Gearbox oil for mk2 Ford fiesta

[twilson96]

Hi, hopefully I’m posting this in the right area. Sorry if I’m not!

I have a 1988 mk2 Ford fiesta with a bc4 gearbox. The Haynes manual states that it requires:

Gear oil, viscosity SAE 80EP, to Ford spec
SQM-2C-9008-A

Are either of these suitable?:

https://classicoilsshop.co.uk/castrol-manual-ep80w

https://www.commaoil.com/en-gb/product/comma/gear-transmission/ep80w-90-gl4

The Castrol one is straight EP80W but does not reference the Ford spec. The comma one is EP80W-90 but does reference the Ford spec.

Also, probably a very stupid question but is ‘manual transmission fluid’ the same as ‘gear oil’? I read that ‘transmission fluid’ and ‘gear oil’ are not the same.

 

[ceecbtg]

Welcome,

any 80w GL4 will work, Castrol is perfect or Ravenol.

 

[MolaKule]

Hi, hopefully I’m posting this in the right area. Sorry if I’m not!

I have a 1988 mk2 Ford fiesta with a bc4 gearbox. The Haynes manual states that it requires:

Gear oil, viscosity SAE 80EP, to Ford spec
SQM-2C-9008-A

Are either of these suitable?:

https://classicoilsshop.co.uk/castrol-manual-ep80w

https://www.commaoil.com/en-gb/product/comma/gear-transmission/ep80w-90-gl4

The Castrol one is straight EP80W but does not reference the Ford spec. The comma one is EP80W-90 but does reference the Ford spec.

Also, probably a very stupid question but is ‘manual transmission fluid’ the same as ‘gear oil’? I read that ‘transmission fluid’ and ‘gear oil’ are not the same.

MTF's are application-specific manual transmission fluids that have completely different additive packages than differential fluids and are not the same.

The EP80W-90 does reference the Ford spec. is the one I would use.

In which country are you located?

 

[930.engineering]

.
You're based in the UK I assume?

Both oils might serve fairly. BUT:
Why mineral fluid at all? Your Fiesta deserves a synthetic MTF.
This manual is old. Gear oil got better since compared to 1988.
From what this shop's offerings I'd try this one instead:

Transmax Multivehicle 75W-90:
https://classicoilsshop.co.uk/castrol-syntrans-75w90

However, it's still a bit too thick. I'd look for Castrol Syntrans
V-FE 78W-80 = Transmax Manual V 75W-80:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://msdspds.castrol.com/bpglis/FusionPDS.nsf/Files/9CE767B616AAB54C80258440001FB34C/$File/bpxe-8eqr29_0.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwio8fDeqL-MAxU7-QIHHerZB3UQFnoECEQQAQ&usg=AOvVaw3GB8QcDdUXqVSvrHc0I01m

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://msdspds.castrol.com/bpglis/FusionPDS.nsf/Files/45C5D0051058BCCE80258B2E002FD5F4/$File/bpxe-aya7lq.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjK1reqq7-MAxWv7QIHHffQHnwQFnoECDQQAQ&usg=AOvVaw1GOVIYc6nj5qyw4nLEWzl6

I've used also Ravenol MTF-2 SAE 75W-80 with good results
on several cars. My Mini Cooper loved it:

https://www.ravenol.de/en/product/g...e-und-antriebsachsen/ravenol-mtf-2-sae-75w-80

 

[twilson96]

MTF's are application-specific manual transmission fluids that have completely different additive packages than differential fluids and are not the same.

The EP80W-90 does reference the Ford spec. is the one I would use.

In which country are you located?

Thanks, I am in the UK.

 

[twilson96]

.
You're based in the UK I assume?

