GL-1 Gear Oil Alternative

Coal Cracker said:

Yes I posted this in a thread I started on what I thought was a better trans/ t-case lube. I'm now eating crow, and went back to GL-1.

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Was there a problem with that lube? If so, what was it? Thanks!

paulfarber said:

Really grasping at straws to cling to the GL-5 is bad for you myth?

The statement was that GL-5 is the cause for the gear to fail, and they redesigned the gear several times... but that mean old GL-5 simply will not lubricate the gear as well as GL-1 did.

BULL HOCKEY.

Unless you have some drawings or engineering reports?

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Look Paul, it isn't about lubrication, GL-5 is a SUPERIOR lubricant to GL-1 due to better extreme pressure (EP) additives. The early GL-5 oils were a problem with "yellow metals" (brass and bronze used as bearing surfaces) and caused corrosion due to the addition of active sulferizing agents. There can be inhibitors added to prevent this corrosion but with generic GL-5 you don't know for sure. I use GL-1 for transmissions with "yellow metals" and GL-5 for everything else.

stancanpara said:

Was there a problem with that lube? If so, what was it? Thanks!

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Would like to know 2 plz.

Good lord my head hurts. Why oh why did I decide to do a search before changing the oil in my trans this weekend.

Sometimes search is not your friend.

All joking aside, I've already stated my feelings on this issue and do not wish to re-hash the debate. Best thing to do is read all the opinions and decide for yourself what to use.

well, to add my , i just rebuilt my transmission, and put lucas 85W90 high performance in it. After driving it around the block a few times and just rolling it out of the garage, and even just running the engine for a while, I have decided that the transmission DOES NOT LIKE this oil one bit. Its been spitting it out everytime the truck runs. At first i just figured the oil level was a little high and it was righting itself, but after checking the level many times, ive concluded that this should no longer be happening. I was reading the bottle of oil and it says it has EP additive, and "gear climbing additives" . You know, like those little clear boxes with the gears in it and regular oil on one side and super oil on the other at the parts store....well I think this might be the problem and the oil is "climbing its way right out the input shaft area. Thats what brought me to this thread and after reading the entire thing, i have since called back to the house and had one of my minions drain the oil out for me so i can put SAE50W diesel engine oil in it. I do read TMs and have done so for many years. What ive gathered from this thread, and some research i did myself, is that if Spicer recommends SAE50 over 85W90 then by all means im gonna use SAE50....reason being, they built the **** thing, they would know what works. As for the TM and all this GL-1 GL-5 hoo-haa, The TMs are not the almighty god of trucks, nor is the manufacturer. If you say well, the manufacturer said that years ago when they had crappy oil, this new stuff is soo much better... well yah maybe it is...but DID YOUR TRANSMISSION CHANGE AT ALL since the manufacturer made said statement? I think not....And the TMs as i read somewhere are just a compromise for expediency...I know that for a fact, having been in the military as a truck driver, ive seen TMs handed out, taken back, revised, rescinded and redone at least 4 times for one vehicle while i was there. So..to recap, TMS arent always right. Manufacturers arent always right. TMs arent always wrong, Manufacturers arent always wrong. But for me, if the manufacturer said to use SAE50 because thats whats close to what they used BACK THEN, then thats what ill use...my transmission sure hasnt changed since it was built so....just saying. SAE50W for me.

85W90 is way too thick.

SAE50, good!

mikew said:

85W90 is way too thick.

SAE50, good!

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Some 90 weight gear oils are actually thinner than 50 weight engine oils. 50 weight engine oil will fit within the normal parameters of for a 90 gear oil. Look it up

I'm no chemist but GL-1 sounds like a safe bet.

Well i just read all 15 pages....PHEW!!! This whole debate reminds me of the oil change intervals on modern cars/light trucks. Eveybody used to change oil and filter at 3000 miles....Jiffy lube loves you for it. But the manufacture says 7500 in most cases. There are exceptions of course. But people still do the 3000 mile thing..is it wrong? nope! is 7500 miles wrong? nope! So i guess what im saying is my take from this whole book is.... the old GL-1 is not bad..cant be has been ran for years and years, the "newer" GL-5 is also ok to use as well as is 50 wt motor oil...So ive determined i'd run any of those 3, and no cow piss!!!

