Flushing a manual transmission - adding gas/diesel

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Extreme-Duty

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Schafflund, Germany
While repairing the gear shift lever of the non-synchronized manual transmission on our old IH tractor, I was able to look inside - it did not look good with all the sludge/varnish on the housing. And of course it has larger wear particles floating around at the bottom. This tractor has a seperate hydraulic oil tank and will commonly use regular GL-4 or GL-5 gear oils in the MT.

How can we clean this mess out before we get us some new gear oil inside?

I was thinking about draining out the current oil, refilling or even overfilling with some used THF (5w30) and 10 or so percent gasoline or diesel. What will happen if we leave it in there for 5-10 operating hours, without working the tractor too hard?
 
Originally Posted By: Zaedock
I wouldn't run gas or diesel. A mix of HDEO 15W40 and maybe some Marvel Mystery Oil would work better, IMO.


+1. My brother has used that exact mix in the past with good success.
 
Hi,
Extreme-Duty - I would use an 15w40 HDEO mixed with 33% kerosine. Ten light hours should be OK

You do risk seal seepage of course especially if sulphur based gear oils have been used over a long time.

If so, then use the same gear oil you will refill with adding 33% kerosine for the 10hrs light use "flush"


Do you near Adenau? Perhaps I asked before??
 
Thanks so far. Maybe I should have mentioned that the MT oil has to lubricate the differential and final drives as well. Would you use a HDEO anyway?

Originally Posted By: demarpaint
Originally Posted By: Zaedock
I wouldn't run gas or diesel. A mix of HDEO 15W40 and maybe some Marvel Mystery Oil would work better, IMO.


+1. My brother has used that exact mix in the past with good success.


I am sorry, I cannot find any German website selling Marvel Mystery Oil. Is there something considered equivalent or has its composition been discussed somewhere?

Companies like Liqui-Moly (called Lubro-Moly in the U.S.?) do offer some kind of engine and AT flushing additives, not sure they will work in an MT environment though.


Originally Posted By: Doug Hillary
Hi,
Extreme-Duty - I would use an 15w40 HDEO mixed with 33% kerosine. Ten light hours should be OK

You do risk seal seepage of course especially if sulphur based gear oils have been used over a long time.

If so, then use the same gear oil you will refill with adding 33% kerosine for the 10hrs light use "flush"


Do you near Adenau? Perhaps I asked before??


Yes, the current oil is sulphur based, likely GL-4 or 5 gear oil. Would you recommend to use a gear oil for the flushing purpose then?

I would love to use the well-used semi synthetic THF for this project. When new, it is supposed to provide excellent detergency and a GL-4 rating. Actually, it would be a "good compromise" between HDEO and gear oil for this application. Your comments are requested of course!

Also, why use kerosine...cost I presume? In terms of solvency and lubricity, it may fall somewhere between gasoline and diesel. The least expensive I can find is home heating oil, which, at least in Germany, is very close to diesel.

Doug, I do not recall you asking about Adenau. Google shows me it is located 60 km south of Collogne. Have you been there, last time you were in Germany?

It is around 600-700 km from where I live now. Actually, I spend the first 7 years of my life near Cologne.
 
Hi,
Extreme-Duty - The choice fo base flush must be yours - kerosine is a good compromise "additive" in these circumstances. It is widely used in this application

I see now that you are near the Danish border. I was at the Nurburgring last May and I'm going back there this May for the ADAC Zurich 24hr race. Adenau is on the Nurburgring (it passes over Adenua's main street). I'll be in Stockholm and Copenhagen in June again like last year. I lived in Copenhagen in the 1960s and worked for Caltex-Chevron
 
Originally Posted By: Doug Hillary
Hi,
Extreme-Duty - The choice fo base flush must be yours - kerosine is a good compromise "additive" in these circumstances. It is widely used in this application

I see now that you are near the Danish border. I was at the Nurburgring last May and I'm going back there this May for the ADAC Zurich 24hr race. Adenau is on the Nurburgring (it passes over Adenua's main street). I'll be in Stockholm and Copenhagen in June again like last year. I lived in Copenhagen in the 1960s and worked for Caltex-Chevron



Not sure where to get kerosine locally, our fuel distributor may me able to tell me.

