Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) Dana 80 Lube

[pm720]

I know this has been discussed before but I am going to be changing the rear lube in about a month and I am looking for advice on the best non-Amsoil lube to use. I am leaning toward either Valvoline or Redline. 1995 Dana 80 LSD.



Thanks in advance!



Scott

 

[Billybob1]

Just Wondering...

Why non-Amsoil??

 

[TXDSLSHOP]

Royal Purple Max Gear!

I have been using RP Max Gear for quite a while now and have it in my Differential as well as in my NV4500. I have seen no problems and My 4500 shifts smooth as silk! Check out their web site. Or do a search on here for Royal Purple I'm sure I am not the only one using it. Just my 2 cents! http://www.royalmgi.com/max-gear.html

 

[Keith1]

170 thousand miles plus pennzoil 80-90 and not problem yet. 400 plus hp changed every 25 thousand, no metal found on

magnet yet. see ya

 

[illflem]

Delo ESI 80w-90 for me. It's equal to most synthetics and rated for 500k extended drains but I do it at 50k . Best thing is the price, I pay $28 for a 5 gallon tub. Most Chevron bulk dealers have it in stock.

http://library.cbest.chevron.com/lu...fbf9ee13d6fb12c788256628007d0d4d?OpenDocument

 

[Hammer]

I am curious as to the answer to this one myself. Especially since Red Line Oil products are a synthetic also. I don't want this to turn into a moderators nightmare so I'll beat no product drums here. His truck,his choice,just will wait for the "rest of the story"... . Andy

 

[pm720]

Thanks for the answers guys. Nothing against Amsoil but I just wanted something that I can get at the corner store if I need some more, hence the Valvoline. I suppose the Delo is readily available as well? I have a source for Redline if I decide to go that way.



Scott

 

[SRehberg]

Awhile back I was in your position whether to use synthetic or not, as it was mentioned I would lose the LS function. I switched to Redline 75-140W and it works just fine. The LS works as well, and no other additive was needed, the rear is quiet.



Illflem, is the Chevron oil a synthetic you mentioned? That is a good price for a 5gal drum of the stuff. I paid $8. 99/qt for the Redline at a local parts house. Luckily it doesn't hold but a gallon.

 

[illflem]

Originally posted by SRehberg





Illflem, is the Chevron oil a synthetic you mentioned?

The line between synthetic and dino oils is getting fuzzier all the time with improvements in base oil stock, remember all synthetics are made with a dino base oil, not some magic elixir. Since the only difference in whether an oil is called synthetic or non is the way the base oil is produced there are now some nonsynthetics that are just as "polished" as their synthetic cousins. According to the link I posted above the Delo is, " formulated with ISOSYN™ base stocks. " Almost sounds like synthetic to me. Further down they state, "Chevron Delo Gear Lubricants ESI were the first nonsynthetic gear oils approved for the 750,000-mile extended warranty program in Dana/Spicer axles. "

I'll let you decide.

 

[Billybob1]

Hmmmm...

I don't believe that a Type 4 PAO synthetic starts life as a dino oil. I do know that the Type 3 Hydrocracks do and this is the type that Mobil 1 is...



Just food for thought

 

[SRehberg]

It sure gets muddy with all the optional oils available now. I know I really went through a quandry when I wanted to change over to the synthetic due to D/C recommendation. Whatever happened to the back years when all that was available was dino oil? A lot of rear ends pulled heavy loads without failure, but I know the RV's and loads now imposed on our trucks have grown.



I posted this response once before, but for what it's worth, my neighbor is the supervisor for the repair of city vehicles where I live. He stated the police cruisers use to go through rear ends like spark plugs using dino 75-90wt, so they went to 75-140wt dino oil. The failures dropped to almost nothing; his statement was, "if the cops can't tear the rearends out, no one can. " They still don't use synthetic, so who knows. All the heavy equipment uses dino oil as well, so is the sythetic worth the price? Like illflem said, it's an individual decision. I had been running the dino 75-140wt prior to this with a large overhead camper, and inspection of the gears etc. revealed all was well.

 

[illflem]

Re: Hmmmm...

I don't believe that a Type 4 PAO synthetic starts life as a dino oil.

Here's simple proof.

Most synthetic oils are API certified, some Amsoils aren't only because they choose not to be (So the Amsoil dealers say, I believe them).

The American Petroleum Institute (API) only certifies petroleum products.



One of the researchers at work has developed an excellent 100% canola oil motor oil, problem with it is API won't certify it because it isn't petroleum based and most new vehicle warranties call for API certified lubes. Sort of running into a wall on that one.



Most all pharmaceuticals and plastics also begin their life as crude oil.

When someone says we are a petroleum based society most think of people buzzing around in their cars. The truth is that it goes much further than that. The petroleum molecule is the one that we've learned to tweak into more products than any other.

 

[JJW_ND]

Just some observations...

Just because some "oil" companies are now calling there new oils "synthetic" does not mean the original true synthetics are not what they always were..... True Full Synthetic.



Here some interesting reading I ran across while grabbing Viscostity indexes and pour points of some popular Synthetic and so Mineral Gear oils: http://www.engineeringtalk.com/news/klu/klu109.html



One statement you will find a ways down in the article is VI values for mineral oil top out around 95. It seems pretty obvious to me which oils MIGHT be true synthetic (high VI values and very low pour points) versus those that are just good quality mineral oil.



Brand ... VI ... Pour Point

Mobil 75W90 ... 150... - 51 degrees F.

Amsoil 2k75W90 ... 146... - 51 F

Redline 75W90NS ... 160... - 49F

Delo ESI 80w-90 ... 99... - 27F

Mobilube HD Plus 80W-90 ... 103 ... -27F

Citgo Premium (LS) 80W90 ... 101 ... -27F

Citgo Synthetic 75W90 ... 151 ... -50





Nothing wrong with mineral gear oils in warmer climates.



jjw

ND