I just got the pumpkin rebuilt with a 4.11 gear and a richmond lock Right. Any recommendations on gear oil? Thanx, Jamie
I would not use a full synthetic on fresh gears...The extreme lubricity of the synth wont allow the gears to develop a wear pattern...It could be a problem, Check with richmond and see what they say about useing a synthetic. Some gear sets are surfaced with synthetic in mind...
You won't have any trouble using synthetic with the Richmond unit. BTW - I've used those units in several pickup trucks and really liked them. From Richmonds instructions: Your Powertrax No-Slip Traction System is engineered to provide you with troublefree operation. Follow the lubrication, service and inspection procedures recommended by your vehicle manufacturer. The Powertrax No-Slip Traction System is designed to operate with those lubricants recommended by the vehicle and/or axle manufacturer. No special lubricant is needed. Use the gear lubricant specified, either synthetic or non-synthetic, which is necessary for proper lubrication of all other differential components. As a general guideline, in warmer climates consider lubrication weights ranging from 85 to 140. In colder climates, consider lubrication weights ranging from 75 to 90. For very cold weather applications, use the lightest oil the axle manufacturer will allow.
"The Powertrax No-Slip Traction System is designed to operate with those lubricants recommended by the vehicle and/or axle manufacturer." so wouldn't that be...non-synthetic...for a 70s model car...
Don't bait too much into it Frank - the point is the MANUFACTURER says either dino or synthetic are just fine for their unit ............ :bananaman
bait...I just quoted what you posted... He is asking for...Any recommendations on gear oil?... do you own stock in...synthetic...is why you are pushing it...
I do - so buy some and make me some money .......... Actually, he asked what I recommend and I recommended what I have been using.
my shop uses 140 wt schaeffers oil. in my experience, synthetic oil is too slippery. when a diff is turning the pinion and ring gear are pushing the oil away from its contact points. ive watched this happen in a top loader dragster diff. its pretty amazing to watch. you can see the the gears meshing. so for oil to be between the the teeth as they mesh it has to stick to the teeth as they go all the way around in their rotation. synthetic oil is slippery and not clingy. that is how it frees up power. by not sticking to the moving parts it lowers the drag of the gears going through oil. in 97 on the new f150 redesign ford started using synthetic oil. i started seeing f150s having gear noise in 15,000 miles. when ford went to the irs explorers they had to replace lots of the rear end for noise due to the worn out gears. the irs really transmitted the noise. i believe the reason ford went to synthetic oil is for gas mileage. car manufactures have to have an average fleet fuel economy. ford sell allot of trucks and needs to do every thing they can to get that average down. the schaeffers oil we use is very sticky. it will string between your fingers if you put it on them and touch them together and pull them back apart. lucas is very good and more available at parts stores and would be my next preferred brand. my recommendation is only based on my limited experience with differentials and is not to be taken as the only way to go.
Just to make sure we're clear ... If you own stock in a gear lube manufacturer OR primary distributor of said products, your input is not wanted here On a serious note, I think I'll pick up some Lucas at autozone. Easy enough.
Well then don't listen to Frank - he doesn't like synthetic because he use to own Dinosaurs ................... ............ (just kidding there buddy) Actually, much good was written about synthetic being too slippery for rear end gears. Something to think about. I also am a big fan of Lucas Oil additive. Ever since I saw that little counter display where you turn the crank and watch the oil climb the 4 gears.
