2 questions... 1. The way I understand it, for example 10w-40 motor oil functions as a 10 weight oil when it is cold, and when it heats up, functions as a 40 weight oil. Is this true? 2. If the above statement is true... I've used 80w-90 gear oil in my ******, but a small leak had me topping it off twice per week. I started using 85w-140, and now I top it off twice per week. If it functions as an 85 weight oil when it is cold, then the oil will be really thin while the car is parked and cold, 80+% of the time. It means that it thickens up when it is warm, making the shifts noticeably less smooth. Where can I find a straight 100 or 110 or 120 weight gear oil? Is there such a thing?
A freind of mine told me a great story about this. He had a street driven Galaxie ('63 I think) with a 427/ 4 speed. I guess at the time (early to mid '70s) the racers were running 140wt oil in their ******s, and he wanted to be all trick and use what the racers do. So he put the 140wt in. He said he could finally shift the ****** into second after it warmed up- which happened to be about when he usually got to his destination . He put the regular stuff in after about a week.
flathead fords used 600W oil in the trans and rear. You can still get. I got a 5 gal bucket and when that was used up I got a 55 gal drum
Oil will not "thicken up" when it gets hot, actually it get thinner. 10-40 oil is infact 10 weight oil, when it gets to operating temperature it lubricates like 40 weight should. The 'W' in 10W40 stands for "winter" not weight, the thinking is you need a 40 weight oil but the motor won't start in the cold, so put in 10 weight that works like 40 weight. Hope this helps. CT.
Manyolcars, I have a quart of that **** lying around here, it says on the bottle that it is actually the equivalent of an SAE 250. Does anyone know IF there us such a thing as straight 120 weight (for example) gear oil?
[ QUOTE ] Does anyone know IF there us such a thing as straight 120 weight (for example) gear oil? [/ QUOTE ] You can buy a straight 140 gear oil. Sta-Lube sells it in quarts and gallons, their part numbers SL24228 and SL24238. You can get an industrial gear oil that is in the 100-120 range, but you will most likely only find it in 5 gallon pails or 55 gallon drums. It would be ISO 320 gear oil. The 600W available now is an ISO 460 or SAE 140 gear oil. It is typically compounded with animal fats as an extreme pressure additive. These types of products are better to use in worm gear applications, like Model T truck rear ends, or anywhere bronze gears are used. The sulpher EP additives used in other gear oils can attack bronze. And CTFuzz is correct on the multigrades. Oils do not get thicker, they just put polymer additives in them to make them thin less. Hope this adds to the confusion Neal
Neal, where would I get the ISO 320 stuff? And, if it doesn't thicken, why does it get harder to shift when the car is up to operating temp?
[ QUOTE ] Neal, where would I get the ISO 320 stuff? And, if it doesn't thicken, why does it get harder to shift when the car is up to operating temp? [/ QUOTE ] multi viscosity oils have very small rubber balls which expand with heat. Oil itself does thin with heat. The 600W does not mean 600 weight. This oil is steam cylinder oil. Its what Henry recommended. You can call The Shell Answer Man to get more info.
Look in your yellow pages under Oils-Lubricating. Any commercial oil jobber should have what you need. A few products to ask for would be... Chevron Gear Compound EP ISO 320 MobilGear 632 Shell Omala 320 Texaco Meropa 320 76 Lubricants 6EP I don't know why you would experience harder shifting at operating temp. It should be the exact opposite. Hope this helps. Neal
Neal, it is probably because it is a Ford and it isn't supposed to make sense! Another one of their better ideas, no doubt!
Allright-----Here is a short tech on oils. I am not a fast typer, use HandP. All stright weight oils are made with a 10 weight bright stock base, no matter what you buy--10-20-30-40-50-60-70, to make a heavyer oil thickeners are added plus the additive package. Under a microscope the molucules look like ping pong balls-----round. Now multiweight oils start with a 90 weight bright stock and thinners are added plus additive package and a polymer additive. Molucules look like noodles or a section of a rubber band. When over use- heavy loads-heat and hammered on and things start to go to hell in a hand basket, guess what one is going to hang in and give the best protection? Multiweight oil hands down..Round ball will burst and brake down and result in metal to metal contact. Long noodles will last longer and prevent metal contact from happing as soon. Excess heat will cause additives to go away and oil will revert to base makeup. Stright weights will go back to 10 and multiweights will go to 90. I dont care what brand you use, hardest thing in the world is to try and tell a dunb*** what to use.BUT whoever you like,---API service CH-4---CG-4---CF-4 in 15w40 is best oil on the planet right now. OIL is supped to turn dark after a short time, this is contaminats from fuel, combustion, blowby being held in suspension so the oil filter can do its job. If oil stays new looking you can bet **** is sticking to inside parts and oil p***ages where harm and wear are taking there toll. Gear lubes are another post, but FORDIAC nailed it on talking apples and oranges.
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