Which manual transmission fluid?

OK, I am working on fixing up my old 1983 240D, I was thinking about changing the manual transmission oil, due to the fact that I have no idea if its ever been done. What type of fluid can be used? The manual I have says Type A automatic trans fluid, which I don't remember seeing in the stores. I saw a listing on ths site for 2 liters synthetic of gear oil. Is that compatable? Even though the manual says ATF type A? Thanks for your help!

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To argue about which type of transmission fluid to use is kind of like arguing whether or not you should run a synthetic oil in your engine. Everyone has an opinion, but few agree. One thing to note is that more and more manufacturers are delivering their new cars with synthetic fluids already added. That in itself should say something about synthetics. Take some time and learn more about the properties of synthetics for yourself. They have a wide range of compatibility and even can be mixed with regular dino oils. Automatic transmission fluid is fine in the 4 speed manual and should not give you any problem. On older transmissions I prefer to add synthetic. It can slow down the wear in high mileage trannies and in some cases even reduce bearing and gear noise. The synthetic we sell will certainly not harm your transmission.