Date: Wed, 2 Dec 1998 19:04:20 -0800
Reply-To: Austin <austins@IX.NETCOM.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: Austin <austins@IX.NETCOM.COM>
Subject: Re: transaxle lubricant
In-Reply-To: <01be1e60$6821eca0$3502ebd0@default>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
At 07:58 PM 12/2/98 -0600, you wrote:
>---------------------
>Hi Volks,
> I was shopping for some manual transaxle lubricant and found none that
>was GL4. I saw one that was GL3, GL4, and GL5. one stated GL4 and GL5.
>Most were GL5. What is the right stuff? Is GL5 ok in an 87 manual
>transaxle?
>
>Darrell
>
Plagerized from Fred Porter:
Even the VW dealers can't agree.....
One dealer (as I said before) specified 80-90W GL4, but the other dealer
specified EP 90.
According to Redline: "A GL-4 is a typical gear box lube, a GL-5 is a
hypoid lube with EP sulfur additives and sometimes additional friction
modifiers."
Seeing EP in the Redline info makes me think that the second dealer was
recommending GL5, which isn't what the Bentley specifies, and is reputed
to corrode the brass/bronze transmission synchronizer rings.
FWIW: I queried Redline ( http://www.redlineoil.com/mtlti.htm ) about
my app and they recommended MT-90. Here's a clip from their MTL product
web page:
The synthetic base oils used have a very high viscosity index which
provides relatively constant viscosity as temperature changes. MTL is a
low 75W, almost a 70W, at very low temperatures and a high 80W, nearly
an 85W, at elevated temperatures, providing adequate viscosity to
prevent wear and deaden gear noise. MT-90 is a thicker 75W90 version of
MTL. The shear stability and oxidation stability of these products are
excellent, thus the physical characteristics of Red Line MTL and MT-90
will change little with use.
Red Line MTL is classified as a 75W/80W gear lubricant satisfying the
API Service requirements of GL-3 and GL-4. MTL also satisfies motor oil
viscosities SAE 5W/10W/30, and the viscosity requirements for ATFs.
MT-90 is a 75W90 GL-4 and also satisfies motor oil viscosities SAE
10W/15W/40. The additive chemistry used is non-corrosive, so even though
they will provide GL-4 performance, they will not corrode synchros or
bushings. Because of its low corrosivity, Red Line MTL and MT-90 could
also be used in transmissions requiring GL-1 or GL-3 lubricants. Seal
compatibility is designed to be similar to petroleum-based lubricants.
RedLine oil URL: http://www.redlineoil.com/
Austin
