Coming up on 5000 mile service. I am currently useing Syn 3 and Forumula +. I know a lot of folks feel these are subpar, but there is so much info. on here I can't make a decision.

Can some of you please reccomend a combination of oils to use for engine, tranny, & primary. Keep in mind I live in Texas, and the 100 degree days are coming.

thanks

 

Amsoil is probably the best. My next change is going to be Lucas Synthetic 20/50 in the crank, still running HD Formula+ in the primary and Bel-Ray in the tranny.

HD says Formula+ is good for 10,000 miles, but I'm gonna do a change on the crank and the primary @ 7500 miles. Change the tranny every 5.

Gonna give Lucas a shot. Next try will probably be Amsoil... CHeck it out for yourself.. Probably the best oil test ever done:

http://www.synthetic-oil-tech.com/d....aper-g2156.pdf

 

A top quality Synthetic would be my recommendation. The top oils According to Federal Testing Standards (ASTM) in the 20W50 weight are as follows: 1. AMSOIL MCV 20W 50 2. Mobil 1 V twin 3. BMW 4. Torco T 4SR 5. Golden Spectro 4 6. Screamin Eagle Syn 3. As for the transmission, a Synthetic that meets API GL 1 will work just fine. Lots of folks run a GL 5 but that is an overkill. I ran the AMSOIL SVG 75W 90, which is a GL 5, for two years and I now run the MCV, which is a GL 1, in all three holes. The weather here in The Valley in CA is like Texas 100 plus days all summer. The MCV works just fine. A good Syn doesn't even start to breakdown till over 600 deg F. Petroleum Starts to cook at a little over 300 deg F. I have seen my oil temp on the dipstick temp gage at 290 deg F.

These are all good choices but I like the AMSOIL .

 

From what I gather the two top oils suggested are,

Amsoil syntheticMCV 20/50 oil in engine, primary & trany ore Amsoil SVG 75/90 syntheticgear oilin trany and Amsoil MCV 20/50 synthetic oilin engine and primary. Both combinations work well according to Amsoils web page...

Ore

Mobil 1 V twin 20/50 synthetic in engine & primary and Mobil 1 75/90 Synthetic gear oil in trany...

You can not go wrong either way.
Good Luck,
Bill G

 

Amsoils site says that the MCV can be used in all three holes, but a lot of the posts on here say that the 20w50 should not be used in all three. Is this accurate?

Just to make sure I am understanding:

I can use 20w50 in the engine and primary (use same product in both) but then use a heavier weight oil (ex. 75w90) in the tranny?

 

According to Amsoils web page you can use the 20/50 in all three holes, Below is what there web page says about the oil choices for a Harley. Also 75/90 gear oil is the same viscosity as 20/50 motor oil, the diffrences are the additives in the oil.

The way I figure it is, if we trust their product, then we should trust their recomendations, and if we don't, we should buy another product line..............

Take Care,
Bill G

Copied from Amsoils web page below.....

Harley-Davidson Engine, Transmission and Primary Chaincase Lubricant Recommendations
Harley-Davidson recommends 20W-50 Synthetic Motorcycle Oil for the engine, transmission and primary chaincase on the 1340 and 1450 cc models.
In order to be consistent with this recommendation we are also recommending the AMSOIL 20W-50 Synthetic Motorcycle Oil (product code MCV) in the engine, transmission and primary chaincase on the 1340 and 1450 cc models.
For 883cc and 1200cc Sportster motorcycles, the AMSOIL 20W-50 Synthetic Motorcycle Oil (MCV) is recommended for both the engine and transmission.
An optional alternative on 1340cc and 1450cc models is to use the AMSOIL 20W-50 Motorcycle Oil (MCV) in the engine crankcase, AMSOIL Synthetic Severe Gear 75W-90 Gear Lube (SVG) for the transmission and the AMSOIL 10W-40 Synthetic Motorcycle Oil (MCF) for the chaincase.
There is no right or wrong choice, it is simply a matter of personal preference. Some customers prefer to use the Severe Gear 75W-90 gear lube in the transmission and the 10W-40 Synthetic Motorcycle Oil in the primary chaincase while others use the 20W-50 (MCV) in all three areas and with both options customers report a noticeable performance improvement, including smoother shifting and lower engine temperatures.
The AMSOIL 20W-50 Synthetic Motorcycle oil (MCV) provides superior gear protection, meeting API GL-1 gear lube viscosity requirements for those customers that choose to use it in their transmission. The AMSOIL Severe Gear 75W-90 Gear Lube meets API GL-5 gear lube viscosity requirements and is an extreme severe duty rated transmission lubricant for those customers that choose to use the Severe Gear 75W-90.
Either choice of AMSOIL products as outlined in this notice will outperform the Harley-Davidson Syn3 oil as documented by independent ASTM laboratory testing as shown in our new White Paper: "A Study of Motorcycle Oils"
The change interval specification on the AMSOIL 20W-50 Synthetic Motorcycle Oil (MCV) is two times Harley-Davidson's recommended change intervals or one-year, whichever comes first. The AMSOIL EAoM Absolute Efficiency Motorcycle Oil Filters are specified as two times Harley Davidson's oil filter recommended change intervals or one-year, whichever comes first.

 

I am a little confused by this wording, is it saying you need to change Amsoil twice as often as the HD schedule or you can go twice as long in between changes?

What I will normally do is Engine Oil and filter change at 2500 mile intervals& Tranny/Primary at 5000 mile intervals

 

It means 10,000 mile oil changes instead of 5000 mileslike the HD manual says if you use the Amsoil oil filter instead of the HD filter. Or once a year witch ever comes first. I fyou use the Hd filter change it every 5000 miles.

Take Care,
Bill G

 

that's what I thought, didn't make sense the other way around.

One more question, If I run 75w90 in my tranny would this be an issue in colder temps? It doesn't get real cold here, but I would still ride in the 40's/50's. Would I need to go to a lighter weight oil in the tranny during the winter?

 

75/90 gear oil is the same viscosity or weight as the 20/50 motor oil. The diffrences are the additives between thegear oils and the motor oils. You will be fine with the 75/90 gear oilat those temps yearround.

Take Care,
Bill G