Ford Toploader Lube?

[FastFord]

Help, what do I need?

My 60's street driven Ford toploader 4-speed has all new internal parts including brass sycronizer blocker rings. I have read that the newer lubes for manual trans. has sulfur in it that attacks these soft metals.
The retailer that sells the parts says that you should not use synthetics so what is available to go in this gear box?

I would like an 80W-140 if I can get it.
Any help would be great.
Mike

 

[flanso]

I used synthetic from Redline in a toploader with good results, especially shifting when the transmission was cold. Sorry, I can't remember which of their products it was but I bet Redline would give you a recommendation if you contacted them.

 

[Gene K]

For the street 75W90 GL4 (Not GL5 or Dual Rated GL4/5) Conventional. Any name brand. Change the initial fill at 500-1000 miles and ever 20,000-25,000 miles after that.

For track use (road course not drag) 80W140 GL4 Conventional but it can be a bit balky unless you prewarm the drivetrain. 80W140 tends to shear worse so needs changed more often if you use it on the street. For race use change interval would depend on hours and operating trans temps.

Synthetics tend to shift funky in Toploaders when hot.

 

[FastFord]

I have been able to locate only one brand (Penzoil) of GL-4 and it is only avalible in 5 gallon quantity. Does no one package this stuff in quart bottles anymore?

 

[marco246]

FastFord,

I have a toploader in my Cobra replica, but I haven't had the car long and am leery about making any recommendations. The previous owner tracked the car and swore by Torco gear oil, having used 80W-90 conventional and 75W-90 synthetic. I switched to Mobil 1 75W-90 and have had no issues, but as I said, I've not had the car long enough to recognize any issues or potential issues. I won't track the car other than during an occasional autocross episode.

Chevron makes a good conventional gear lube rated GL-4/-5 in both 80W-90 and 85W-140. It's called DELO ESI, and it contains no sulfur or phosphorus, relying on "inorganic borate compounds" that do not react with metal. I'm using it successfully in an old Alfa Romeo for both transmission and differential.

 

[zray]

I use Mobil 1 75w-140 or Mobil 1 75w-90 in all my classic cars transmissions & rear ends. The transmissions are toploaders and T-10's. The cars, '66 Shelby GT350's see severe high speed usage. Over a 10 year/ 50,000 miles period there was zero measurable wear on the transmission parts, I have zero shifting issues.

BTW, in the engines I've been using Mobil 1 15w-50 with the identical results

Z.
'66 GT350
'65 HiPo Mustang
'66 Galaxie

 

[MolaKule]

There is a specific topical area for transmissions:

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=16&page=1

This is Science and Technology of Oils and Lubricant Additives » Technical and White Papers

 

[drolds]

If you have yellow metals (brass, copper, bronze) in this transmission, then the spec is GL-4.
GL4 and GL5 cannot be spec'd on the same bottle. The extreme pressure additive, regardless of brand in a GL5 will eventually attack the yellow metals. GL5 would mean bye bye synchros. You should use a GL4 only 80W-90 or 75W-90. Synthetic or petroleum is fine. However, GL4 only is what you want.
I am a technician and I thoroughly know my lube specs. I use AMSOIL MTG-75w90 in these and the old Muncie- transmissions from GM. If you have good seals, go with a synthetic(rare availability in GL4) or a petroleum in genuine GL4 only. Just do not let the kid at the parts counter at the auto-parts store read a label that says GL4 & GL5. While a few vintage cars such as Alfa Romeo use steel synchros and require GL5 gear lube in their manual trans, your Ford Toploader does not and cannot use a GL5- at least for very long.

Dr. Olds

 

[zray]

Originally Posted By: drolds
If you have yellow metals (brass, copper, bronze) in this transmission, then the spec is GL-4.
GL4 and GL5 cannot be spec'd on the same bottle. The extreme pressure additive, regardless of brand in a GL5 will eventually attack the yellow metals. GL5 would mean bye bye synchros.........." "............your Ford Toploader does not and cannot use a GL5- at least for very long.


You must be using the cosmic definition of time. For the last 20 years I've been using Mobil 1 75w-140 in my toploaders and T-10 vintsge 4 speeds. Between several vintage Mustangs & Shelbys I conservitively have driven over 500,000 miles using the GL5 spec Mobil 1 gear lube. The car that was driven the most, a '66 Shelby GT350, had over 150,000 miles put on it by me and a previous owner, with both of us using the GL5 Mobil 1. The transmission was professionally inspected prior to a sale, and zero wear on the synchros & gears was observed. The gear set was magnafluxed and examined under magnification. Again, the moving parts were indistinguishable from new.

How many miles does it take before the destruction of the brass synchros will occur ? I suppose I'd better start talking in light years.

Over the years I've read many cautionary tales warning against the use of GL5 lube in these older transmissions . I'm still waiting for one of my transmissions, which routinely see extreme duty, to show the slightest adverse affect from the Mobil 1 75w-140 GL5 spec product.

Z.