Really bad manual tranny fluid?

water leaked in from flood? Total no idea why it turned grey color, unless there is a lot of metal/composite powders from worn out synchro rings mixed in the oil.

Yes, I would guess water.
If you heat some of it does steam come out and does it boil?

Looks like you need some more aggregate for that concrete mix its too droopy

Wishful thinking but maybe it had some MOS2 additive?

If there was water in it I'd imagine it would begin to separate after sitting for some time

4aceman said:

If there was water in it I'd imagine it would begin to separate after sitting for some time

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Maybe, maybe not. None of these fluids are neat oils. Some easily emulsify water. Some synthetic "oils" are water soluble.

4aceman said:

Wishful thinking but maybe it had some MOS2 additive?

If there was water in it I'd imagine it would begin to separate after sitting for some time

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Deliberate additive could be a good shout. I thinking it would look more emulsified if it was water, more beige than grey, and thicker. But I've never actually seen water mixed with gearbox oil.

Is it magnetic at all? A magnet would attract any suspended fine metal shavings.

It does look alot like a Moly additive ... what's the consistency? Oily, watery??

So THAT's what happens with 'lifetime no-fill' !

Just refill with transmission gear oil, maybe drain it again in 1000 miles.
Water mixed with oil is a distinctive tan color, definitely not grey.
I'll second the likelihood of an oil-additive.

It seems to be MOS2 Additiv.

The synchros add their own almost- black material over time, too,
so while my first guess is some condensation,
hopefully it's additive, and it's been in there quite a while.

I WOULD use a clear, lighter oil and change it twice in 500 mile succession,
making sure to run the car relatively hard for at least an hour at a time,
just to really rinse it out.

t
not an additive fan.

Send a sample to Blackstone. Was the donor car a hurricane flood recovery?
I miss the days of cheap low mileage ZF320's

RGO325CiC said:

So THAT's what happens with 'lifetime no-fill' !

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As we all know, “lifetime fluids” was a marketing ploy, and not a maintenance philosophy.

markusmarkus said:

As we all know, “lifetime fluids” was a marketing ploy, and not a maintenance philosophy.

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It is safe to say that my fluid gave its life to the transmission, so it did last a lifetime.

Is there any way to flush it while it is on the bench?

burntoutrubber said:

Is there any way to flush it while it is on the bench?

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Acetone, brake cleaner, gasoline.
No smoking while doing this.
Do it outside so fumes can't get to an ignition point, like a water heater, furnace, etc.

Alternatively, you can very lightly drive it for 50 miles or so using automatic transmission fluid in place of gear lube, then drain it and add the right stuff. ATF is chock full of detergent.

That color looks like the lower unit oil that you replace in an outboard engine after its been in the unit for a long time.