Results from changing my tranny oil to SWEPCO 201, Comments on transmission oil. Options

[steuspeed]

So I have had my car about 6 months now. It has 105k on the clock. No record of when the last time the transmission oil was changed. First and second gear syncros are toast, but if I am real careful I can get it to slip in without grinding. Got to put it in first just before you come to a stop. I just changed the oil (Brad Penn) and thought it would be a good time to try some SWEPCO 201 in the transmission. The oil that drained out looked pretty good. Still had an amber color to it but a little on the low side. So now with the SWEPCO 3rd has a real notchy feel to it. second will zip on the teeth as I come down from third with my usual methods. First is even more finicky than before. Outside Temp is 35-45 degree range right now. Will this get better over time? Seems like I went backwards. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) Any comments welcome.

[PancakePorsche]

I have to admit my trans shifted much smoother and quieter with 85/90 from local Napa at a fraction of the cost. Not real sold on the Swepco based on my experience. My 2 cents.

[Mike Bellis]

Dr. Evil told me to buy the cheapest gear oil available from my FLAPS. Works great.

[tod914]

Brad Penn makes the correct gear oil too. $6 a quart or so, for what ever that's worth. Just put it in my car.

[bam914]

Dr. Evil told me to buy the cheapest gear oil available from my FLAPS. Works great.

^^^This. Never ran anything other then the cheapest stuff. Even in my races cars.

[scott_in_nh]

So I have had my car about 6 months now. It has 105k on the clock. No record of when the last time the transmission oil was changed. First and second gear syncros are toast, but if I am real careful I can get it to slip in without grinding. Got to put it in first just before you come to a stop. I just changed the oil (Brad Penn) and thought it would be a good time to try some SWEPCO 201 in the transmission. The oil that drained out looked pretty good. Still had an amber color to it but a little on the low side. So now with the SWEPCO 3rd has a real notchy feel to it. second will zip on the teeth as I come down from third with my usual methods. First is even more finicky than before. Outside Temp is 35-45 degree range right now. Will this get better over time? Seems like I went backwards. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) Any comments welcome.

I've only had mine a few months longer, it came with fresh SWEPCO in it and shifts as you describe after the change.

I think I'll try some dino lube tomorrow and see what happens. I'll save the "precious" SWEPCO just in case I made a mistake!

[bembry]

This is the 2nd or 3rd time I'v heard something like this. I'll stick to cheapie trans oil I guess. My synchros suck--sounds just like your did originally--don't want them to get any worse.

[Dr Evil]

I cover the points about the swepco type of boutique oils in my 31 pages of notes below. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[steuspeed]

I'm replying on the wrong thread. I thought mine got hijacked. Anyway Dr. Evil. So I should be running this Red Line non synthetic GL5 gear oil 75W-90? Sounds like the stuff I need. Or maybe just run good old Valvoline like underthetire says.

http://www.redlineoil.com/product.aspx?pid=47&pcid=7

[rfuerst911sc]

I'm no Dr. Evil but just go to your local FLAPS and purchase regular gear oil, either Valvoline or any brand that is not synthetic. I know some use synthetic with good results but our synchronizers need a little friction to work properly.

[Dr Evil]

So I should be running this Red Line non synthetic GL5 gear oil 75W-90? Sounds like the stuff I need.

http://www.redlineoil.com/product.aspx?pid=47&pcid=7

I never said that. Regular dino oil was fine for the first 30 years. There is no magic lube without sacrifice/risk as I outline in my notes.

[Mark Henry]

About the only thing swepco has a bright blue colour and you can immediately tell if you have a trans leak.

I do think they have an acceptable engine oil for our older cars, still spendy for a dino oil.
They have a excellent water resistant grease that can be used for everything, including CV's.
I like the fuel injector cleaner, but mostly for doing a whole shot as it really cleans the carbon out of the engine, but doing this is a major freaking smoke bomb.

