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Correct transmission oil

aspann

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I'm a newbee and have been lurking on the forum picking up a wealth of information. Just bought a m35a2 and the LO 9-2320-386-12 says the transmission oil is SAE 15W40. Is this correct?
 

aspann

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Thanks guys, like I said I'm a newbee and that's my first post. I'll see if I can find the correct LO. Again thanks for the info.
 

jimm1009

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GL-5 with yellow metal additives is more easy to find and one vendor is NAPA. They have it in a 5 gallon pail of which you will need about 7 gallons or so total if you are doing all the gear oils at once.
See PDF attachement of pail lable.
The label does not state that it has Yellow Metal compatability but I had the store call the factory rep and they stated that it does.
The funny thing is that the 1 gallon jugs do have it printed on them.
Someone goofed in making up the label for the 5 gallon pail acoording to the tech rep.

jimm1009
 

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aspann

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Thanks to all for the information and the links. You will be getting more dumb questions as I learn more about the duce & half.
 

JasonS

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Gear oil will work but it is not correct. The proper oil for a spicer tranny is 50wt engine oil. You can get it at your local truck shop.
 

JDToumanian

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The proper oil for a spicer tranny is 50wt engine oil.
Are you sure it's ENGINE oil? I remember that Spicer originally recommended 50wt, but I would assume that meant 50wt GEAR oil.... Engine oil doesn't have extreme pressure additives.

Regards,
Jon
 
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JasonS

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Are you sure it's ENGINE oil? I remember that Spicer originally recommended 50wt, but I would assume that meant 50wt GEAR oil.... Engine oil doesn't have extreme pressure additives.

On a related subject, a few years ago there was a thread like this, and I posted up that I had used 80w-90 fully synthetic gear oil in my deuce's transmission. I put Chevron DELO ESI gear oil in the transfer case and axles but not the transmission because I was not sure at the time that it was okay to use it with yellow metal. Several members posted that their transmissions had failed a short time after they had switched to synthetic oil.... This seemed ridiculous to me, synthetics are "the best", right? Well, 5th gear has failed on my deuce and I am getting ready to swap out the transmission. This is 1,200 miles after switching to synthetic, and there are 11,000 miles total on the truck. Coincidence? I think not. I don't know why synthetic would cause failure, but I believe it did. That or these transmissions are JUNK.

I would now personally recommend Chevron DELO ESI gear oil for all equipment calling for GO, available at a Chevron Lubricants dealer. Sure, there are plenty of other oils that would be fine, or even excellent.... But Chevron DELO ESI is the only lubricant that Rockwell / Meritor (makers of the deuce's axles) both endorses and specifies an 800,000 mile oil change interval. It's gotta be good stuff!

2cents

Regards,
Jon
I have a civilian Reo manual from the fifties and it states that Spicer transmissions should use "SAE #50 engine oil". It also states "no additives designed to impart extreme pressure properties should be used." I asked the local truck shop and they pointed me to the 50wt sitting on their shelf.
 

JDToumanian

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I have a civilian Reo manual from the fifties and it states that Spicer transmissions should use "SAE #50 engine oil". It also states "no additives designed to impart extreme pressure properties should be used."
Fascinating. Thanks!
 

jimm1009

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Quoting the current LO with change 1 dated August 1988 as attached in PDF format (GO 80/90).
I'm sure with today's technology that there are actually better lubes available but this is the current, official military-use guide unless someone has an offical military revision out there.
NOTE: This is the M35A2 and NOT M35A3. The A3 uses a different LO.

jimm1009
 

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stumps

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Are you sure it's ENGINE oil? I remember that Spicer originally recommended 50wt, but I would assume that meant 50wt GEAR oil.... Engine oil doesn't have extreme pressure additives.
There is no such thing as SAE 50 gear oil. SAE 50 engine oil is very close to the same viscosity as SAE 90 gear oil.

-Chuck
 
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jasonjc

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The army does NOT always use the best thing out there. They use what the BEAN counter's tell them to use. It's cheaper to use 80/90 in every thing, than to stock 50wt and 80/90 and ....
 

stumps

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Yes it is correct! There is no SAE rated gear oil below SAE 75.

SAE 50 motor oil viscosity is specified to be 270/19.5 cST (100C/40C)

SAE 75 gear oil viscosity is specified to be 47/7.0 cST (100C/40C)
SAE 90 gear oil viscosity is specified to be 285/20.5 cST (100C/40C)
(these numbers come from Machinery's Handbook #23)

This Shell "SAE 50" has a specified viscosity of 132/17.5 cST (100C/40C)
(this number comes from Shell's website)

Which puts it somewhere between an SAE 40 and an SAE 50 motor oil, or exactly at an SAE 80/90 gear oil.

Shell intentionally mislabeled this SAE 80/90 gear oil as SAE 50 to attract folks (like you) that think Spicer transmissions need SAE 50 oil. This oil should have been labeled as an SAE 80/90 gear oil.

-Chuck
 

67X

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Lonsdale, MN
ok i been watching this GO stuff for a bit now and it just so happens Im going to change out all my oils so I know what my trucks got in it and when it was put in there. so after about a week of searching out info...feeling like i wanted to use my head as a wheel chock at times. I think i finally found what i been looking for.
Here is what i have been able to come up with..the 1983 Lubrication Order states that Mil-l-2105 80/90 gear oil be used in the transmission, differentials and transfercase. Now there seems to be a few Mil-l-2105 standard varients such as Mil-l-2105D, Mil-l 2105C and Mil-l-2105E. And of course theres a Important API spec as we all know API MT-1. so i'll post a link that should be a informative read for those like me whom were confused.
LUBE REPORT: Gear Oil Spec Finally Mesheshttp://http://www.lubrizol.com/DrivelineAdditives/AutomotiveGearOil/GL5.html
note the 2004 date of this article..so this isnt a new change
http://http://www.lubrizol.com/DrivelineAdditives/AutomotiveGearOil/GL5.htmlhttp://www.lubrizol.com/DrivelineAdditives/AutomotiveGearOil/GL5.html
i found this to be most helpful

So my conclusion is that im going to buy only GO with the SAE J2360 spec on the bottle as from what i understand it covers the latest mil spec and MT-1 spec. Hope this helps someone feel a bit more comfortable in selecting their GO.

Adam

1971 AM General M35A2
1967 Plymouth GTX
 
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