Why are people running GL5 gear oil in their transmissions?

[Soft 02]

Oh my God, I've been using GL-5 rated oil for years. When am I gonna start having problems?.,,,

When the bronze plating starts flaking off your shift forks.

[bigfoot5x]

I used Syn3 in the tranny and primary for a few years with no problems at all and I put plenty of miles on the bikes. I switched to Syn3 when it came out because I was riding a Dyna and my wife had a Sportster. At that time I had 4 different fluids to keep track of because of Sport Trans fluid, primary fluid, Tranny fluid and engine oil. What a hassle. Now I just use Formula+ and Syn3. The dealer gives me enough of a discount to match Mobil 1 so I'm good. I've always figured that Harley would not make recommendations that would harm their bikes. Wouldn't that be bad for their business if they all started breaking?

[Barrett]

http://www.spectroshop.com/6-speed-transmission-oil/cat_7.html
I've been running this since my first oil change and all is well.. It looks clean when I change it and there's no debris on the plug..

[chopper]

motor oil is for motors. Gear oil is for gears!


Ray m

Yup. aint rocket science.

[Dan89flstc]

Oh my God, I've been using GL-5 rated oil for years. When am I gonna start having problems?.,,,

When the bronze plating starts flaking off your shift forks.

In other words...never.

[Soft 02]

Nope. Probably not. My brass coating was flaking off when I rebuilt mine but I doubt it was due to running gl5 in it.

[rbabos]

A GL5 rating Gear Oil;  Will Take Heavy Gear Pressure...

extreme-pressure protection of a GL-5.

signed....BUBBIE

When dealing with Amsoil to come up with a specific primary fluid, pre Compensaver days,  which they now have,  GL5 came up at one point. The HD gear box is incapable of gererating enough friction to make use of the additive. The clutch on the other hand was. GL4 is all you need. Actually GL1 is more then enough. Having a v rod that uses the same oil for engine and trans, I decided to stay with Amsoil with the GL1 rating. While most any dino oil, clutch rated will work, the gears will chew the crap out of the molecules in short order. The reason I never went to Shell Advance oil. True PAO oils are very shear stable so I get the best of both worlds in this case.
Note that even though Amsoil has a primary fluid, a delivery system is still needed for the comp.
Ron

[Ultrashovel]

I can think of one good reason for using a heavier lubricant in the transmission. It is thicker when cold and, if you pull your clutch in for about 10 seconds when going into first gear, it will drop right in with no clunk.

I've always been amazed at how strong the gear dogs must be in a Harley transmission to put up with all of the abuse. I watch riders all of the time, like when I'm at a gas station or restaurant. They will come out, start their engine and then smash their big fat heavily booted hoof down on that shift lever like they are mad at it. You can hear the clunk 100 yards away, too. I always wondered why they do that?

Anyway, with the heavier oil, like Redline, I have fewer clunks, even when hot.

[garyajaz]

when talk of redline was first read here by me I changed over to it.
the last 10 years been running it. less clunk no problems every thing just fine.
I putting new shock heavy in when my 95 build is done.
also MTL in primary.  same story 10 years and not a problem.

on a side note I put a belt drive in my ironhead maybe 35 years ago.
it spit belts every month or so (yeah, I was drag racing)
factory said it should not happen. they were having problems with all of them.
turns out the detergents and stuff in the oil killed the belts.
sooo, in went the non detergent 40 wt.
been in there all these years.  shifts fine and the Barnett clutch dosent seem to care.

[Mark P]

I like spiders in my oil.

http://bakerdrivetrain.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/IW_1011-Oil-and-Spiders-Baker-Drivetrain.pdf

[r0de_runr]

Some 07 later bikes have an annoying rattle while hot, in neutral.  Harley Service Bulletin says "Normal."
I had it on my 12 SG SE, until I replaced whatever was in the tranny with 75W140 Synthetic.  Now no rattle when hot in neutral, at least not from the tranny.

[Admiral Akbar]

Anything wrong with using yellow metals in the primary if gear oil is avoided?

[Bigs]

I've been using Amsoil 75W-110 severe duty in my '11 RGU for over 30,000 miles without any problems and my '06 RG for 40,000 miles with no problems. I started using Quicksilver 20W-50 V-Twin synthetic oil in my primary mainly because I get a four gallon bottle for $25 at Walmart, so far so good. It might be OK for the engine but I'm using Amsoil and when I run out I'll use Mobil 1.
Aren't these oil threads nice. 
   Bigs

[Dan89flstc]

  They will come out, start their engine and then smash their big fat heavily booted hoof down on that shift lever like they are mad at it. You can hear the clunk 100 yards away, too. I always wondered why they do that? 

To put it in gear...

Those guys aren`t the people who go on forums and whine about the clunk.

[rbabos]

Anything wrong with using yellow metals in the primary if gear oil is avoided?

Not really but it would freak most people out seeing the gold metal flake in the oil in bright sunlight. Again depending on application. Shift bushing no big deal. Trying to make a thrust washer for the comp out of bronze, not great idea.  No issue with gear oil in general, just the additive in GL5. There is no gain to going GL5 in the crunch drive as the additive never gets used. Not enough friction.  Just about all GL1-GL4 are harmless to bronze based bushings, synro rings or whatever.
Ron

[Ultrashovel]

  They will come out, start their engine and then smash their big fat heavily booted hoof down on that shift lever like they are mad at it. You can hear the clunk 100 yards away, too. I always wondered why they do that? 

To put it in gear...

