Gear Oil Recommendation

[FlashBuddy]

What are you using do gear oil? My tranny ('50 B2B w/4 on the floor, non synchro) is pretty noisy, as too is my diff. I think I should chane out the oil in those two places, especially since I don't know the trucks history.

Edited December 2, 2017 by FlashBuddy
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[FlashBuddy]

So far I've figured out that 90wt GL4 is one way to go, available from Redline or Amsoil. Those posts were from 4 to 6 years ago. Anybody using synthetic?

[Plymouthy Adams]

GL4 is not a gear lube   it is a hypoid lube with shear additives....the correct lube for your tranny is available at Napa in one gallon container for approx. 15.00 it is GL1...regardless of the labeling on the container the GL4/5 oils is still not a recommendation...if so, then the API would absolve the requirements/properties of the GL1 and make it obsolete as they have with the GL2 and GL3 and surpassed it with the GL4/5, which they HAVE NOT....

[timkingsbury]

Here is what we use in every vintage overdrive transmission (R6,  R7 ,  R10G1)  and every straight vintage 3 speed,   4 speed and yes even the 5 speeds in our heavy 1952-1956 Dodge trucks.  We have trannys with over 100,000 miles on them using it,  as would the recognized expert in vintage trannys George Asche.    He has taken apart a tranny with tens of thousands of miles on it using Fuel Synthetic oil that yes is really designed for Diesel engines and the internals were perfect.

 

[tanda62]

I am using Traveler SAE 90 Ford Tractor Transmission Fluid from Tractor Supply.  It is GL 1 and seems to work really well.

[MBF]

Traveler 85-140 from Tractor Supply.  Been using it for many many years.

 

[Matt Wilson]

On 12/2/2017 at 10:03 AM, FlashBuddy said:

What are you using do gear oil? My tranny ('50 B2B w/4 on the floor, non synchro) is pretty noisy, as too is my diff. I think I should chane out the oil in those two places, especially since I don't know the trucks history.

When you say your transmission is noisy, I assume you mean some kind of noise other than the usual gear whine that's normally present in a non-synchro tranny?  Non-synchro tranny's are known for being very noisy (loud whine) in all gears except direct drive (which is likely 4th gear in your truck).  That noise is just a by-product of their design, which uses straight-cut spur gears and is perfectly normal.  Or do you mean a different kind of noise, such as bearing noise?

Also, if your non-synchro tranny is anything like mine, I doubt you have any brass or bronze materials in there, so GL4/GL5 lube should be just fine.  Or you could take Tim's suggestion and use the Amsoil diesel engine oil that he recommends.  I may do that in mine when I fill it (it's currently out of the truck with fluid drained because I'm rebuilding the engine).

Edited December 15, 2017 by Matt Wilson

[FlashBuddy]

Yup, 4 speed non synchro. Gear whine though a tad quieter wit the new oil.

After the engine rebuild, will you be sticking with the same tranny? Is it also 4 speed non synchro?