Syncro gearbox lifespan

[Aidan]

yes but it's better than anything on BY syncro forum at the mo, hours of fun for everyone

[axeman]

turning in to" what engine oil should i put in to my van? "

i run a 10-60 castrol just for the record

neil

[nrxx]

Oh dear! what have I started (restarted?)!

I was about to ask another question (confirming the GL4/5 classification of Fuchs Gear Syn) and would you know it, he'd gone and answered it in advance (it's ok)! Cheers.

I thought it might help if I post the GSF part no's as they appear to have changed from the code Aidan (and others), have quoted.

980AA0650 FUCHS TITAN GEAR OIL 75W-90 1L GENERAL USE-SYNTHETIC BASE 5.15
980AA0660 FUCHS TITAN SYN GEAR OIL 75W-90 4 L AS REQUIRED (GL4/GL5 SPEC) 15.80

Hope this might be of help.

Nick

[HarryMann]

Don't all opils break-down? After prolonged use at high temperatures, under load, for year after year & tens of thousands of miles, wouldn't any oil start to lose some of its properties? Or is gearbox oil special?

No, by nature, oils maintain their base viscosity and lubrication properties...

They do howver, lose additives (esp mineral multigrades) and become contaminated (e.g. metals, metallic oxidants, solid loads etc.

==========

Neil,

Where do you get that Castrol 10-60, thought that was only easily bought in the States ?

[KarlT]

I'd have thought their additives & being clean/pure were some of their properties!

[HarryMann]

It's generally well known and common knowledge that conditioning additives, friction modifiers and multi-grading polymers slowly deplete or wear out, so the answer presumed that was a given.... and properties implied those of the base oils

So no, mineral & vegetable oils have visosity, film strength and nominal lubricity, some better than others (e.g. silicone oils don't have very good lubricity at all)

Those are fundamental (innate) properties!

Those properties are generally maintained, and don't age out (unless severely overheated, oxidised etc)

Basic ability to lubricate and keep surfaces apart doesn't 'just disappear'

[KarlT]

So do you change or not?

[syncrodoug]

I can think of two reasons why you ought to change the oil.

1. Given that the base polymer retains it's intrinsic properties over time the additives do not, so the overall efficacy of the lubricant declines with age.

2. I think most of us have not owned our syncros from new and therefore are unsure of it's past history. One scenario comes to mind of the elevated temperatures a gearbox might suffer due to baked on clay, another is a previous owner decided to change the oil but used the wrong grade - I expect others may come to mind.

[syncropaddy]

I can think of two reasons why you ought to change the oil.

1. Given that the base polymer retains it's intrinsic properties over time the additives do not, so the overall efficacy of the lubricant declines with age.

2. I think most of us have not owned our syncros from new and therefore are unsure of it's past history. One scenario comes to mind of the elevated temperatures a gearbox might suffer due to baked on clay, another is a previous owner decided to change the oil but used the wrong grade - I expect others may come to mind.

Hmmmmmm.....

Do I change the oil or buy beer ....... ? Beer .... Oil ....Beer .... Oil ....Beer .... Oil ....Beer .... Oil ....Beer .... Oil ....Beer .... Oil ....Beer .... Oil ....Beer .... Oil ....Beer .... Oil ....Beer .... Oil ....Beer .... Oil ....Beer .... Oil ....Beer .... Oil ....Beer .... Oil ....Beer .... Oil ....Beer .... Oil ....Beer .... Oil ....

Oh its a toughie!

[syncrodoug]

If you bought enough beer nothing else would matter!

[syncropaddy]

If you bought enough beer nothing else would matter!

We'll have one or two in Germany Doug!

[syncrodoug]

I'll drink to that!

[KarlT]

"Opinion is divided on the issue! All the other sea captains say it is, I say it isn't!"

I'm looking to save money on my running cost too. What are peoples thoughts on brake-pad renewal?

[KarlT]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EfW9znJYjw

[eric]

Naive question perhaps but, so long as the gearbox oil is 75W/90 (as per Aidan) does it matter if 4 litres are one brand and say the other half litre is Halfords? IE., would there be a problem mixing up the brands?

Eric.