Engine oil vs Gear box oil?

[Tikirocker]

Just want some clarification ... I spoke to two different mechanics recently, both of which know and service Land Rovers - the advice given was to use the same oil for both engine and gearbox, not different oils. Apparently Land Rover recommend this themselves. I don't doubt their wisdom but was just curious to see what others are doing. Previous owner was doing changes every 5k for the County. Any thoughts?

Simon.

[JDNSW]

What Landrover? Depends on the model, but yes, engine oil is the recommendation for some gearboxes.

John

[Tikirocker]

JD .... County 110.

[101RRS]

JD .... County 110.

But what gearbox? - LT95 certainly uses engine oil. Not sure of LT85 or LT77.

[isuzutoo-eh]

If its a 4 speed/LT95, then yeah, its usually engine oil used.

[isuzurover]

I would never use engine oil in a gearbox.

The mechanics who advised you that obviously have not kept up with modern oil technology.

Although engine oild were the original spec, there are a range of low viscosity gear oils available these days which are much better for LR boxes than engine oil. Do a search for the many oil posts by Rick130 and others on here.

I was advised by Mal Story (of maxi-drive fame) to use Castrol VMX-80 in my LT85. I have since switched to Castrol Syntrans which is better again.

The LT95 is a strong box, so can probably cope better than most with engine oil, however they are expensive to rebuild.

[Tikirocker]

I;m running the 4 speed manual box in the County. The previous owner informed me that using the same oil for Engine/Gbox was recommended to him by MR Automotive at Redcliffe, who many would know are Land Rover specialists. The mechanic who did my pre-purchase inspection ( Who owns a Series 1 and drives it to work ) also agreed that using the same oil was the go

Two for two ain't bad, how wrong can they be?

Simon.

[isuzurover]

I;m running the 4 speed manual box in the County. The previous owner informed me that using the same oil for Engine/Gbox was recommended to him by MR Automotive at Redcliffe, who many would know are Land Rover specialists. The mechanic who did my pre-purchase inspection ( Who owns a Series 1 and drives it to work ) also agreed that using the same oil was the go

Two for two ain't bad, how wrong can they be?

Simon.

If 2/2 people told you the world was flat, would you believe them?

[rovercare]

I use engine oil in the LT95's box and Transfer

JC is the same last I knew

So easy just to have the one 20L drum:D

[Scallops]

Two for two ain't bad, how wrong can they be?

Simon.

:D See Ben's comment. I have a Series 1 - the owner's manual states a different oil for TC / gearbox to the engine oil, so your mechanic isn't following what Rover specified for his S1 at least. Don't know about the LT95.

[d@rk51d3]

And another +1 here for the engine oil.

Welcome to the flat earth society ;)

[numpty]

For the LT95, engine oil is the correct oil to use. I guess that makes me a flat earther too.;)

I had a Stage 1 for 21 years with that gearbox and engine oil was all that ever went in it.

[101RRS]

I would never use engine oil in a gearbox.



Well the LT95 does - whoever told you different has given you bad advice. There are plenty of stories on various forums of people experimenting with other oils in the LT 95 and paying the price.

Standard grade rover V8 engine oil works, has a proven track record so why change.

Garry

[uninformed]

if my failing memory serves me, I think Mal Story also use to recommend engine oil for the LT95......

[StephenF10]

If 2/2 people told you the world was flat, would you believe them?

If one of them was the manufacturer, yes.

Stephen.

[uninformed]

If one of them was the manufacturer, yes.

Stephen.

Do you take everything LR says as gospel?............sorry but LR has been wrong on many things before and will continue to do so....

[StephenF10]

Do you take everything LR says as gospel?............sorry but LR has been wrong on many things before and will continue to do so....

So who do I believe? The manufacturer of the vehicle or a stranger on a forum?

No contest.

Stephen.

[uninformed]

So who do I believe? The manufacturer of the vehicle or a stranger on a forum?

No contest.

Stephen.

whats the difference between what Rick130, Bush 65 or Isuzurover says in txt or in person....you still dont know them....but maybe, just maybe they are worth listening to...

I didnt no Mal Story until I got to know him....I trust his word over LR EVERY time

...btw by your definition isn't LR just a stranger......

take the advise that gave us the pathetic track rod/drag link, that pushed the wheel bearings closer together on wheel hubs. That brought out the 32 spline cv, that reduced the quality of axle material... reduced the gal coating on steel boady parts so electrolisis starts alot sooner, no relays on headlight circuts, poor earths and undersize copper, etc etc etc etc etc :D

[isuzurover]

OK - maybe engine oil is still the best to use in the LT95. It is certainly strong enough that you could probably throw the odd banana skin in occasionally and it would keep working.

