Guys and Gals,

Need your input on the subject of oil. Now before any of you go off with righteous with indignation about checking the oil thread, the answer is no, I did not check it. I have a specific question, so please spare me the lecture.

Okay here's my situation. Currently, I am running Syn 3 in engine, tranny and primary (since 1000 mi. service). I had been considering switching over to Amsoil, but because it's scarcely available, I decided on Mobil-1. The only way Amsoil might make sense is if I were to become a distributor and frankly I'm not sure it's worth it or not. Any of you who have thoughts or opinions on that subject, please fire away with any input you might have. But back to the question at hand, I decided to run Mobil-1 (full syn) 20W-50 (engine) and 75/140 Gear Oil in the tranny. My question is whether or not any of you have had experience with Mobil-1 75/140 Gear Oil and if so with what results? Also, what are your thoughts on running Mobil-1 20W/50 in my primary. The bottle says safe for wet-slip clutches, engine and tranny, but I am concerned about clutch slippage from too much lubricity or clutch basket compatibility. As you know, not all oils are compatible with clutches. It is possible to have too much lubricity where the clutch slips because of the oil. So those are my questions: 75/140 Gear Oil in my tranny, 20W-50 in my Primary and if you care to address the Amsoil Distributor, feel free to share your thoughts on that as well. Thanks much guys. Really appreciate all your help on this.

 

I'm using that gear oil in my tranny. Seems to be great and I believe a big improvement over using just regular motor oil in the tranny.

 

Several years ago when they first recomended running syn 3 in all 3 holes, some of my 1%er friends started using it in thier trannys. They(and i) run hard and fast. The trannys started failing. It just won't take hard usage and heavy loads. Why so heavy on the gear oil? Everyone i know just uses the Mobil 1 75/90. I wouldn't use Syn 3 in the primary either, i had a 05 dyna with a worn out compensator sprocket at 35,000 miles with syn 3. All hard fast miles riding with above mentioned folks.

 

Haven't used M1 75-140 but I did just put M1 75-90 in the trans at the 1k service. Seems to shift a little better than the stock dino oil.

 

I have run the Mobil 1 75-140 in the tranny, but switched back to Redline Severe Gear. I think it works better and makes shifts smoother and the tranny more quiet. I love Mobil 1 VT 20-50 in the engine but would not run it in the primary. I think it's to slick. I run HD Performance+, but any cheap motor oil will do. I change my engine oil every 5K and the others every 10K. Just turned 35K miles in a little over 2 years. No problems.

 

You're fine with 75/140 in the tranny and 20W50 in the primary. Thats what I've used for years, except I do run Amsoil and I purchase it with a preferred customer account. I don't think Amsoil is any better than other top name brands oil out there but its also no worse. I buy all my oil through them (6 vehicles plus bike) so the $20/year fee is more than worth it to me. JMO and others will have theirs.

 

My opinion is that both Amsoil and M1 are excellent products, as are most or all other synthetics on the market. Buy what is accessible and costs the least from the usual suspects (M1, Amsoil, Royal Purple, Redline, etc.). Syn3 is a good product, regardless of what some may say, but is overpriced. Also, don't overlook M1 15w50, which is an excellent oil that is used by many HD riders and costs $23/5 qt. jug at Wal-Mart. That is the best bargain in synthetic oil on the market and it is well-suited for a Harley engine.

I've used Royal Purple 85w140 and presently Redline SPH, both of which have worked equally well, and I have no doubts M1 75w140 is an excellent choice. I switched to Redline only because of cost.

I think you make a valid argument, but another factor is that M1 20w50 is simply overkill for the primary. An inexpensive 10w40 or higher fossil engine oil will work very well. I've used Castrol GTX 20w50 (~$3.50/qt.) in my '07 and clutch operation is flawless. I believe in using the best lubricants in my bikes, but the "best" for the primary may in fact be a very cheap oil. "Best" for a given application is not necessarily the most expensive or high-tech product on the shelf. My old Evo RK ran $1/qt. 10w40 generic oil from Wal-Mart for >100k miles without problems and it is still running today. The bottom line is that the primary does not require a high-tech oil any more than the hinges of a $10k door need it. Oil in the primary lubes the chains and cools the clutch disks, and there is no need for special additives that you want in the engine, like friction modifiers. The moly used in M1 and most other synthetic engine oils would be my greatest concern, as it is excellent for engines but I would avoid it for use with clutch disks.

I know several knowledgeable riders who use ATF Type F in the primary, and I can see no reason why it wouldn't work well as anything, maybe better. Auto trannies have clutches and chains and often operate for 100k's of miles without problems. Also, ATF may provide an even better friction coefficient than engine oil.

 

Are you sure the dealer put Syn3 in all three holes? Around here, they put Syn3 in the crankcase and Formula+ in the trans and primary (service manual also specifies Formula+). The Mobil 1 fluids that you are asking about will work fine.

 

I just traded a 2007 Dyna Low rider for a 2009 EGlide Classic. I was running Amsoil 20W50 in the engine and Spectro 6 Speed in the trannny. When I got on my new bike I was shocked. I had forgotten just how noisey the transmission was before changing to the Spectro 6 speed. My new bike (825 miles and using the break in fluids) whines in 5th and when coasting to a stop with the clutch disengaged in 1st gear just like my Dyna did before I changed to the Spectro 6 Speed. At my 1000 mile I will be putting the Spectro in the tranny and I guess that I will stick with the Amsoil for the crankcase. I am running Specto's synthetic primary oil in the chaincase and the clutch is slick and smooth with no slipping.

 

I cut out the other for this quote. I dunno about being a distributor, but I have been a "preferred" customer since 01. Preferred customer status cost $20 bucks a year and is supposed to get you distributor prices. Since I've only been a preferred customer, I can not say if a distributor get's a better price or not. I did the preferred customer route when I was buying many gallons of syn two cycle oil for my Bass Boat rocket. Since I've mostly kicked the bass fishing habit, I not sure if the $20 a year really off sets my H-D oil costs or not. No doubt the price is right, but shipping costs do add up quckly.

the whole point of my response is there are other options than being a distributor to get a price break on AMSOIL products. I could mention the guy who was selling Amsoil 75/90 gear lube for $2 bucks a quart at the Rossmeyer swap meet this last weekend, but that was a fluke. You sure can't count on deals like that every day.