Obviously, we are talking about the same Adenau. I'm surprised that the Nürburgring is close to where I once lived. Copenhagen, well, it reminds me of that high school trip when I (almost) got lost in the subway. Did you ever happen to travel around Southern Jutland?
 
Originally Posted By: tom slick
FYI Kerosine may be called paraffin in your neck of the world.


Hi Tom, thanks for joining this thread. I had to google this topic and found what you said.

I would love to know whether Doug wants me to use kerosine (lamp oil) or additized as jet fuel...Does it matter in terms of lubricity or cleaning properties?
 
Hi,
Extreme-Duty - Yes it is the lamp oil version I would use. Lubricity will come from the lubricant you chose as the base. In these circumstances it is wise to monitor the component temperate and seek to apply only light loading

Then, a fill of your preferred lubricant with a shorter OCI would be what I would do. After say two months or so if the machine is used often

You were living close to the Nurburgring. The Nordschliefe is primarily the original (now shortened) track built around 1927. It is about 23kms long and passes alongside some villages and over Adenau (a lovely little town). I usually stay in Herschbroich inside the 'Ring
The F1 circuit is a different circuit although I beleive it is incorportaed on some occasions (not for F1)
It is a challenge to drive - but great fun!

I travelled a lot in the northen part of Jutland - not in the south near your border. I used to spend many weekends in Berlin or Hamburg when living in Copenhagen (a great City with great people)
 
My take on this is that (depending on the type of equiptment) the final drives etc have clutches in them. A filter should be present to filter all the oil in your system. I would stay away from any type of lube reducer additive. I understand that kerosene is the best solvent type to use....however, reducing the OCI and keeping up on the filter changes should be enough. I would hate to see you ruin those expensive clutches and equiptment.
 
I will see if I can get some kerosine at the hardware store
thumbsup2.gif


LargeCar, good advice for most tractors of course. However, this one has external "dry brakes", no wet clutches and no filter. The only friction material inside the transmission is the band type parking brake.
 
Last edited:
NO KEROSENE!
-You dont want a degreaser seeping out of the pores
inside the gearbox for years.
-Use a STOU if you are troubled by the sludge inside.
It will clean it, albeit slowly.
-Use THF (UTTO) if you can live with the sludge.
 
Quote:
I would love to use the well-used semi synthetic THF for this project. When new, it is supposed to provide excellent detergency and a GL-4 rating. Actually, it would be a "good compromise" between HDEO and gear oil for this application.


That's what I would use. It has the detergency and the AW additives. I would get it up to temp and then dump it, since the viscosity of the THF is much lower than a 80W90 gear lube.

Just try to get rid of the sludge. The varnish should not be a problem.
 
Originally Posted By: MolaKule
Quote:
I would love to use the well-used semi synthetic THF for this project. When new, it is supposed to provide excellent detergency and a GL-4 rating. Actually, it would be a "good compromise" between HDEO and gear oil for this application.


That's what I would use. It has the detergency and the AW additives. I would get it up to temp and then dump it, since the viscosity of the THF is much lower than a 80W90 gear lube.

Just try to get rid of the sludge. The varnish should not be a problem.
Mola, do you think the THF can remove anything within 1 - 2 hours, even with no kerosine?
 
What could possibly be harmed of a little sludge in this transmission?
I do like mola said, it will get all of the water and some sludge out of it.
Or just do an oilchange use it for a year or two then change again.
 
Quote:
Mola, do you think the THF can remove anything within 1 - 2 hours, even with no kerosine?


Yes I do; it is not big a transmission and there isn't much space for the gremlins to hide.
 
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