Synthetic Gear Lube

[art miller]

For the past several years I have been using Amsoil Severe Gear Synthetic gear lube. Product seems to work well but it is expensive and a pain in the *** to either order on line and pay shipping or drive 25 miles to the nearest distr.

I am considering going to Mobil 1 Synthetic Gear Lube LS 75-90. Have any of you had experience with this product? If yes do you recommend using it? If there are other synthetic gear lubes you think are better and not as expensive as Amsoil, please advise. Thanks.

 

[RossKean]

Mobil 1 is just fine and used by lots of people on the forum. Don't worry about it. Despite what Yamaha say about using their very pricy stuff, I have never heard about anyone with a rear drive failure that is in any way related to the lube. (Other than hppants who neglected to adequately tighten the drain bolt - absence of lube is not an acceptable substitute.)

 

[Pterodactyl]

Would be hard to find a synthetic gear oil of the proper weight and other specifications that would not work well.

 

[art miller]

Thanks for your input. Is there any reason to be concerned about the Hypoid requirement stated by Yamaha? Is that covered by GL-5? You can tell I am not versed in this stuff.

 

[marcusorelius]

I use Honda shaft drive oil. Low cost & if it's good enough for a hondapodamus (Goldwing) it is tough enough for an FJR!

 

[Pterodactyl]

API GL-5 oil is rated high for extreme pressure (there is a GL-6 that rated for higher extreme pressures but not commonly available). GL-5 is suitable for all hypoid gears and some manual transmissions.

 

[Pterodactyl]

Against my better judgement, you've lured me into a oil thread. Buy any reputable 75W 90, synthetic, GL-5 rated gear oil and move on with riding. Mobile One, Valvoline or whatever is on sale at Autozone, NAPA or your local version of an auto parts store.

 

[redzgrider]

I've had a dealer do one oil change, and when I provided the high-dollar Yamaha lube, they had very obviously never used it before. Or, I suspect, since...

 

[RossKean]

Buy whatever. It REALLY doesn't matter. Change it every couple or three oil changes - that's often enough. At four changes per quart and changing it maybe a couple times per year, it isn't exactly a major operating cost. I guess I got sucked into an oil thread too.

 

[Mr. BR]

Hey Art!

I've used both the Mobil 1 Synthetic Gear Lube LS 75-90 and the Amsoil in my Gen1... both work fine and have the GL5 rating. One of my local shops in the South Bay carries both if I recall so it's easy for me to get either one. No preference on either but I'm currently running the Amsoil and the previous 2-3 changes I used the Mobil1. It's all good and I would only use the BEST stuff in my custom re-geared final drive unit.

Mr. BR

 

[Fred W]

 

[Pterodactyl]

Also the lubricant of choice in the **** industry and among proctologists.

 

[MrZappo]

I'd like to see the extraction fluffer they contracted for that job.

 

[RossKean]

I'd like to see the extraction fluffer they contracted for that job.

King Kong

 

[wetwolf]

I think you might need fore skin divers for that job.

 

[mech 1 twa]

Pulled in.

GL-6 I believe is 75-140 oil. Full syn. Not that uncommon.

75-90 80-90wt all good.

 

[art miller]

Against my better judgement, you've lured me into a oil thread. Buy any reputable 75W 90, synthetic, GL-5 rated gear oil and move on with riding. Mobile One, Valvoline or whatever is on sale at Autozone, NAPA or your local version of an auto parts store.

Many thanks for your comments. The Hypoid requirement was what I really needed clarity.

 

[Fred W]

All modern gear oil is either GL-4 or GL-5 and is "hypoid" gear capable. Since the majority of differentials are made up of hypoid gears, that only makes sense.

API Category GL-4 designates the type of service characteristic of spiral-bevel and hypoid gears in automotive axles operated under moderate speeds and loads. These oils may be used in selected manual transmission and transaxle applications.
API Category GL-5 designates the type of service characteristic of gears, particularly hypoids in automotive axles under high-speed and/or low-speed, high-torque conditions. Lubricants qualified under U.S. Military specification MIL-L-2105D (formerly MIL-L-2015C), MIL-PRF-2105E and SAE J2360 satisfy the requirements of the API GL-5 service designation.

API Category GL-6 (inactive*) designates the type of service characteristic of gears designed with a very high pinion offset. Such designs typically require (gear) score protection in excess of that provided by API GL-5 gear oils. The original API GL-6 test equipment is obsolete.

 

[art miller]

Wow Fred, are you an engineer? Good info. Hopefully others will benefit from this as well. Thanks!!