OK, I replaced my transmission oil in my Evo this weekend with Bel-Ray because that is what the previous owner used. The stuff is like taffy and hard to clean up because it sticks to whatever it touchs. Now I'm wondering if that is really good for the tranny, especially in the winter. I can see that I better let the engine warmup for at least 5 minutes to make sure the gears are getting lubed.

I don't know, is it really worth $20?

Beary

 

You don`t need to spend big bucks for 5 speed transmission lube.

Any 75w90 gear lube will give it all the protection it needs.

Failure or premature wear of 5 speed components is very rare.

 

This is just me but I have been in a lot of car manual transmission with lots of miles and they were run with 70-90 SYN. It's like a washing machine in there. Problems I have see if stuff in a bearing or adbuse. There is a double row of very small needle bearings on the inner drive shaft coming from the clutch that drive the transmission. The output for the belt small pulley is of course on the outside of shaft but it has it's own huge bearing. I personal would run no thicker then 90 SYN (not 90 straight weight) or a gear lube like Harley's Formual+ that is about 20-50 and has no EP additive. (like the 75-90Syn has) Of course this just became an oil thread but is based on 46 years of working on this stuff (mostly cars and boats however) It probley does not matter for 90% who will never wear one out. If a missed shift chips (on lugs..not gear teeth since they are aways meshed or the throw out bearing goes and that gets into those needles, not sure even if 20-50 SYN will flush it out. I think that is what gets them. You do not need to warm it up. Almost 1/2 is sitting in oil and soon as you pull out, it's all bathed. Guess if you started it up at 40 degrees sitting at the entrance to a 70mph interstate would be different but more so to the engine. I personal would drive up the road a few miles and turn around . I do that in my cage if that was the case.

 

Bel-ray big twin tranny fluid is a 85-140 gl-5 tranny fluid. I used it for years and never had a problem and my plug magnet was always clean. Now I did not ride in winter months, as up in Connecticut is a little cold and the roads are full of sand. But as I remember it was a little thick but not like taffy..
I did switch to spectro 6 speed tranny fluid, when I bought my new heritage. Its a 75-140 gl5 rated fluid... I wanted something a little thinner. Only have 5000 miles but so far so good!!!!swifty

 

I'm a regular at the dealership, so I handed the parts guy my credit card without even asking the price. Had I known, I would not have bought it.

Even though this bike has 33,000 miles on it, it's my run around town bike that will likely get only 1500 miles a year. I do ride it all year long, but not very far.

I use Mobil 1 in my other bikes, but I have had problems with the gaskets weeping in older bikes when I tried synthetic. So I decided to not use it even though I have some on the shelf. I would have been happy with Formula +.

I'm not cheap, but I am practical. So this kind of bugs me.

Beary

 

Tried it once back in 09 (That was the BelRay Hypoid 85-140) as per dealer recommendation... IMO its a not a Good oil to use.. and I'll never use it again..... WAY to STIFF till the motor warms up,,at least 10mins and that was when the temp was 70* and over....

After that it the same for all other GL oils in the Tranny... I'll never use ANY GL oils/lubes in the Tranny's again....Just me

I've been through the Loop and I am now sticking only with a good SYN 20-50 oil in the motor and at the least I'd Formula+ in the pri and Tranny as the MoCo's engineers say to use....

For me I am sticking with a well know syn 20-50 in all three and have been for the last 4 yrs and I can't tell nor would I say that when I did use a GL in the tranny it was any better shifting or smoother or finding neutral.

Again... I am just sticking with 20-50 motorcycle oil's in All three...After8 yrs and 54k miles on our 07 Heritage...

If you think you're smarter to use whatever oil other than what the MoCo Engineers designed the motors to use .....----- then use ""whatever"" you like.....

 

If I'm gonna spend big on engine oil, then as far as the transmission goes, my Slim will only wear this... http://www.redlineoil.com/product.aspx?pid=119&pcid=13

I'm more more willing to compromise on crankcase and primary lubes, but prefer this... ( http://www.autozone.com/motor-oil-an...0/?kpid=153232 ) because it's easy to find locally, as opposed to Redline; which I have to order on line.

 

LOL, reminds me of an old trick sleazy used car dealers used to use on tired manual transmissions. Put a little ground beef in there. Made 'em really smooth and quiet for a while.

 

Been running BelRay in my Heritage for several years now. I'll admit that it's a little 'tight' at first but seems to work fine after that. Not sure it's any better than 20W50 but I guess I'll stick with it now. Nearly 40,000 miles now.

 

I worked in the chemical industry nearly 30 years. I just retired back in August and I wish I would have "extracted" documents pertaining to oils, tests and results before I walked out. I also know there are a ton of people who just run 20/50 in all 3 holes and who swear by it and they could never be dissuaded from doing so.

Transmissions have gears, obviously, that is why that fluid is called gear lube. I only run Amsoil 75/90. There is a HUGE difference between viscosity and flow rates yet they depend on one another to work. Viscosity would be the difference between water and lets say honey. That tackiness you speak of is it's viscosity at work. Flow rate is the amount or how an oil flows per cubic foot per minute.

Because an oil is thick and tacky, it's viscosity, does not mean it doesn't flow and lubricate well. Synthetics do both of these much better and why gear lube is so much better and called "gear lube". It's ability to stand up to "shear" is far greater and can maintain "viscosity" yet flow far more freely than engine oil.

Does this mean "engine oil" will not work in your tranny? Of course not BUT you wont get the level of protection that a Syn gear lube will give you. It's "flow rate" is what one will see when it seeps or leaks around gaskets. SYNTHETIC OILS DO NOT cause an engine to leak oil. If you put syn in your engine and it leaks the problem was already there and what you are seeing is superior flow rate verse inferior dino oil or gear lube.

That is a prime example of using dino all the time verse Syn. The dino oil all the time works on gaskets while synthetic doesn't. Use syn from the get go and assuming everything is tight, will never attack your gaskets and leak or seep. Syn flow rates are far superior, that's why it finds lose or defective gaskets. It flows far better cold yet maintains viscosity while maintaining its flow rate and sheer when cold or hot.