Stuart,

I double checked what i thought I knew, and you are right! Attached is a viscosity chart.

Smokewagon66,

I've got the manufactures documentation regarding the transfer case (it's posted here in the thread) and their recommendation for SAE50, but don't have any docs for the transmission. Can you post what you found, from the manufacturer, on the transmission?

mikew said:

Smokewagon66,
Can you post what you found, from the manufacturer, on the transmission?

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I had just did a random search on Bing i think. It was on some webiste, but i cant find it right now...let me look around and see if i can find it and ill post it when i do.

Seriously Demented

Ladies, oh yes and gentlemen, I seriously want to apologize if this has been covered already; I did not read all 16 pages. But I am referring to LO 9-2320-209-12-1, which is the Lube Orders for the M35A2 as well as others. The transmission GO (gear oil) they specify is MIL-L-2105. Well, well? Every Google search I do identifies this with GL-4 GO and not GL-1. I know there are additives in GL-4 but only a fraction of what is in GL-5, and I don't know whether any of the GL-4 additives are copper/bronze compatible. Just to be safe I've ordered two buckets of GL-1 90, but I would be curious whether others have noted this seeming conflict with info. Probably a failure in my temporal cortical synapses, but just in case; any comment?

Sincerely,

Gary

I figured I'd post to this thread instead of starting a new one. My last change I used GL5/MT-1 80/90W gear oil off the shelf from PEP Boys. I'm installing a Rockwell-rebuilt TCase next weekend and wondered:
1. I understand that Rockwell has a bit of oil in it already but it needs to be topped off. Does anybody have a clue what kind of oil they put into it at the factory? I'm planning on contacting Meritor but sometimes mfr support lines can be tough to get through on.
2. Is"65-201" the NAPA GL-1 part number that everybody seems to reference here? They didn't know it by the brand name or number on the label on pg. 13.
3. NAPA's book says it's 90W. I suppose that corresponds to the 90W gear oil number or is it gawd-awful thick motor oil?

Thanks.

Steve

just drain it and put in whatever you want. i use 40wt motor oil for less drag and easier shifting.

tom

M-35tom: Thanks. I've been reading your posts and will go with either 40W (Rotella or other; having trouble finding non-detergent) or 2nd choice/GL-1 this time. I'm just trying to sort out if I'm right that the NAPA GL-1 90W equates to gear oil.

Thanks again.

Steve

Napa Hydraulic Fluild 65-201 90w gear oil

I worked a few years at NAPA

65-201 is a part number under the NAPA Hydraulic Fluid line code. It is there cheaper alternative line to NAPA oil made by Valvoline or the Valvoline name label itself. Sold tons of it especially the 5 gallon size due to price being extremely competitive in comparison to a 5 gallon Valvoline bucket.

All the specs for this oil are attached on the pdf.

I hope this helps!

I did find 40W non-detergent at Tractor Supply and set aside (3) jugs. SKU Number: 0801244. It's Traveller brand.

Good enough for me to give it a try in the new transfer case and old transmission for a year unless somebody knows that I'm asking for trouble.

Thanks to all for the help.

Steve

I was having problms shifting in my m35. so i drained that GL-5 crap that was in there out and put 140wt GL-4 with some Lucas oil. And holy crap. Night and day diffrence. before i had to cluch everything twice and really force it in gears. now i dont have to cluch a'tall, just my im not saying everyone should use what i did, but i feel that it was a good choice. but use whatever u want. the only person it should matter to is yourself.

Just one observation to consider, the Tractor Supply Traveler brand SAE90/GL-1 (AKA Ford Tractor Transmission Fluid) has the same viscosity as 40wt motor oil.

The Napa Brand SAE90/GL-1 is considerably thicker, at the top of the 90wt spectrum and just a tad thicker than 50wt.