Both oils might serve fairly. BUT:
Why mineral fluid at all? Your Fiesta deserves a synthetic MTF.
This manual is old. Gear oil got better since compared to 1988.
From what this shop's offerings I'd try this one instead:

Transmax Multivehicle 75W-90:
https://classicoilsshop.co.uk/castrol-syntrans-75w90

However, it's still a bit too thick. I'd look for Castrol Syntrans
V-FE 78W-80 = Transmax Manual V 75W-80:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://msdspds.castrol.com/bpglis/FusionPDS.nsf/Files/9CE767B616AAB54C80258440001FB34C/$File/bpxe-8eqr29_0.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwio8fDeqL-MAxU7-QIHHerZB3UQFnoECEQQAQ&usg=AOvVaw3GB8QcDdUXqVSvrHc0I01m

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://msdspds.castrol.com/bpglis/FusionPDS.nsf/Files/45C5D0051058BCCE80258B2E002FD5F4/$File/bpxe-aya7lq.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjK1reqq7-MAxWv7QIHHffQHnwQFnoECDQQAQ&usg=AOvVaw1GOVIYc6nj5qyw4nLEWzl6

I've used also Ravenol MTF-2 SAE 75W-80 with good results
on several cars. My Mini Cooper loved it:

https://www.ravenol.de/en/product/g...e-und-antriebsachsen/ravenol-mtf-2-sae-75w-80

Yeah UK. Thanks for the suggestions. Any issue with mixing different oil types? I’m just topping up to begin with rather than doing a full oil change on the box and I don’t know what’s already in there. I would assume the oil that’s in there has been there for a while so is probably older style mineral oil.

 

[twilson96]

Welcome,

any 80w GL4 will work, Castrol is perfect or Ravenol.

Is the Ravenol EP?

 

[twilson96]

Welcome,

any 80w GL4 will work, Castrol is perfect or Ravenol.

I am struggling to find a supplier for ravenol in the UK and postage is extortionate from Europe!

 

[930.engineering]

Any issue with mixing different oil types? I’m just topping up to begin with rather than doing a full oil change on the box and I don’t know what’s already in there. I would assume the oil that’s in there has been there for a while so is probably older style mineral oil.

While generally mixing mineral and synthetic is a non-issue you should
definetly perform a full oil change anyway. Different oils mean different
add packs, resulting in both weaker shifting quality and protection.
I've been guessing Ravenol might harder to obtain yesterday, so just get
Castrol Syntrans V-FE 75W-80 (now Castrol Transmax Manual V 75W-80).
That said, I bet very most modern 75W-80 MTF products will do the trick.
You could also get BMW MTF LT4 from your local BMW/Mini dealership
easily but since being a GL-4 75W-90 it's somewhat thicker than required
and a tad expensive. It's Castrol made btw..

https://shop.bmw.co.uk/14026/genuin...n-fluid-oil-mtf-lt-4-1-litre-83-22-5-a53-cb0/

I am struggling to find a supplier for ravenol in the UK and postage is extortionate from Europe!

Britain is still part of Europe, same like Ireland and Switzerland, regardless
of Brexit.
.

 

[Jetronic]

Britain is still part of Europe, same like Ireland and Switzerland, regardless
of Brexit.
.

But there's no free trade anymore, as a private person you will pay import taxes, customs duty, and VAT on top of everything. cost gets inflated by about 50% crossing the uk/eu border, paid for by the customer.

 

[930.engineering]

.
I know, but you didn't got what I tried to say. He said "from Europe" (and he didn't
say "from the EU"). Actually he IS living in Europe. Not in the EU but still in Europe.
.

 

[ceecbtg]

Is the Ravenol EP?

Yes.

 

[twilson96]

But there's no free trade anymore, as a private person you will pay import taxes, customs duty, and VAT on top of everything. cost gets inflated by about 50% crossing the uk/eu border, paid for by the customer.

Yh this is what I meant. I know I still live in the continent of Europe. I can get stuff posted from halfway across the world for a fraction of the price it costs to get it posted from anywhere in the EU. A lot of places straight up won’t even post oil to the uk. Ordered some ravenol from EU and then found out today they’d cancelled my order because I’m in the UK. Brexit really screwed us for stuff like this.