Engine vs Gear Oil
- Thread starter glider
- Start date
I wonder if sometimes the people that we all listen to, don't throw things into the mix just to make us think about what and how we do things. I have read so much about what to put in the different compartments of my bike that if I didn't have so much space in my head I'm sure I would have a migraine. Like most members I want the best for my Harley and I do try to pay attention to the folks who's knowledge I respect. My opinion is that you want motor oil in the motor, gear oil in the tranny, and something for the clutch and chain and sprockets in the primary, and you would like the stuff in the primary to cool the stator a little. I use an Amzoil product in my tranny, and I bought it at my Harley dealer. Tranny shifts fine and is very quiet, works for me. I used a Red Line product in my '94 Softail and it also worked great, but it's hard to find where I live. The primary gets a lube for the primary with an HD label and I use HD 20/50 non syn. in the motor. Put over 150,000mi on the Softail before I had the Reman. done. And I have over 66,000mi on the RG with no problems, go figure.
J
Jack Klarich
Guest
Formula Plus takes the place of H D Sport Lube 99896-88D
My bike does not like Syn3 in the transmission. It was noisy and clanked terrible when shifting. With Spectro GL5 or Bel-Ray 75-140 full synthetic it is quiet and smooth.
If I run Mobil1-V-Twin I get too much valve train noise. Again I have gone to Bel-Ray 15-50 full synthetic and the valve train is quiet.
In the primary what works best for me is just cheap 20-50 Dino. oil. I have no clutch slippage whatsoever and I have not had a problem with any rust (fretting) of the compensator. The compensator's lack of fretting may or may not have anything to do with my choice of oil, but when the second compensator went I had been using Formula + and there was definite rust there.
If I run Mobil1-V-Twin I get too much valve train noise. Again I have gone to Bel-Ray 15-50 full synthetic and the valve train is quiet.
In the primary what works best for me is just cheap 20-50 Dino. oil. I have no clutch slippage whatsoever and I have not had a problem with any rust (fretting) of the compensator. The compensator's lack of fretting may or may not have anything to do with my choice of oil, but when the second compensator went I had been using Formula + and there was definite rust there.
J
Jack Klarich
Guest
Interesting Steve, I have not seen any problems with the Formula + tho I will NOW be looking:s
If we we're to use engine oil in all 3 holes it would have said that on the bottle. Last time I looked my bottle of Mobil1 only said motor oil. We all spent enough money for these scoots, why would you want to chance paying more for repairs by using something other than a recommended or a proven product. I for one don't like using a 25,000 dollar Harley as a science project.
Steve, I run Mobil1 20/50 in mine and your right the top end does make more noise but louder exhaust should help with that.:s
Jennmarr
Junior Member
You are right. I do not know why they came out with it. All I was trying to say is that the MoCo is interested in selling. If they think there is a market for another lubricant that can be profitably exploited, they are going to do that, and because of that, one cannot use the new product introduction as proof of a real need for a different lubricant. However, what I just said does not disprove the need for a different product. Furthermore, there is a difference between "acceptable" and "best". Even Amsoil lists their motor oil as the first recommendation for use in the tranny. Their Severe Gear product is the second choice. Having said all that, I now run a gear oil in the tranny, but for most the of the first 120k miles my bike had Syn3 in all three holes.
Nicely put.