The 5 speeds are however not as strong...



If one of them was the manufacturer, yes.

Stephen.

What a manufacturer recommended in the mid 80's may not still be applicable. I have an (OEM) sticker on my 110 which says to use "soluble oil" in the cooling system as a corrosion inhibitor. If I did that my oil cooler and thermostat would probably be piles of rust by now.

Oil technology and materials science have progressed quite a lot in the last 25 years.






LT95 T-case and thrust washer wear:

Just tried something.

Having had another set of thrusts wear heavily in my tcase after towing a van for 9000k, I drained the bronze coloured oil(15w40 Pennzoil) out, and filled with 5w40 synthetic from my Td5 engine oil stash.

Just did a very arduous crawling and climbing long off road drive today, and came back on the highway at 100+ and noticed a marked drop in oil temp in the transfer case.( I have installed a temp gauge before our trip west, near Ceduna on the way back it got to 100degreesC during a 36C day towing the van at 95kmh into a headwind)

I will drop the oil again this week sometime, and keep monitoring it.

Already it feels like it has less 'drag', or is this just wishful thinking?

Any comments from the oil techs here?

JC


you do realise that most 75w-90 gear oils are the same viscosity as a 15w-40 engine oil. ;)
If you have a thrust washer wear problem I'd be jumping that way due to the extra EP component of the gear oil.
If you are worried about copper/bronze discolouration, use a good synthetic 75w-90 as most nearly all are buffered to prevent reaction.

Yes, most synthetic oils result in a temperature drop in use, (better heat transfer, better coefficient of friction) although a really well blended mineral oil can also do this.

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/technical-chatter/44406-lt95-ransfer-case-oil.html

[Bearman]

As said, a 15W40 engine oil is fine in both the gearbox and transfer case in the LT95. Use a heavier oil and you will shear the shaft on the oil pump gear and have synchro problems then you will have some serious wear to deal with. I have used this in mine for the last 16 years and still have the original box behind the Suzi after 750K!.

[Tikirocker]

The advice passed on by both mechanics was in relation to the 4 speed manual box in my County - just so we are all clear. Both mechanics are highly respected and as I said before I don't doubt their wisdom. I wonder what LVS would say if the question was put to them ... might do that tomorrow and see. 3 out of 3 would be worth buying a scratchy for ... :D

Simon.

[slug_burner]

Use a synthetic gear oil. The R380 came out with the recommendation to use auto trans fluid and was subsequently changed by LR to a gear oil made specifically for that gearbox but since then many more good senthetic oils have been released on the market.

If price is a consideration and you are doing 5k oil changes on your motor then it probably will be ok if you also change the oil in the LT95 at the same time.

Gears tend to shear the long chains in the oil, something engines do not do as much. Therefore engine oils do not have to have as much resistance to the chopping of the chains.

[JDNSW]

The LT95 gearbox, when supplied new, was recommended to use engine oil, and this is what is specified in the 90/110 user manual and what is specified in the Australian supplement to the 90/110 user manual. This also applied to the five speed gearboxes fitted to them. Later, Landrover changed the recommendation for some boxes to ATF.

This does not necessarily mean that engine oil is the best oil to use today, but it does suggest that it is satisfactory (by the time this specification had been printed, Rover had been using the LT95 in the Rangerover for over ten years). The important point with these boxes is that the 90EP gear oil specified for the Series gearbox and transfer case must not be used, as it is almost certain to cause breakage of the oil pump (and resulting destruction of bearings and possibly gears). Modern, lower viscosity, gear oils are OK and will provide some advantages, particularly the synthetic ones.

John

[isuzurover]

The LT95 gearbox, when supplied new, was recommended to use engine oil, and this is what is specified in the 90/110 user manual and what is specified in the Australian supplement to the 90/110 user manual. This also applied to the five speed gearboxes fitted to them. Later, Landrover changed the recommendation for some boxes to ATF.

This does not necessarily mean that engine oil is the best oil to use today, but it does suggest that it is satisfactory (by the time this specification had been printed, Rover had been using the LT95 in the Rangerover for over ten years). The important point with these boxes is that the 90EP gear oil specified for the Series gearbox and transfer case must not be used, as it is almost certain to cause breakage of the oil pump (and resulting destruction of bearings and possibly gears). Modern, lower viscosity, gear oils are OK and will provide some advantages, particularly the synthetic ones.

John

Well summarised!

I will add that Mal story once told me that the only LT95s he had seen with failed pumps, were those filled with EP90 then used down in the high country/alps in winter. Not that I am advocating EP90 - most unsuitable for an LT95 as mentioned.