Those guys aren`t the people who go on forums and whine about the clunk.

You're right. But they are probably the ones who get their transmissons rebuilt now and then. 

[Dan89flstc]

I like spiders in my oil.

http://bakerdrivetrain.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/IW_1011-Oil-and-Spiders-Baker-Drivetrain.pdf

I just read that article...

"As temperature increases, the spider's legs open up and
connect with the "legs" of other polymer molecules, making the oil
thicker and increasing viscosity.  This is how oil can change weight
from 75 to 140 with a change in temperature."

The oil`s viscosity never increases as the oil gets hot, it never gets thicker as it gets hot.

It`s suprizing how many people do not understand multi grade oil, and this article will not help them.

[Admiral Akbar]

Anything wrong with using yellow metals in the primary if gear oil is avoided?

Not really but it would freak most people out seeing the gold metal flake in the oil in bright sunlight. Again depending on application. Shift bushing no big deal. Trying to make a thrust washer for the comp out of bronze, not great idea.  No issue with gear oil in general, just the additive in GL5. There is no gain to going GL5 in the crunch drive as the additive never gets used. Not enough friction.  Just about all GL1-GL4 are harmless to bronze based bushings, synro rings or whatever.
Ron

The different bearing bronzes that are available fail the litmus tests for a thrust bearing by quite a bit.. Only possibilities are needle bearings or plastic thrust washers like PEEK or Vespel.. It wouldn't surprise me if the needle bearing is cheaper which is why HD choose it for production.. 

[Admiral Akbar]

I like spiders in my oil.

http://bakerdrivetrain.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/IW_1011-Oil-and-Spiders-Baker-Drivetrain.pdf

Bet you ca see em real well after a couple tabs..    Bert's an interesting guy fer sure... Very smart and a bit eccentric..

[BUBBIE]

 

WELL,,,,,You should TALK

signed....ANONIMOUS

[Outerlimits]

Was talking to a guy at a Harley Dealer that said his 05 Classic was in for its 3rd compensator. He had about 65000 miles on it. Said the tech told him the reason that he was going thru compensators was because of that "Redline Stuff." The gear oil is too thick causing to much drag in the transmission and wearing out the compensators. I asked why he kept running the Redline Shockproof then, he said think of how many more he would have had to replace if it wasn't for the Redline oil. I said good point......and excused myself.

[rbabos]

Anything wrong with using yellow metals in the primary if gear oil is avoided?

Not really but it would freak most people out seeing the gold metal flake in the oil in bright sunlight. Again depending on application. Shift bushing no big deal. Trying to make a thrust washer for the comp out of bronze, not great idea.  No issue with gear oil in general, just the additive in GL5. There is no gain to going GL5 in the crunch drive as the additive never gets used. Not enough friction.  Just about all GL1-GL4 are harmless to bronze based bushings, synro rings or whatever.
Ron

The different bearing bronzes that are available fail the litmus tests for a thrust bearing by quite a bit.. Only possibilities are needle bearings or plastic thrust washers like PEEK or Vespel.. It wouldn't surprise me if the needle bearing is cheaper which is why HD choose it for production..

Quite possible cost was the factor but in some ways just going metal to metal would have worked just as well in that application and cost nothing. All prior comps and even that POS 07 version ran that way. Thrust surface would still likely outlive the spokes.
Ron

[Admiral Akbar]

Anything wrong with using yellow metals in the primary if gear oil is avoided?

Not really but it would freak most people out seeing the gold metal flake in the oil in bright sunlight. Again depending on application. Shift bushing no big deal. Trying to make a thrust washer for the comp out of bronze, not great idea.  No issue with gear oil in general, just the additive in GL5. There is no gain to going GL5 in the crunch drive as the additive never gets used. Not enough friction.  Just about all GL1-GL4 are harmless to bronze based bushings, synro rings or whatever.
Ron

The different bearing bronzes that are available fail the litmus tests for a thrust bearing by quite a bit.. Only possibilities are needle bearings or plastic thrust washers like PEEK or Vespel.. It wouldn't surprise me if the needle bearing is cheaper which is why HD choose it for production..

Quite possible cost was the factor but in some ways just going metal to metal would have worked just as well in that application and cost nothing. All prior comps and even that POS 07 version ran that way. Thrust surface would still likely outlive the spokes.
Ron

So why didn't the compensaver go back to a hardened steel thrust washer instead of PEEK  system if it's the answer?

[rbabos]

Anything wrong with using yellow metals in the primary if gear oil is avoided?

Not really but it would freak most people out seeing the gold metal flake in the oil in bright sunlight. Again depending on application. Shift bushing no big deal. Trying to make a thrust washer for the comp out of bronze, not great idea.  No issue with gear oil in general, just the additive in GL5. There is no gain to going GL5 in the crunch drive as the additive never gets used. Not enough friction.  Just about all GL1-GL4 are harmless to bronze based bushings, synro rings or whatever.
Ron

The different bearing bronzes that are available fail the litmus tests for a thrust bearing by quite a bit.. Only possibilities are needle bearings or plastic thrust washers like PEEK or Vespel.. It wouldn't surprise me if the needle bearing is cheaper which is why HD choose it for production..

Quite possible cost was the factor but in some ways just going metal to metal would have worked just as well in that application and cost nothing. All prior comps and even that POS 07 version ran that way. Thrust surface would still likely outlive the spokes.
Ron

So why didn't the compensaver go back to a hardened steel thrust washer instead of PEEK  system if it's the answer?

NOISE.
Ron.