Date:         Tue, 29 Aug 2000 12:00:30 EDT
Reply-To:     JKrevnov@AOL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Rico Sapolich <JKrevnov@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Who makes GL-4 transmission oil and why do I need it?
Comments: To: vanagon@volkswagen.org
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

In a message dated 8/29/00 12:23:46 AM, vanagon@volkswagen.org writes:

<< I've been going all through the parts stores here in town asking for GL-4
transmission fluid for my 88 Syncro.  >>

David,
Your best bet is to go to an industrial lubricants distributor.  I too
recently went through this quest for that Holy Grail, GL-4 gear oil and I
have concluded that such a thing no longer exists in the catalogues of major
lubricant vendors.  I did find 3 manufacturers who offer gear lubes which are
rated for API use categories GL-3 through GL-5.  These lubes are available
from Mobil, Coastal and, the creme de la creme, Lubriplate.  I would have
bought the Lubriplate but, my local distributor did not stock it and wanted
me to buy a case lot.  With the Lubriplate costing about $20US/GAL, I decided
to stop being so anal and bought 2 GAL of the Coastal version at Autozone for
about $5US/GAL.

If you carefully read the label on your 35LB. pail of Pennzoil gear lube, you
MAY find that it too is multi-rated for API use categories GL-3 through GL-5.
 I did find that the lubricants I was using, Mobil Synthetic and Wolfshead
are rated for GL-5 use ONLY.  In fact, in their literature Mobil specifically
notes that their synthetic is not for GL-4 applications.

I hope you can put a Canadian spin on the foregoing information.
Rich