if you selected a 10W60 made to a recent API classification it would be at detriment to the engine.
 

highlander

Member
Messages
5,214
I agree with everything there, but on the flip side of that, does anyone use anything other that Selenia 10w60 in their 3200? Does it boil down to risk managment?

Millers, has a higher heat point than comparative oils and never had a problem using it.
 

Tamariini

Junior Member
Messages
102
Thanks to everyone on advices and replys! I ordered Ravenol stuff to gearbox and plan is to flush gearbox by changing oils three times in a row. I was having hard time to find oil filter to gearbox (eurospares had some on their site but after a week they informed that filters are N/A). Finally i ordered some filters from other side of globe...

Has someone else done oil service by themselves and is there some tutorial available on the net?
 

RSM Masser

Member
Messages
2,437
Has anyone done this yet?
I now having regular RCY lights and gearbox changes down a gear - bit unnerving at motorway speeds!
How much oil does it need and more important how do I change it?
 

davy83

Member
Messages
2,809
i am about to do the filter and the oil (planning this week sometime), and I have bought the e-bay filter and gasket for the sanyong, that we reckon will fit, and i am waiting for the oil right now. I have done it before its not too hard. You drain the box, take the complete lower tray off the bottom of the box, the filter just presses into place I think. I will see if i can scan the section from the manual (which I have a paper copy of). I seem to remember that the oil has to be just at the level of the filler port with the gearbox at normal running temperature. So the only pain in the *** is getting the oil into the little filler port which is up on the side of the box. I have a small hand pump I bought specifically for putting gearbox oil into the car. Without it I have no idea how you would get the oil in. When the oil arrives i will change the filter and oil and post a few pics of the process.
 

urquattrogus

Member
Messages
838
ATF to Dextron (2 or 3) standards etc is fairly generic as far as I'm concerned?

Engine Oil wise Mobil One do a 10W 60 too, as do Millers.

I used the Selenia just to be beyond argument!
 

Tamariini

Junior Member
Messages
102
i am about to do the filter and the oil (planning this week sometime), and I have bought the e-bay filter and gasket for the sanyong, that we reckon will fit, and i am waiting for the oil right now. I have done it before its not too hard. You drain the box, take the complete lower tray off the bottom of the box, the filter just presses into place I think. I will see if i can scan the section from the manual (which I have a paper copy of). I seem to remember that the oil has to be just at the level of the filler port with the gearbox at normal running temperature. So the only pain in the *** is getting the oil into the little filler port which is up on the side of the box. I have a small hand pump I bought specifically for putting gearbox oil into the car. Without it I have no idea how you would get the oil in. When the oil arrives i will change the filter and oil and post a few pics of the process.

Have you had time to do this oilservice yet?
 

davy83

Member
Messages
2,809
I have just finished this and the car is running a treat, I have pictures and will try to write up a job description tonight with a link to the oil and the service kit.
 

Tamariini

Junior Member
Messages
102
I have just finished this and the car is running a treat, I have pictures and will try to write up a job description tonight with a link to the oil and the service kit.

Excellent! Can't wait since i'll be doing the same next week on mine :tomato3:
 

RSM Masser

Member
Messages
2,437
I have just finished this and the car is running a treat, I have pictures and will try to write up a job description tonight with a link to the oil and the service kit.

I have this to do as well
So ditto Tamariini post below.

It is posts like this from members which makes owning these beautiful cars less of a headache!
 

Lozzer

Member
Messages
2,280
I have just finished this and the car is running a treat, I have pictures and will try to write up a job description tonight with a link to the oil and the service kit.

Sounds like everything went well? Look forward to the write up, nice one. .
Ta
Loz
 

davy83

Member
Messages
2,809
OK I can't find the pictures, my phones seems to have lost them! a forgetful phone, helpful.
I purchased parts with links below here.

First get the car up and level, I have a pit so I got under it! There is no drain plug so to drain it you have to loosen all the sump bolts. I loosened one corner more than the others to try and get it to drain from one corner. Its pretty messy however, and I put a big tray made from a cut down container shown yellow in the picture under it so I caught oil from all round. So you drain it, and with oil still in the sump pan finally remove the sump pan, again messy but simple.

I compared the filter from the Sanyong kit with the original and its identical dimensionally, the filter material looked extremely similar, clearly one is old and used so hard to tell definitely. The only difference I could see was the seal where the filter connects to the hydraulics in the box. The Sanyong kit had a plastic seal ring and the original in my car looked like an o-ring. The o-ring in the car looked good so I left it in and put the plastic seal to one side. The plastic seal in the Sanyong kit looked liek it would fit ok.

The filter fitted perfectly. The spring clip which retains it is quite tricky to put back, start with the end nearest the front (the longer of the two ends) and it goes back ok.
Once you re-assemble the sump pan, with the new sump gasket (which also fits perfectly, and looked nicer than the one I removed) it just remains to refill the gearbox.

There is a small filler plug on the left side of the box near the back, its 5/8 imperial. My plug was worn and I could not shift it. So I bought the drain plug spanner listed below and with some relief the plug came out! I have ordered a new plug from Eurospares, for about £12.

The fill procedure goes like this. You need a pump to pump the fluid from the container up into the box, with a pipe small enough to go in the fill hole, and bendy enough to go round the corner to get into it. I have a small hand pump I bought on e-bay works a treat. Initially fill until the fluid is dripping out of the fill plug. The car will now run. Take it for a drive round the block. Bring it back in the garage and with the gearbox at 60C (how you can tell this i don't know, your fingers will burn at 60C?) With the box warm remove the fill plug again, the oil will not be dripping any more, so fill it up until it drips out again. Put the plug back in, and thats it. I took the car for a decent run after this and its great, and no error lights. So so far so good!

IMG_20180307_191501.jpg
first oil https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BTR-M74L...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SSANGYON...m=222885261959&_trksid=p2047675.c100011.m1850

and also
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2582-5-8...rentrq:6e4403611620aa1270f3f8fcfffb9494|iid:1
 

RSM Masser

Member
Messages
2,437
It all sounds so simple!
What was your oil like compared to new? Was the filter full of crud? You probably had all this on the phone with the elusive pictures! What a nightmare but thanks anyway.
I have a small leak from the gearbox and will be doing this without the aid of a pit, so when it’s dry I will get under neath for a gander