E30 Transmission, difficult to engage when cold, I may have an idea...

["Rod Birch" <HOTROD930@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Peter mentioned that he was having trouble engaging reverse when his
engine/tranny were cold.  I don't know specifically about the parts inside
the E30 5 speed tranny, lots of moving stuff that's for sure, but I know
that fluids which become very "thick" when cold can be swapped for synthetic
fluids.  My understanding is that the synthetic oils have better flowing
properties at low temperatures compared to the organic stuff.  (Organic, is
that correct?)   Synthetics also remain viscous at higher temperatures where
as the regular stuff thins out quite a bit, or moreso.  You can get, of
course, synthetic oil, ATF, gear oil, etc., even from the Kragens and Pep
Boys type places.  (Speaking of which, I think I'm going to need something
like 20 quarts perhaps, synthetic ATF for my GM automatic trans that I'm
about to rebuild, THAT'S going to be expensive.)  I know that Porsche owners
sometimes mention "trans fluid changed to Swepco", as if that's like a
necessary step involved with ownership, almost like updating the cam chain
tensioners on the pre-1984 911's.

Anyway, my $.02

- -Rod

(Running synthetic oil in all my toys.)