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damage with gearbox oil

Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2006 6:14 pm
by markattard
What could get damaged if you use gearbox oil (say sae 80-90) instead of engine oil?

Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2006 6:16 pm
by wanderinstar
Why would you want to use gear oil, when you seem to know that engine oil is the one to use?

Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2006 6:32 pm
by markattard
simple, my friend bought a new mog and does not know which type of oil is in the gearbox. Before draining and refilling, we thought we ask the question....

Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2006 6:40 pm
by wanderinstar
Well I can assure you engine oil is the one to use. I suppose if you use gear oil it will slow the syncro's down and make the gearbox very stiff.

Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2006 7:14 pm
by Judge
wanderinstar wrote:Well I can assure you engine oil is the one to use.
Unless it's a Series MM :wink:

Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2006 7:14 pm
by aupickup
except for the early gearbox that used ep 90

Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2006 7:43 pm
by bmcecosse
You can smell Ep 90 !! Just drain it off and refill with 20W50 anyway - problem solved.

Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2006 8:02 pm
by Onne
Yes, and EP90 smells like a mix of wee and cat sick

Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2006 8:03 pm
by bmcecosse
Dunno - don't have a cat (or a 'moggy') as some call their cats!

Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2006 8:09 pm
by Onne
Well, my neighbours did, and I can confirm it :D

(And when I said my neigbours DID... it wasn't my car :( )

Posted: Tue Oct 10, 2006 12:58 pm
by markattard
Back serious, any one knows what damage could be done? Well this car might have had thick gear oil for ages in the g-box...

Posted: Tue Oct 10, 2006 1:12 pm
by bmcecosse
No great harm - it just drags too much especially when cold. However it may have been put in there (perhaps with some sawdust!!) to hide/quieten a very noisy box for sale purposes!!

Posted: Tue Oct 10, 2006 1:19 pm
by alex_holden
bmcecosse wrote:However it may have been put in there (perhaps with some sawdust!!) to hide/quieten a very noisy box for sale purposes!!
Does sawdust really do that? I thought it was an urban myth...

Posted: Tue Oct 10, 2006 10:58 pm
by Welung666
It worked on a Talbot Sunbeam I had years ago, shame it failed the MOT due to not having a boot floor :lol:

Posted: Wed Oct 11, 2006 7:21 am
by bmcecosse
Old Arthur Daly trick!

Posted: Wed Oct 11, 2006 4:58 pm
by IslipMinor
Please do not use any 'EP' oil in the Minor gearbox (other than side valve). EP oil 'eats' yellow metal, so will destroy the phosphor bronze bushes and other parts in the box.

20/50 engine oil only.

Posted: Wed Oct 11, 2006 8:13 pm
by bmcecosse
Aye - and if put in the engine it eats the bronze out of leaded bronze bearing shells too ! But i would have thought this only happened at highish temperature and would not do any real damage in a gearbox.