Coastal Synthetic Gear Lube

[doyall]

Seen several threads about this stuff but no hard facts. Saw some in Advance Auto yesterday so I thought I'd see if any information on composition could be obtained. Messaged Coastal from their web site and got the MSDS. Here's what it says:

quote:

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COMPOSITION



Occupational Exposure Limits*

OSHA ACGIH

Product CAS Number Wt% PEL TLV Other Units



Coastal Synthetic 75w140 Mixture 100 N.A. N.A.





Ingredient(s):





Solvent Refined 64742-62-7 7[%] 5 5 10 STEL mg/m3**

Residual Oil



P. A. O. Synthetic base oil Mixture >85[%] N.A. N.A. N.A.



Additives containing N.A. 5-8[%] N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A.

polymers

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Product info sheet says this:

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Coastal® HD FS 75w-90 Gear Oil is a full synthetic gear oil engineered to meet the severe high-load and hightemperature demands of contemporary race and commercial vehicle differentials and transmissions. It possesses excellent load carrying ability, extreme pressure (EP) properties, wear resistance, low temperature performance, oxidation stability and protection against rust and corrosion. Coastal® HD FS 75w-90 Gear Oil is recommended for make-up and complete refill of all passenger car, light truck and heavy-duty differentials, transmissions and steering gears, including limited slip
differentials.

Coastal® HD FS 75w-90 Gear Oil meets or exceeds the following lubrication and performance requirements: API MT-1 and GL-5; MIL PRF2105E; Meritor Automotive, Inc. (formerly Rockwell) 0-76-E (petroleum) and O-80 (synthetic); Eaton PS-037, PS-109, and PS-163; Eaton Extended Warranty; Dana Corporation, Axle Division; Mack GO-J and GO-J Plus; Navistar TMS 6816.

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Looks to be a true Group IV lube. I think it was $5.99/qt (compared to $7.99/qt for M1). Any thoughts?

[ October 21, 2003, 01:50 PM: Message edited by: doyall ]

 

[MolaKule]

Fairly close to what is described here:

http://theoildrop.server101.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=4;t=000226

 

[Bluestream]

I think it was $5.99/qt (compared to $7.99/qt for M1). Any thoughts? QUOTE]

I don't really understand what these numbers mean, but would it be fair to say that coastal Synthetic is basically the same gear oil as more expensive brands? I know people don't like to use non name-brand lubes, but what is the difference?

 

[doyall]

Here's my best take on it. Hopefully someone will come through and correct it if it is incorrect. If the MSDS is accurate, the overwhelming majority of the hydrodynamic lubrication properties in the Costal 75w140 GL are attributable to PAO's, which are a Group IV oil. There is some Group I oil in the mix, but why it is there I can only speculate. In a post discussing Harley SYN3 synthetic motor oil http://theoildrop.server101.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=11;t=000136 , MolaKule noted that it had some "Group I base oil for mixture. Most likely used to increase solvency." Now, whether this would apply to GL's as well, I don't know. But I remember reading somewhere else on this board that additives do not mix well with PAO's. If this is correct, it could mean that the manufacturer chose to use the Group I oil for "miscability," to use the technical term. It would appear as though some other of the GL mfgrs might use esters for miscability purposes. If you look at Pennzoil/QS GL MSDS's, the composition includes esters. Mobil's MSDS do not go into detail about composition so their miscability vehicles are unknown. The composition of GM's "grape juice" GL as posted here http://theoildrop.server101.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=16;t=000643 lists solvent refined mineral oil (presumably Group I) as a component. Of course all of Red Lines GL's are totally ester based. Maybe an Amsoil rep will share its composition. The decision to use a Group I oil as opposed to an ester for miscibility is probably the reason the Coastal is less expensive than the other GL's, if in fact it is (see below). (What it is about the GM stuff that makes it worth $17/qt, I don't know.) But nonetheless, with an 85% minimum PAO content, the 75w140 Coastal may be worthy of consideration, unless of course there is a difference in the quality of PAO's being used by the various blenders. (Maybe someone will come through and comment on what, if any, differences there between various PAO's.) I will consider using it in my Harley transmission after I use the Red Line Shockproof Heavy I picked up last week.

BUT ... see my next post in this topic for an important qualifier.

[ October 23, 2003, 10:35 AM: Message edited by: doyall ]

 

[doyall]

Upon examining the MSDS and Product Data Sheet for the Coastal GL originally posted, I noticed that the MSDS is for 75w140 and the PDS is for 75w90. So I e-mailed back to get a MSDS for the 75w90. Very interesting. Here is the composition for the 75w90.

