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Date:         Wed, 29 Aug 2012 23:15:20 -0800
Reply-To:     Mark Tuovinen <aksyncronaut@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Mark Tuovinen <aksyncronaut@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Fwd: Gear box oil - Redline MT90 or Swepco ?
Comments: To: Don Hanson <dhanson928@gmail.com>
In-Reply-To:  <CAHTkEuJZ40q4oSc=knOsbMRKmYgUL8JWhovLpiRiFFYDS6hStg@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

I spoke with Daryl about this subject in May when we picked our van up from his place where it had been sitting since our winter vacation road trip ended in January. His recommendation was that vans with higher horsepower engines use swepco while stock vans could use amzoil. One or two other brands were mentioned but amzoil was the primary recommendation for stock or or close to stock horsepower applications.

Mark in AK `87 Westy Syncro

On Tue, Aug 28, 2012 at 7:06 AM, Don Hanson <dhanson928@gmail.com> wrote:

> Totally a subjective opinion about the two main oils being > discussed...the Redline and the Swepco. Simply my own observations, having > run both oils, back to back, several times in a couple of vehicles.. the > choice often dictated by expense and availability issues. I have never > found Swepco available in any stores, though one racer supply shop near > Portland Int. Raceway had it on the shelves. It's also more expensive than > Redline by quite a lot, especially when required in large quantities. > > I've used both of them in more than one German vehicle. There are some > very noticeable differences in the way the transmissions shift and the > 'feel' coming into the chassis from the gears as you run down the road. > On one of my vehicles, which had a gearbox oil temperature gauge, the > Swepco consistently ran at significantly cooler temps under the same > loads...by about 25 degrees F. My personal Internet guess as to why this > was is that the Swepco is a better lubricator and hence lets the gears turn > with less friction, creating less heat. > > My transmission guy showed me a 'test' once where he dipped a bladed > screwdriver in Swepco and handed it to me, blade-up and said..."Grab the > blade with two fingers and hold it upside down"....I could not squeeze it > without the blade squirting out and the screwdriver hitting the bench....He > wiped off the driver and dipped it in some Redline gear oil, then handed it > back to me, same way. I had no problem taking it upside down and holding > it with the handle dangling.... So, with a scientific test like that, > plus the sounds my ears hear and the 25 degrees cooler temps after a 20 > minute racetrack session, I've decided to use the Swepco when I have a > choice. > > There is a significant difference in how the NS Redline oil behaves. I > used a specific blend, a ratio dictated by my transmission guy, to get the > differential performance I wanted from the much modified limited slip > (clutches) in my old race car. The Swepco seemed to work well right out of > the bottles. Not germane to Vanagons, the blending of NS and normal > Redline, other than to note that it certainly is a different formulation. > > In my humble opinion, the Redline oils are too thin. They make the > gearbox noisy and in my one vehicle with a tranny temp gauge, they allowed > hotter running temps, all else being the same. Redline does shift easier > on cold start up. Swepco is a bit 'stiff' when cold, and if I drove often > in sub-freezing, I would probably use Redline during the winters.. > > So, totally unscientific observations. Oh yes..... I know many many of > the experienced racers and builders of racecar gears swear by > Swepco...Daryll says it's good, too. When I have to decide how to do > something, but I don't have the time or inclination to delve into all the > science and to research things endlessly, I usually look around at what > other successful people, doing the same thing, are using...I ask around, > too....and then I just do the same thing...Works for me. > > Don Hanson >


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