Looking for GL-4 rated gear oil in the 85w-140 ran

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I have a Troy-Bilt Horse Rototiller that calls for GL-4 . . . NOT GL-5 This is due to the bronze shear gear and supposedly the additives used in GL-5 gear lube are hostile to these Bronze parts. This is hearsay but I've heard that Synthetic Gear lube with a GL-5 rating is NOT harmful. Such as Mobil1 and Royal purple?

Now to confuse matter worse I called Troy-Bilt and they now call for GL-1 85w-90? Now if GL-1 85w-90 is ok why not GL-4 85w-90? What's the difference?

So what is the difference between GL-4 & GL-1? Is Synthetic GL-5 bronze gear friendly?

I use the Troy-Bilt Commercially and it sees very heavy use and the gear oil needs to be changed ASAP

Thanks

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Pablo Thanks for the reply.

Just noticed this quote linked below:

" . . . Mobil 1 Synthetic Gear Lubricant LS 75W-140 combines wax-free synthesized hydrocarbon base oils and a specially designed extreme-pressure, limited-slip, sulfur-phosphorous additive system including the SuperSyn antiwear technology to provide a significantly higher level of performance in rear axles and differentials . . ."

http://www.mobil.com/USA-English/Lubes/PDS/GLXXENPVLMoMobil1_Synthetic_Gear_Lubricant_LS_75W-140.asp
 
Pretty much all of the gear lubes are sulfur-phosphorous based. There are exceptions, though. Modern gear oil packages have chemistries to prevent corrosion problems.
 
So is there a GL-5 gear lube that is NOT rated for GL-4 applications? What is really confusing . . . Troy-Bilt is now calling for GL-1 rated gear oil intead of GL-4?

Just so you know Troy-Bilt was bought out by MTD. Troy-Bilt had to pay big bucks on Chipper Shredder injury at least that's what I've been told thus they lost their shirts.
 
Found this @ Please do not link to sales pages of non-site sponsors. Thanks.

" . . .Severe Service Performance
Max-Gear® exceeds Eaton's stringent GL-5 / MIL-L-2105D Gear Oil Specs. Max-Gear® also is safe for GL-4 applications or bronze synchro gears. . .'

Looks like I found my Gear oil!
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This post got my attention because I'm planning on replacing the (original) transmission oil in my 15-year old "Pony" model. My manual says 85W-140 GL-3 or GL-5 for top-off, but only GL-3 for refills. I bought some "Accel" 85-140 at AA, but later noticed it's GL-5. Can anybody confirm whether it'd be OK to refill with this oil or should I keep looking for the GL-3 oil. I didn't know if changes in lubes since the early nineties would make this oil OK for use. I'm not at all well versed in Gear lubricants and find this GL rating a bit confusting...
 
If you use a GL5 fluid, you'll just have to practice a more reasonable change interval.
If you're too lazy to change your gear oil on a regular basis, then don't use the GL5 cheapo store brand fluid.

AFAIK, the entire range of RP Maxgear is GL4/GL5 safe.
If you do use a GL5 fluid, stick with the boutique quality fluids. They'll be using the least reactive additive packages and best buffering agents that will eliminate the so-called GL5 sulfur issues(which IMO is severly overhyped).
You'd have to use the fluid beyond its usefull life or get moisture in it, for it to be a problem.
 
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If a sauce says that it is dual rated as a GL4/GL5, you can safely use it.




Thanks for the replies. I returned the generic GL-5 rated stuff and found 140W GL-4 rated oil (this is the weight Troybilt mentions for refills). I take it that the GL-4 lube should be OK - since my manual specifies GL-3?

Sorry for prolonging this thread, but I'm trying to be cautious about a subject I'm pretty ignorant about...
 
I thought I was set on Royal Purple or even Amsiol extreme duty gear oil or possibly Mobil1 however . . . I found some 85w 140 gear oil under the brand name of COSTAL, from AutoZone, it services GL-5, GL-4 and . . . . GL-3 I figured I'd run this since I now have discovered a leaking wheel seal that isn't going away.

My question is what makes this a GL-3 rated gear oil? You don't see that spec very often? Also states limited slip for "top off only" - Is the "stuff that is good for limited slip differential bad for bronze tyranny parts or would it be good?
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Thanks for all the input
 
Quote:


I thought I was set on Royal Purple or even Amsiol extreme duty gear oil or possibly Mobil1 however . . . I found some 85w 140 gear oil under the brand name of COSTAL, from AutoZone, it services GL-5, GL-4 and . . . . GL-3 I figured I'd run this since I now have discovered a leaking wheel seal that isn't going away.

My question is what makes this a GL-3 rated gear oil? You don't see that spec very often? Also states limited slip for "top off only" - Is the "stuff that is good for limited slip differential bad for bronze tyranny parts or would it be good?
smirk.gif


Thanks for all the input




You're right about GL-3 not being mentioned in product labelling or literature. I wondered if GL-4 actually superceded it. Although my owners manual lists GL-3 140W for refills, Troybilt's website says GL-4. (see: http://troybilt.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/tro...amp;p_topview=1 I found Lubrimatic 140W GL-4 at O'Reilly's and put it in last weekend.

As for the leak around the axle(s), mine has done that for years. I asked a dealer about getting it repaired and he said it would eventually leak again after the seals are replaced...
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I never figured that simple maintenance on a tiller would be so complicated - I even found that the spark plug listed in the owner's manual differed from the one originally installed and listed in the B&S engine manual
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I was able to find GL-4 only under the Sta Lube brand name at a local NAPA however it was rated 80w-90. Now that Troy-Bilt calls for a GL-1 in the 80w-90 range what is the difference of viscosity ratings.

Why is the viscosity for GL-4 recommended at 80w-140 yet a GL-1 gear oil is ok at a lower weight of 80w-90?
 
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