Oil for tc and gearbox ?

[freedriver]

Hi all . Today i changed the oil in the transfer case and the gearbox and was recomended at repco to use syntrax in both . Does this sound right ? I rmember last time that it used 2 different oils but cant remember what they were.

[Basil135]

Hmmmm According to the Nulon website, they are both the same:

Nulon Products Australia - NetLube (http://www.datateck.com.au/lube/NulonAus/default.asp)


However, according to the Castrol website, they use 2 different oils:

Castrol Australia - NetLube (http://www.datateck.com.au/lube/castr_au/default.asp)


So, we can deduce from this that if you use Castrol, you buy 2 different oils, if you buy Nulon, you can use the same one.

[101RRS]

It is SynTrans in the manual transmission and whatever suitable gear oil in the transfer case.

Garry

[Fluids]

Manual or Auto ? :eek:

[BIG O]

80w90 mineral will do in the transfer case, book says 75w90, but we live in OZ.
Auto trans fluid if auto mineral oil again.

I've thought about synthetic, but when it comes to buying it, I never have enough in my wallet.

BIG O
03 D2 TD5 AUTO
99 D2 TD5 AUTO ACE
94 D1 TDI 3 DOOR (GONE)

[rick130]

Hmmmm According to the Nulon website, they are both the same:

Nulon Products Australia - NetLube (http://www.datateck.com.au/lube/NulonAus/default.asp)


[snip]


Have another look ;)

[justinc]

D2 manual gearbox we use 75W85 Valvoline Duragear, and 75w90 or 80w90 gear oil in the transfer. You can just use an 80w90 in warmer climates in the transfer case.

JC

[LRT]

Hi freedriver,

The main R380 manual gearbox is meant to have MTF 94 fluid. In Australia, Castrol make an equivalent manual transmission fluid called Syntrans 75W-85. The transfer gearbox is meant to have an 75W/90 differential oil, which is also the same oil that is recommended for the axles. The Australian Castrol equivalent of the recommended transfer gearbox oil is Syntrax 75W-90. It is dyed red.

It is important to note that the names of these Castrol oils are similar. The product name of the transmission oil ends in "trans," whereas the diff/transfer box oil ends in "trax."

We found that changing over to the recommended oil made an enormous difference to the performance of our Discovery. See further the aulro post: Transfer Gearbox Clang in Discovery II 1999 Manual V8.

LRT

[freedriver]

Thanks for all the replies guys. Yes it is a td5 manual. I was rushing to get the disco ready for a trip up the coast and has already bought the syntrax so that is what I used on the gearbox .
I just got home from a failed trip after driving 3000ks and towing a broken down rodeo for about 200 of that no worries with the gearbox. All running smooth.
. Is the syntrax not just abetter grade of oil than the syntrans or should I be changing to the syntrans ? The latter is much cheaper .

[rick130]

They are different viscosities and are different formulations for slightly different purposes.

Syntrax is a 75W-90 GL-4/5 for manual gearboxes, transaxles and diffs.
Syntrans is a 75W-85 GL-4 for manual gearboxes.

Their kinematic viscosities (the actual measured viscosity) is quite a bit different.

Syntrans is thinner at all operating and ambient temps and is much closer in viscosity to Land Rovers MTF94 in viscosity than Syntrax.
In theory, Syntrans should and will give you better shift characteristics at lower ambients, Syntrax will reduce noise and rattle at really high operating temps.

If you aren't going to the snow, I'd leave it in there.

[freedriver]

Thanks Rick . As i will be towing a boat up to broome next week i think the opperating temp will be high enough so i will leave the syntrax in. Cheers, Bill

[101RRS]

Thanks Rick . As i will be towing a boat up to broome next week i think the opperating temp will be high enough so i will leave the syntrax in. Cheers, Bill

Your gearbox - in the past for many years to recommendation was Syntrans (or its other brannd equivalent) and Syntrax was not recommended for the R380. I always used Syntrans in my R380 and worked well in Canberra -5 mornings and +40 days.

