Syn 3 in the tranny? Not for me
Syn 3 in the tranny? Not for me
Who else thinks that Syn 3 in the tranny is a bad idea? For some reason I just dont think a 20w 30 oil in the tranny is heavy enought.
Chris
Chris
Road Warrior
Joined: Aug 2006
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RE: Syn 3 in the tranny? Not for me
I ran it in my 03 Softail and 05 Classic. Both had around 30K miles on them when I traded and no problems. A couple of HD mechanics I talked to said that they personally like running gear oil in the tranny rather than 20W50. My 06 Ultra calls for the Formula Plus Gear and Primary lube so that's what I'm running now. Once it's out of warranty, I'll probably switch to a good synthetic gear lube.
Cruiser
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 226
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RE: Syn 3 in the tranny? Not for me
I personally wouldn't run anything but a good gear oil such as AMSOIL Severe Gear oil 75W90. I believe that Mobil and redline make one also. You can run a a good Synthetic gear oil right out of the box without effecting your warranty. Synthetic gear oils such as the AMSOIL product are far superior to anything Harley has so you have nothing to fear. If you are concerned about warranty issues, look up the Magnuson Moss Act. on the internet. It is a consumer protection act that basically says that as long as the lubricant meets or exceeds the API spec. in your owners manuel they have to prove that the lubricant was the cause of the failure before they can void the warranty. It also states that if the require a specific lubricant by name then they have to provide it for free.
Good Luck
03 Ultra Classic
AMSOIL 20/50 Engine and primary
SVG 75W 90 in the trans.I believe Mobil and Redline make one also
Good Luck
03 Ultra Classic
AMSOIL 20/50 Engine and primary
SVG 75W 90 in the trans.I believe Mobil and Redline make one also
Big Kahuna HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 23,881
Likes: 34
From: USA
RE: Syn 3 in the tranny? Not for me
Many manufacturers are trying the "one oil for everything" in an effort to increase profits. Syn3 will work in the trans but won't give you the same protection as a 75w90 synthetic gear oil like Mobil1, Amsoil, Redline will for the same price. In fact I broke in both of my Harley's on syn3 and switched to other synthetics that performed better for the same price. So far I like the Mobil1Vtwin 20w50 the best in the engine and the redline oils in the trans & primary.
The Mobil1 products are easy to get at Autozone. The syn3 caused heavy valcetrain clatter in my TC88......so I recommend you dump the syn3 because of performance. Then add the fact that syn3 is made by Citgo which is run by Hugo Chavez and there are too many reasons NOT to use it.
The Mobil1 products are easy to get at Autozone. The syn3 caused heavy valcetrain clatter in my TC88......so I recommend you dump the syn3 because of performance. Then add the fact that syn3 is made by Citgo which is run by Hugo Chavez and there are too many reasons NOT to use it.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 11,068
Likes: 1,473
From: Texas! Ya mean there's someplace else?
RE: Syn 3 in the tranny? Not for me
Hey Chris, how ya doin, ya swabbie? While I won't recommend using 20w-50 motor oil in a tranny, it has nothing to do with it not being heavy enough. Gear oils' and motor oils' viscosity are measured using different scales, if you will. Here's a quick comparison:
Viscosity is measured by different scales for engine oil and gear oil. The two systems aren’t directly comparable, number-for-number. Here’s a reasonably accurate comparison between the two systems. Please remember that I said “reasonably accurate”, as there is some overlap.
SAE Engine Oil = SAE Gear Oil
10w thru mid range of 20w = 75w
Mid 20w thru mid 30w = 80w
Mid 30w thru low 40w = 85w
Low 40w thru 50w = 90w
60w up = 140w
Looking at these ranges we notice that 50w engine oil is the same “real” viscosity as 90w gear oil. So it stands to reason that they might be substituted for each other. But remember that there are other factors involved than just viscosity. The ability to withstand shear, and additives designed for a particular end use are also important.
Viscosity is measured by different scales for engine oil and gear oil. The two systems aren’t directly comparable, number-for-number. Here’s a reasonably accurate comparison between the two systems. Please remember that I said “reasonably accurate”, as there is some overlap.
SAE Engine Oil = SAE Gear Oil
10w thru mid range of 20w = 75w
Mid 20w thru mid 30w = 80w
Mid 30w thru low 40w = 85w
Low 40w thru 50w = 90w
60w up = 140w
Looking at these ranges we notice that 50w engine oil is the same “real” viscosity as 90w gear oil. So it stands to reason that they might be substituted for each other. But remember that there are other factors involved than just viscosity. The ability to withstand shear, and additives designed for a particular end use are also important.
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