Lubes and Liquids

[ricker]

Okay, this can't be that difficult. I've checked out all the local auto retail shops and have found absolutely no GL4 MTF. Total strike out.

I'd like to find Castrol Syntrans Multivehicle 75W-90 synthetic GL4 MTF. Am I dreaming? Is it just not available in the US? I haven't even been able to find a distributer in the US on-line.

My next preferences are Mobillube XHP, Shell Spirax S3G API, and Penzoil EP, all GL4 of course. Is it just not going to happen? Am I going to have to settle for Redline from Amazon?

What do all y'all use?

This is what I use for gear oil: http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/Ca...239_0006410049. Have never had a problem walking in to my local Napa and picking up a gallon.

David

[mearstrae]

Boy, I'm glad I've changed over to an early Range Rover engine and trans. By running the 3.5L and LT-95 I've saved myself some trouble as the trans uses 20-50 engine oil and the engine has hardened seats for no-lead.

'95 R.R.C. Lwb (Gone...)
'76 Series III Hybrid 109
'70 Rover 3500S

[pitchrollyaw]

What're everyone's favorite oils, lubes, and octane for a stock standard all original petrol burning four cylinder Series IIA 109 station wagon?

Redline's gear oil products are yellow metal compatible. They also make a decent lead substitute...pricey but good stuff. Also, they make a gear fluid, Heavy Shockproof, that has suspended solids and seems to slow leaks out of Series swivels and gearboxes...

[TeriAnn]

87 octane.

Depends upon altitude. Many higher altitude locations have 85 octane regular. Just use regular petrol for where you are driving and you will be fine. 87 octane works fine at high altitudes but don't stock up on a lot of 85 octane then immediately drop down to a lower altitude.

Ethanol is hard on older rubber formulas. For at least a decade now all fuel hoses have been reformulated to handle ethanol. The cheap way to deal with it is just to swap out old fuel hoses. I'm not positive but I think the stock series nylon fuel hose is not affected by ethanol. Someone please chime in if I am wrong. I have had stock fuel tank filler hoses that I have been using for 30 or so years that are still in good nick.

Fluids that meet the specs listed in the owner's manual though GL4 takes some searching for.

Sta-Lube GL-4 is usually in stock at NAPA stores and your preferred lubricant for gear oil in areas that leak. Redline synthetic is a good choice for gear oil locations that do not leak. It cuts down on friction so parts run cooler and it is thin enough to work well when the thermometer drops below freezing. Redline has a different blend for the gearbox/transfercase and the diffs/swivel housings.

Since the LR 4 cyl has roller lifters use your favorite brand of 20-50 oil in the summer and 10-40 in the winter where it gets cold.

And you want a DOT4 or DOT5 brake fluid.

The new synthetic water proof greases work well wherever you have grease fittings.

Land Rover one shot grease works well in the steering box but not the front wheel bearings of Series trucks.

[greenmeanie]

Land Rover one shot grease works well in the steering box but not the front wheel bearings of Series trucks.

So by inference it is ok for the rear wheel bearings?

[o2batsea]

So by inference it is ok for the rear wheel bearings?

Funny.

[greenmeanie]

I ain't the one that chose to specify front wheel bearings as a special case.

One shot wouldn't be my choice for wheel bearings purely on cost grounds and its special properties are not required. Other than that it would most likely do just fine.

[TeriAnn]

QUOTE=greenmeanie;99770]So by inference it is ok for the rear wheel bearings?[/QUOTE]

Sure, go ahead and put it in the rear swivel housings. [

[I Leak Oil]

TeriAnn, you did kinda say wheel bearings not swivels.

[lighiche]

And the odyssey continues. Just stopped by two Napa stores, neither of which had GL4, and at one of which the guy argued with me about the use of GL4. Argued. Said GL5 is what's recommended for yellow metal, not GL4. "It's your motor mister..."

Why yes, yes it is.

[lighiche]

Just stopped by a third Napa store. Why do they engage in argument? I'm not asking, I'm telling them what I want. And still they argue.

And they always ask, "What's it going in to?" When I tell them their eyes go wide and they jabber stupid stuff like, "Whoa, vintage Toyota!"

[yorker]

I've never had a problem finding it at NAPA but not all NAPAs cater to the same crowd. I I've seen some where you must give them their part# for it and have it ordered but no one ever complained or argued about it.

http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/CatalogItemDetail.aspx/Gear-Oil-Automotive-1-GAL-CRC-85W90/_/R-SLRSL24239_0006410049

n any event it isn't something I'd get too worked up about, before the internet many people used GL5 without any real concerns I guess ignorance is bliss. Considering its is buffered nowadays it shouldn't bother the synchros much. It does have additives that are more or less superfluous in a transmission though. Consider the fact that many similar transmissions in that era were run on a variety of oils, everything from Type F ATF to 20w 50 engine oils to 40 wt engine oils in some Ford truck 4 speeds, sometimes even the same exact transmission used by different end users specced different lubes.