If you haven't seen them - have a look at these and make your mind up - also there are plenty of old threads on this in the D1 section.

http://www.castrol.com/liveassets/bp_internet/castrol/castrol_australia/STAGING/local_assets/downloads/s/Syntrans_B13127.pdf

http://www.castrol.com/liveassets/bp_internet/castrol/castrol_australia/STAGING/local_assets/downloads/s/Syntrax75W_90_B1278983.pdf

[rick130]

Gary, I've crunched the numbers in the past and Syntrax at -7 or -10* is equivalent in kinematic viscosity to Syntrans at 0* or thereabouts, it'll be fine.

The worst that can happen will be some slow gear changes when cold.
One of our old Toowoomba members used Syntrax for years in his 90 without issue.

and just to muddy the waters further a few of us use Motul Gear 300 75W-90 in the R380, which is actually thinner at 0*C than Syntrans, but stupidly expensive.

[LRT]

The 5 speed Triumph TR7 transmission is an R380 gearbox. It is interesting to note that, in order to improve synchromesh performance, Castrol recommends an extreme pressure mineral oil, EPX 75W-80, which meets a mineral oil API GL-5 specification. LRT

[rick130]

The 5 speed Triumph TR7 transmission is an R380 gearbox. It is interesting to note that, in order to improve synchromesh performance, Castrol recommends an extreme pressure mineral oil, EPX 75W-80, which meets a mineral oil API GL-5 specification. LRT

Actually an LT77 IIRC which uses a fibre gear in the oil pump.

Quite a few on here use Syntrans in the LT77 without an issue, and it'll last longer than the EPX in use as straight mineral oils in gearbox use tend to shear quite rapidly due to the combination of base oils and viscosity index improver's used.

I've tried the equivalent Castrol low viscosity mineral MTF, VMX-80 and I didn't care for the shift quality one bit.
Hell, Syntrans is usually toast by 20,000km in my experience.

[101RRS]

The 5 speed Triumph TR7 transmission is an R380 gearbox.

Sorry - but what makes you say that??? The R380 was not designed and introduced until over 10 years after the TR7 ceased production.


"1994 to 2006: The R380 box was introduced as brand new LR gearbox across the entire Land Rover and Range Rover product lines. The R380 is a radically reworked LT77 (The 1940's Jag gearbox remember) with improved main shaft bearing arrangements that provided an overall strengthening of the box. The R380 name stands for "Rated to 380 Nm input". But the R380 still has the LT77's 77 mm shaft spacing. Since Rover was no longer part of British Leyland the LT prefix was abandoned."

Garry

[LRT]

Oops! Garrycol, you are right about the LT77 gearbox. Thanks for the additional information - much appreciated. LRT

[roverrescue]

Rick I always knew I cared a little bit less than the average guy...
now I have evidence:
"Castrol low viscosity mineral MTF, VMX-80 and I didn't care for the shift quality one bit."
Ive been running VMX80 in two R380s for over 200k (on some oil gurus recommendation from the old yahoo user group - you maybe Rick??????)
No dramas, seems to work!

My current R380 was ex forestry when I got it at 120k the gearbag slop was hilarious. On pulling the input gear there was a good 30 degrees of fretting.
A new drilled input which engages on more of the output shaft - proper fix is on the list but the new gear just isnt wearing (80k) so Ill keep flogging it!!!

Anyways,
All that ramble says, if you are in the boonies VMX80 is usually stocked by Castrol dealers as its a cruiser gearbag recommendation. And it should work in your landy!

Steve

[rick130]

:lol2:

or as JC keeps saying, these things are so idiosyncratic that what one likes another R380 doesn't shift worth a damn.



VMX-80 or VMX-M (75W-85 for a Magna) are easily obtainable almost anywhere and should give better bearing and gear life than an ATF and are much cheaper than Syntrans, etc.