I have a '94 Legacy 5-spd AWD. Its getting cold her and the 90 weight tranny fluid is making it hard to shift till it warms up a lot...

 

Someone told me there is a really good tranny lube called UDT from Kabota, and its aproved for all manule transmitions.. even used in limited slip hydralic transmitions.. and it works well at LOW temps..

anyone heard of the stuff, and is it safe for my Subbi ?

I am using Mobil 1 75w-90 in our outback with good results. I am giong to put it into a friends 97 legacy tonight. The 75w makes for good cold weather performance. Hopefully it will work well in his 5 speed that is making terrible noises.

 

Most here will probably suggest redline. I don't have any experience with it but I would use it if I could buy it locally. I have read several times that using a synthetic in a manual transmission can be bad. I really don't know. Certainly someone will comment.

Ya when I got the car from a dealer it was low on tranny fluid, and had been sitting for months on the lot. SO I said that they would have to check the tranny, and change the fluid before I bought the car, among other We-owe things. . (mistake) They just toped it off... 6 month later I notice a noise. another 6 months I'm changing the back barring on the main shaft, that had rusty parts around it....

 

SO, I want to strech the life of this tranny as long as I can and someone I trust. said that UDT Lube from Kabota was the Best... I just want to know If its safe for my subbi, with its center diff and all...?

put some 75-90 multi-viscosity fluid in the trans rather then the straight 90 wt.

I use 75-90 semi synth from day one and my shifts are silky smooth. Just a little more expensive than regular. Motomaster brand from Canadian Tire.

I think Kubota UDT is just a hydraulic fluid made to kubota's specs. And hydraulic fluids don't have the extreme pressure additives in it that gear oils do. I'm worried about your ring and pinion. I would use a quality synthetic gear oil in whatever flavor you choose, in a 75w-90 weight.

Red Line gear old. Synthetic and great. A bit expensive but not like $25 a quart dealer stuff. I used it in my Eclipse 4 speed. Real smooth. Fixed a 2nd gear bump they had in '90 - '93 cars.