Thread: LT95 gearbox oil .... again.

Originally Posted by 87County

Frank, you are right to advise that EP gearbox oil is certainly NOT to be used in the LT95 gearbox,

BUT I believe that it is correct to use the same oil in the transfer case as is used in the gearbox. Engine oil may be used in both but most users find that the lighter synthetic gearbox oils (e.g. Syntrans 75W 85) give better service.

VMX is a seriously thin oil for an 80W oil, it actually had me worried it was up to the job, my Son's Stage 1 seems to like it, Regards Frank.

Originally Posted by Bearman

What actually was destroyed, I don't know what you mean by mainshaft rear spigot, was it the mainshaft itself, the rear mainshaft bearing, or what.

G'day Brian,
Yes, the spigot end of the mainshaft that fits into the roller bearing, mounted into the rear plate of the transfer case.
At a guess, I reckon that there's close to two millimetres missing off the spigot diameter.
The mainshaft forms the inner of that bearing. The rollers themselves were good, so looks like the hardening of the shaft failed


Cheers,
Daryl.

Originally Posted by circlework

G'day Brian,
Yes, the spigot end of the mainshaft that fits into the roller bearing, mounted into the rear plate of the transfer case.
At a guess, I reckon that there's close to two millimetres missing off the spigot diameter.
The mainshaft forms the inner of that bearing. The rollers themselves were good, so looks like the hardening of the shaft failed


Cheers,
Daryl.

Hi Daryl, Hell thats a lot of mainshaft wear. I cant even imagine how that much has worn away. Usually they wear where the gear sits on the splines especially if someone hasn't set up the endfloat on that gear with the proper shim and loctited them in place. Amazing that the bearing rollers are still ok. Have you got another shaft to replace it with?. Still doesn't quite explain the 3/4th gear problems unless the mainshaft was floating back and forwards and that usually means excessive endfloat on that gear or the rear snap ring has come off.

Hi Brian,
When I initially inspected the transfer case, I completely missed the wear on the mainshaft, until I went to cut the PTO chain.
I haven't calmed down enough to rip it all apart, but a mate has given me a junk box from a RRC and I'm hoping the mainshaft is good in that.
It never rains ... blah blah. You know how it goes.
I'll get a pic of it and post it.


Cheers,
Daryl.

A question for you guys who recommend engine oil in the gearbox.

I started a thread a while ago about running some cheap engine oil in my LT230 for a run around the block as a flush. I was reminded the moment I pulled the drain plug why (I at least) shouldn't run engine oil in a gear box unless it's an emergency.

The oil came out slightly milky and foamy. The milkyness was just from small air bubbles, not water.

Engine oil contains detergents to help keep cabon and other rubbish deposits suspended in the oil and also keep the bore washed clean. This detergent, while not like you average dish washing liquid will foam slightly and this means less oil between the gears.

I also had the opposite problem when I run gear oil in a Brumby ute when I was in my teens, working on a farm in WA. I had driven the ute to WA from NSW with a mate. We had been using oil pretty badly since we left but it just got worse and worse until it was using about 4L of engine oil per tankl of fuel. Gearbox oil was plentyful and cheap on the farm so I started just running that. Surprisingly to me at the time, it started to use less oil. Little did I know the bores were getting glazed up with carbon as the gear oil didn't contain the detergents to wash the bores. It ran for a good while, maybe 1000km until the engine started getting hot from the extra friction another 2000km after that and it cooked itself. Well it sort of cooked itself, I helped by continuing to drive it. The motor was unrepairable (the block was stuffed) and I got a crate motor ex-Japan.

Just wondering why the LT95 doesn't seem to suffer this problem much as I have seen many recommendations for engine oil in this transfer case.

Happy Days

For those non believers in engine oil in these boxes, I have a 1971 Range Rover with over 1 million Kay's on it that has been run on gtx2 for most of its life. I was told the when changing the engine oil, change the box oil. After all oil is cheap. And guess what, it worked!

Originally Posted by joel0407

Just wondering why the LT95 doesn't seem to suffer this problem much as I have seen many recommendations for engine oil in this transfer case.

Happy Days

The LT230 is a different transfer case to the LT95 so comparisons on the use of engine oil is not relevant.

There may be recommendations by people for engine oil BUT that is based on the manufacturers specified oil which is engine oil. So if the manufacturer specified it and has specified it since the late 60s it must have something going for it.

I have always used it in my 101 and have no issues with the gearbox, transfer case and overdrive. I have known of people on here who have used other oils and a few of them have paid the price with rebuilds. Why risk it.

KISS applies.

Garry

Wot he said