VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1929-1932 1931 CHEVY GEAR OIL

CAN ANYONE HELP WITH THE MODERN EQUIVELENT GEAR OIL FOR THE GEARBOX AND REAR AXLE ON MY 31 PHAETON,HAVE FILLED WITH EP140 BUT IT FEELS TO THIN AND NOISY ALSO LEAKS OUT OF ALL THE BOLT HOLES,CAR IS A SOUTH AFRICAN KD,R/H/D,SO REALY NEED THE OIL TO SAVE ANY PROBS WITH STEERING BOX

I know exactly what you mean. I had the same problem when I first used modern gear oil in my '32. The Filling Station (www.fillingstation.com) sells a heavy duty 600W gear oil that matches what originally used to go into these old cars. If I recall correctly, this gear oil has microfibers that help prevent drips.

I got mine from Little Dearborn in St Paul Mn. They are all F..d guys but if you have a place like that around you they can set you up with the 600w

All of the Model A F*#d vendors sell 600W.

I thought that discussions here a couple years back were in favor of modern, multi-viscosity gear oils...

epi

The modern oils are fine for the 1932 and up but some of the worn out older ones do better with a heavier oil.

DONT FORGET IM IN UK SO CANNOT GET MY LOCAL VINTAGE **** MAN TO MAIL ME SOME 600W,ALSO POST MAN WILL NOT SEND OIL OVERSEAS EXCEPT IN TANKERS,HAVE EP150 STILL SEEMS THIN

Being as I reside in an agricultural region, read the sticks, I can get 600w gear oil off the shelf. They still stock it for combines, etc. They have farms in England?

Regards, Gary

SAE 160 is the modern number for 600W oil. It is also sold as "steam oil". Don't know the equivalent in Europe but should not be too tough to find.

I don't know anything about these gear oils. Mobil still makes 600w which is a steam cylinder oil. This has a similar consistency as 140W. The tech rep from Mobil said that this was fine for our tranmission/rearend applications. He stated that some of the new gear EP oils use sulphur base additives which can react with brass and bronze bushings.
I called Lubriplate some time ago and talked with their tech rep and they said that they have a gear oil SPO-277 which is comparable to today's 140w or Mobil 600w. It is a modern oil that doesn't contain the animal fats of the 600w. He and Their website literature says it is safe for bronze, brass and silver alloy. He also mentioned the SPO-299 but said the literature didn't mention about other metals. www.lubriplate.com or Technical Service Center:800-347-5343

HAD A WORD WITH MILLERS TECHNICAL SERVICE,IT SEEMS THAT 600W ALTHOUGH HAVING THE SAME VISCOSITY OF EP140 DID HAVE SOME ADDITIVES TO PREVENT SEEPAGE FROM FELT SEALS AND THREADS ALSO TO STOP THE OIL SHEARING ON GEARS,THERE WAS NO SOAPS OR SULPHOR ADDED SO THE YELLOW METAL WAS NOT AFFECTED,I HAVE CHECKED OUT COMBINE HARVESTER AND MACHINERY OILS THESE HAVE ADDITIVES IN THEM TO COMBAT ROUGH USAGE AND DIRT MOST SEEM TO HAVE SULPHOR IN THEM TO KEEP THEM STABLE IF WATER OR CONDENSATION GETS IN,I WILL FIND OUT SOMEHOW,WE DO HAVE OLD **** PEOPLE OVER HERE WILL SEE WHAT THEY COME UP WITH

WELL GUYS FOUND THE LAST 20LITRE DRUM OF 600W IN THE UK,IT SEEMS MOBIL WERE THE LAST TO MAKE IT,THEY HAVE A 206LITRE BARREL OF IT AS WELL SO ANY UK BASED SPECIALIST READING THIS CAN GET IN TOUCH-------SORTED AS WE SAY OVER HERE THANKS

oops seems like writing mail in capitals is not done!!!!!!!!!!so appologies to all hope you understand as old guys like me have only just got used to this electricity thing,paul boothby