Any decent NAPA should have it, a good truck stop will also have oils suitable for Roadranger transmissions that will easily meet and exceed the needs of any Series Land Rover tranny.

Most GL5 differential and GL4 Manual Transmission oils contain sulfur-phosphorous EP packages. GL4 does NOT refer to any specific viscosity, but it refers to a level of AW/EP protection for the gearing and bearings in a transmission. GL4-rated oils contain about 40% to 60% of the EP additives that GL5 oils contain.

Both differential and manual transmission fluids use chemical compounds that subdue or inhibit the corrosive effects of sulfur and phosphorous such as calcium, magnesium, boron, potassium or other basic compounds. Emulsifiers, corrosion and rust inhibitors also are included to do their respective jobs.

GL5 differential lubes use friction modifiers to reduce mechanical and fluid friction and add some anti-shudder friction modifier for limited slip, both very different chemical compounds.

Manual Transmission fluids use a different friction modifier for synchro engagement, a modifier that does NOT contain the same Friction Modifier chemicals as differential lubes.

Most manual transmission "specific" fluids (GL4) contain about 40% to 60% of the EP additive of differential lubes (GL5) with inactive or buffered sulphurs. GL4 has come to infer a gear lube with the above percentages of EP additive. The exception of course is ATF fluid used in some of the newer transmissions.

Therefore, both lubes contain the same EP additives, just in different strengths or additive ratios.

Ever since the synchromesh-type fluids appeared on the scene (such as the GM Synchromesh fluid), drivers have had better shifting due to better synchro engagement, attributed to the specialized friction modifier used in these lubes. This specialized friction modifier is better for metallic and composite synchros in terms of shifting and life.

Manual Transmission fluids use a different friction modifier specifically designed for synchro engagement, a modifier that does NOT contain the same chemical compounds as do differential lubes.

A synchromesh fluid usually refers to a specialized fluid that contains special friction modification additives for transmissions that use mechanical synchronizer assemblies; those synchronizer assemblies may be made of carbon fiber composites, sintered metal.

You also have to consider the viscosity of the fluid that the transmission was designed for. The spectrum now ranges from ATF to 75W90 viscosities and therefore a synchromesh GL4 Manual Transmission Lubricant (MTL) can be any viscosity from 7.0 cSt (ATF equivalent viscosity) to a 75W90 type viscosity of approx. 14.5 cSt, and contains special friction modification additives for synchronizer assembly engagement.
brass/bronze, or steel-steel materials.

Current MTL GL4 viscosites are:

1. ATF Series - Type; 6.5 to 8.5 cSt (Equivalent ATF viscosity; Note: ATF additive package is weak compared to most GL 4's)
2. Synchromesh Series -Type; 9.3 - 9.5 cSt (such as Amsoils MTF, Texaco's MTL, Pennzoil's Synchromesh, GM and Chrysler's Synchromesh)
3. 75W85 Series-Type; 9.8 to 11.5 cSt ( Redline's MTL, RP's Synchromax LT, Nissan's MTL, Honda MTL, Castrol Syntorq LT)
4. 75W90 Series-Type; 12.8 to 14.5 cSt (Amsoil's MTG, Redline's MT-90).

MTL specific lubes we're developed for manual tranny's and transaxles, and not for differentials or industrial gear boxes. A differential lube may not kill your tranny, but it is not the optimum lube for it. A diffy 75W90 (GL5) usually has a higher viscosity than does an mtl in the same advertized weight.

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums...Number=1231182

[greenmeanie]

QUOTE=greenmeanie;99770]So by inference it is ok for the rear wheel bearings?

Sure, go ahead and put it in the rear swivel housings. [[/QUOTE]

You seem rather confused today.

If we are to extrapolate between your comments we can draw the conclusion that you are concerned about one-shot migrating between the swivel cavity and the hub and that you feel this is not good and is therefore a justification to not use one shot in series swivels. It is a rather rundabout way of getting there I suppose and we are once again left with the old gem that's been done to death.

As stated earlier one-shot has many properties and more importantly a cost that means it doesn't make sense to use it specifically as a wheel bearing lube. The properties part could equally be levelled at EP90 as a bearing lube. Yet both function well as wheel bearing lubricants.

It just doesn't matter.

[jac04]

It does have additives that are more or less superfluous in a transmission though.

Just watch out for Limited Slip additives. As the post from BITOG states, many commonly available GL5 oils have friction modifiers for use with Limited Slip differentials. I personally would not use any GL5 in a manual transmission that states it is suitable for full-fill of LS differentials.