Thread: r380 oil capacity

from penrite website


MANUAL TRANSMISSION
SERVICE REFILL CAPACITY: 2.3, 2.8 LITRES.

doesnt include diff

also just noticed Penrite recommends trans gear 75w-80, but aulro seems to say Pro Gear 75w-85.

Is there much difference in the oils?

Use Redline MT-90, it is THE oil for an R380!, I have an S1 300Tdi & S2 Td5, both manuals, both had horrible shifting issues to the point I thought the syncros were gone, filled with MT-90 & the difference within 10 minutes of driving was night & day, changes are smooth as silk, like a reco box was installed! Reccomend to anybody, no other gear oil even comes close

from the book:
Manual gearbox without oil cooler:

Refill 2.3 litres

Fill from dry 2.6 litres
Manual gearbox with oil cooler:

Refill 2.8 litres

Fill from dry 3.1 litres

Maybe in Australia is not an issue due to the weather but any other oil than the recommended by builder Texaco MTF94 didnt work well for me when the temps were below -5*C, and i've tried a few "alternatives" cos MTF94 is not available in my country so i bit the bullet and ordered from UK... though i've never used that Redline stuff so can't comment on it ...what i started to use lately is the Difflock Evolution gear oil which IMO is even better than the recommended MTF94

Fill until the oil is running back out and yes use penrite pro gear 75-90. 2.5 litres is the usual amount req on all the ones we do.


Jc

Originally Posted by stevearm77

Use Redline MT-90, it is THE oil for an R380!, I have an S1 300Tdi & S2 Td5, both manuals, both had horrible shifting issues to the point I thought the syncros were gone, filled with MT-90 & the difference within 10 minutes of driving was night & day, changes are smooth as silk, like a reco box was installed! Reccomend to anybody, no other gear oil even comes close

There are many oils suitable for the R380, MT90 isn't one I'd put at the top of the list, although it's ok.

Castrol Syntrans 75w85 is one of the better ones, I found it to have better synchro performance than Redline MTL or an MTL/MT90 blend. (Less notchy)
although these days Redline have a 75w85 manual trans fluid, so you don't need to blend.

Valvoline Duragear 75w85 is said to be very good too, a couple of Land Rover workshops use it.
Penrite 75w85 has a good reputation as well.

Bear in mind R380's can be a little idiosyncratic in fluid preference too.

If you really have to go to a 75w90, my preference is Motul Gear 300, it is very, very good and what I settled on.
Just be prepared for sticker shock.

IMO what ever you use get something as close as possible to the recommended one [ame]https://www.cepsa.com/stfls/CepsaCom/Lubricantes/PRODUCTOS/TEXACO/Ficheros/Texaco%20MTF%2094.pdf[/ame] or even if it will shift well as there's not freezing winter the box will wear out quicker

Originally Posted by sierrafery

IMO what ever you use get something as close as possible to the recommended one https://www.cepsa.com/stfls/CepsaCom...20MTF%2094.pdf or even if it will shift well as there's not freezing winter the box will wear out quicker

I respectfully disagree.

Here, MTF94 has proven to be too thin in summer use, and even excellent 75W-85's such as Castrol Syntrans (11.9cSt@100*C) experience bearing rattle and baulked shifts in 35*C+ conditions.
I've seen Syntrans not provide enough protection in the Northern Territory when towing in summer.

In rough terms, the heavier a fluid, the better the gear (and bearing) protection.
Having said that, in manual gearboxes we don't need the heavier additised fluids as the gears aren't near as heavily loaded as, say a diff, nor do they experience the extreme loads of hypoid or worm gears.
ATF's and then light MTF's were specified purely for better shift quality over heavier oils.
Synchro's will generally work faster with a lighter fluid between baulk ring and clutch face.

Australia (or South Africa) isn't Europe, and any of the fluids we've spoken of above are fine down to -5*C or so.
In fact Gear 300 is thinner at 0* than Syntrans 75W-85, even though it's a 75W-90.

Generally I agree, the manufacturer knows better about fluid specifications than any backyarder, service mechanic or oil salesman, but in this instance, going from my own experience over a long time with the R380, ATF was too light, a 75W-80 will work ok in most instances, but for all round use a 75W-85 is better, particularly if there is no oil cooler fitted.