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COMPOSITION



Occupational Exposure Limits*

OSHA ACGIH

Product CAS Number Wt% PEL TLV Other Units



Coastal 75w140 Mixture 100 N.A. N.A.





Ingredient(s):





Solvent Refined 64742-62-7 7 5 5 10 STEL mg/m3**

Residual Oil



API Group III base oil Mixture >85 N.A. N.A. N.A.



Additives containing N.A. 5-8 N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A.

polymers

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Under the Product ID section on the MSDS it says 75w90 but under the Composition section it says 75w140, but that is not the big concern. The big concern is that the 75w90 is a Group III "synthetic." Hummm. Maybe someone is now making a high viscosity Group III oil, contrary to what I posted in the GM "grape juice" thread. In any case, the moral of this story is two-fold ... always do a thorough investigation and if you want a "true" synthetic Coastal GL, get the 75w140. Now we know why the Coastal 75w90 is $5.99/qt. Wonder how much the 75w140 is. Also can't help but wonder if the mis-matched data was an honest mistake.

 

[MolaKule]

if you look at the postings I made on the compositions of Gear Lubes, you will see that low viscosity PAO's are used as well as high viscosity PAO's.

Point is, in your last post, a low viscosity Group III is being thickend with a high viscosity Group I, II residual oil or Bright Stock. Blenders often mix very low viscosity base oils with thickeners and VII's to get an oil that flows in cold temps but is thick enough to provide enough film thickness at high temperatures.


Not to fear, it's still a gear lube.

 

[doyall]

Didn't mean to imply anything disparaging MolaKule. Thought I prefaced my comments with sufficient qualifiers to indicate my lack of knowlegde on this topic. Anyway, my main concern is not really composition at this point, although composition is not being relegated to unimportance. My overriding concern is whether I was purposefully being misled by Coastal when they sent the wrong MSDS. Wouldn't be the first time it has been done by an oil company.

 

[MolaKule]

doyall,

No, didn't take your comments as disparaging, just trying to help sort out the info.

I don't think Coastal was trying a bait and switch, but believe it was an honest mistake of the chemists being ahead of the web site. You were like a free consultant for them, showing them that their webiste needed updating.

Most likely the company decided to replace the more expensive PAO with a Group III. Coastal is not doing anything more than Amsoil, Castrol, and the others are doing in calling a Group III a "synthetic."

[ October 23, 2003, 11:33 AM: Message edited by: MolaKule ]

 

[Bluestream]

I sent an email to Coastal asking for information on the 75W140 gear oil, and got this reply:

"We do not produce a full synthetic gear oil, but do have a synthetic blend 75w90 product. "

 

[doyall]

Well, I've certainly got an e-mail from them that has one for a 75w140 attached. MSDS No. 125. MSDS No. 133 is for the 75w90. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt as to why they sent me one for the 75w140.

 

[MolaKule]

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I sent an email to Coastal asking for information on the 75W140 gear oil, and got this reply:

"We do not produce a full synthetic gear oil, but do have a synthetic blend 75w90 product. "

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What, an honest company?

 

[MolaKule]

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I don't really understand what these numbers mean, but would it be fair to say that coastal Synthetic is basically the same gear oil as more expensive brands? I know people don't like to use non name-brand lubes, but what is the difference?

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The first post lists a 75W140 Synthetic gear oil with the following proportions of materials:

85% PAO, 7.5% is Additive package including the Viscosity Index Improvers and EP adds,
and 7% Heavy mineral oil such as Brightstock.

This is more than a blend; this can be called a synthetic gear lube.

Now since this MSDS was created, they may have switched from a PAO to a Group III oil, which would be a blend under current terminology (not that the current terminology is correct with regard to base oils).

Texaco/Havoline and Chevron did this very thing last year with their engine oils.

[ October 23, 2003, 04:37 PM: Message edited by: MolaKule ]

 

[pgtr]

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but would it be fair to say that coastal Synthetic is basically the same gear oil as more expensive brands? I know people don't like to use non name-brand lubes, but what is the difference?

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Also we should keep in mind that 'name brand' lubricants invest heavily in advertising. TV commercials, extensive websites, print ads, sponsorship of motorsports etc don't exactly come cheap.

 

[doyall]

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Wonder how much the 75w140 is.

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Saw some while crusing another parts store today. Must be old stock. $11.99/qt. No wonder they don't sell it anymore.