[Richard Casto]

Just to add to something else to read, I wrote this article on transmission lubricants awhile back...

http://www.blueskymotorsports.com/index.ph...16&Itemid=6

Every oil has their "secret sauce" with respect to additives. One of those additives you will find in transmission/gear oil are "friction modifiers". So it could be that the Swepco is more "slick" than what you were using previously. So this means that your already questionably syncro rings and associated hubs and sliders are not working as well as they did with the other oil. The design of the synchro system in this transmission relies upon friction to work properly. The friction allows the dog teeth on the slider and synchro hub to "grip" the synchro ring. When this works correctly, the friction allows them to match speed and engage with out drama. If they don't match speed, then you get a clash of the dog teeth which causes the grinding noise.

In general I follow the general conventional wisdom of a number of people here and that is to use the cheapest oil "that works for you". To echo what has been said above, mainstream GL-5 dino oil has worked fine for decades. More expensive "boutique" oils may or may not work for you and they will NOT give you any extra value (due to their extra cost) if less expensive oils work just as well in your transmission.

My car is currently in pieces in my garage, but if it was running, what would I use in my 901/914? It probably would be Valvoline HP 80W90 GL-5. It is GL-5, it is the right viscosity, it is not a generic house brand, it is dino oil, it not synthetic, it has EP additives, its not particular expensive, and it is readily available at FLAPS near me. Other mainstream brands that fit this criteria would also probably be just as good or better.

Anyhow kudos for at least changing your transmission oil! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/first.gif)

Richard

[Cap'n Krusty]

WHAT? Are you saying I've been right all these years? It can't be! All those guys on the internet couldn't be wrong. After all, it IS the internet, source of all things true. Besides, Swepco has to be better because it costs so much ................

The Cap'n

[wndsrfr]

+1 to running dino but watch out for Valvoline in the white bottle--in small print there's a banner reading "limited slip" on it. I used it and found the shifts to be notchy--went back to the plain ol 85W90 & it smoothed out. BTW, this was with brand new synchros installed by the good Dr.E.

[Richard Casto]

+1 to running dino but watch out for Valvoline in the white bottle--in small print there's a banner reading "limited slip" on it. I used it and found the shifts to be notchy--went back to the plain ol 85W90 & it smoothed out. BTW, this was with brand new synchros installed by the good Dr.E.

Great point! It is not uncommon to find a version of a specific gear oil that is tailored toward limited slip differentials. It should have something on it somewhere to indicate that it is for use with a limited slip differential, but you are right that it is commonly in small font on the the front, or even buried in the fine print on the rear.

Usually this version just includes additional or different friction modifiers to smooth out the grab and release action of a clutch type LSD. But that same friction modifier may make shifting harder due to it's extra "slickness". I suspect those who have a 901/915 AND a clutch type LSD have a fine line to walk on picking the right transmission fluid. Most likely anything is going to be a compromise between shift quality and smoothness of the LSD.

Richard

[worn]

So I have had my car about 6 months now. It has 105k on the clock. No record of when the last time the transmission oil was changed. First and second gear syncros are toast, but if I am real careful I can get it to slip in without grinding. Got to put it in first just before you come to a stop. I just changed the oil (Brad Penn) and thought it would be a good time to try some SWEPCO 201 in the transmission. The oil that drained out looked pretty good. Still had an amber color to it but a little on the low side. So now with the SWEPCO 3rd has a real notchy feel to it. second will zip on the teeth as I come down from third with my usual methods. First is even more finicky than before. Outside Temp is 35-45 degree range right now. Will this get better over time? Seems like I went backwards. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) Any comments welcome.

I did the same thing for the same reasons and had exactly the same result. However, I can live with it.

[pete000]

I switched to Swepco and it did not do much but lighten my wallet...

[bigkensteele]

I rebuilt mine at one of Dr. E's clinics. Richard was also present. It was in really good condition and probably didn't need a rebuild, but what the heck...

Anyway, I filled it with Swepco when I installed it, and now it shifts worse than it did before I rebuilt it. I will be switching back to the cheap stuff over winter.

[earossi]

I agree with Casto. I have a 993 and have found that using a trans oil with friction moifiers in it does not work well with Porsche synchros. Many 993 folks have found that an oil like Redline 75W90 N.S. which is a synthetic that does not contain any friction modifiers works best. Many transmission guys working on Porsches will guide you away from Swepco for that reason. So, suggest that you look for an oil without any friction modifiers in the formula.