Hey, I just changed the transmission lube-- It drained out like THICK Molasses. It took HOURS to drainout! It was 600W from one of the parts guys, and was in use for about 5,000 miles and 5 years. Why would it thicken kup like that? Any similar experiences like this out there? Thanks
Transmission lubricant
- Thread starter jetrod
- Start date
J Franklin
Well-known member
It should have started out just as viscous.
ctlikon0712
Well-known member
In my experience, it is that thick and slow to start with.
Mike V. Florida
Well-known member
Sounds like very little break down.
Richard in Anaheim CA
Well-known member
Next time you plan on draining the rear end or transmission, take a drive first and warm it up. Maybe plan the next drain for mid summer too 
When you replace the oil, soak the bottle in a pan of hot water for a half hour or so. Keep adding fresh hot water.
Richard
Anaheim CA
When you replace the oil, soak the bottle in a pan of hot water for a half hour or so. Keep adding fresh hot water.
Richard
Anaheim CA
BILL WILLIAMSON
Well-known member
I have a fresh fill of the 600 weight "black goo" in trans & diff, haven't run it yet. I'm getting leery about by all the pros & cons of some of this stuff. I think I'll drain it & use a reputable brand of 140 weight gear oil & forget it! I know how to shift a Model A trans, as it was designed, without some gooey crap to "slow" down the gears to make it shift like a synchro trans! Ain't gonna' happen, only trick to shifting is just to be paitent and WAIT for the proper time to "grab" the next gear. Is this a "lost"art??
Yes, it's Bill W, AGAIN!
Yes, it's Bill W, AGAIN!
J Franklin
Well-known member
Bill your lube is just what was used from the factory, why go to the trouble of changing it out?
Blessyouboys
Senior Member
You do know 600W is not 600 weight, don't you?
Here's a link to a recent discussion: http://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=73472
Last edited:
BILL WILLIAMSON
Well-known member
Blessyouboys,
Yes, I know it's not "really" 600 weight. Maybe I just worry & over think stuff too much! I'll just run it, at my age, this oil change may outlast me! Bill W.
Yes, I know it's not "really" 600 weight. Maybe I just worry & over think stuff too much! I'll just run it, at my age, this oil change may outlast me! Bill W.
eagle
Well-known member
Bill. Yes, waiting for ANYthing is a lost art. The advice I give when someone wants to drive my A is "shift early and wait for the gears" Everyone wants to rev the engine up and then slam the gears quickly. As my grandpa used to say... "grind a pound for me too" when he'd hear someone grinding gears.
pat in Santa Cruz
Well-known member
I've experienced this with the so called 600 from the vendors too. It got so thick it stuck to the sides and the gears had no lubricant. Its due to foaming. I no longer use that stuff. I used about 5 gallons of Shell Valvata J 460 steam cylinder oil for years and liked it, especially the honey color. Recently I got some Shell Omala 680 gear oil, and it seems pretty good too. Mobil makes a 680 called meropa which I have not used, but its been talked about here by others. They only come in 5 gal buckets, so get some friends together and split it. It will end up costing you half what the vendors sell.
Purdy Swoft
Well-known member
Some vendors mix STP with 140wt for their version of 600w gear oil. My guess is if it had STP, that could be the reason that it thickened, over time. It was once recommended by some to use straight STP for gear oil. I figured if they use it i'll use it too. After a while I noticed that my 31 tudor was harder to shift than my other model A's with the gear oil from Snyders, that I think is 250 weight. I removed the drain plugs and nothing came out. After an hour , not one drop of the STP had drained. I had to break out the heat gun and heat the transmission for 30 minutes to get most of it out. After replaceing the STP with Snyders gear oil it shifted as good as the other cars.
Purdy Swoft
Well-known member
Bill, you make a good point. Back in the sixties I didn't know anything about gear oil and proper weight. My source for model A parts and stuff was Warshawsky or JC Whitney at the time. As a young guy, I didn't have much money to spend on the model A and I sure as hell wasn't going to spend money to order some unheard of gear oil when I could get 90-140 weight at the Sinclair station and that is what I used until sometimes in the seventies. Its been a long time but thinking back, I'm thinking that 90-140 was better. Some don't know how to check gear oil levels. The old guys taught me that if you could stick the joint of your finger in the fill hole and touch the lubricant, that was enough. In other words about one inch below the fill plug and there shouldn't be any problems. Dad told me that good gear shifts were about equalizing gear speed with engine speed.
BILL WILLIAMSON
Well-known member
My main concern is what all is in it. Maybe it is not a compatible mix of ingredients, possibly causing foaming, thickening, etc. Is it compounded with GOOD science, or by an old bartender who was an artist at covering the AWFUL tastes of some HOOCHES by adding all kinds of colorful ingredients and a paper umbrella, made in CHINA! Bill W.
KR500
Senior Member
A friend just drained his STP from his trans. Is that junk even an EP rated lubricant? He also explained to me how foamed it was when he drained it. Foamed lubricants are bad news and don't lubricate. I like the 85W-140 and have had no problems. Driving the Model A trans requires patience which these days is in short supply.
BILL WILLIAMSON
Well-known member
KR500,
When I was in the hospital, pondered the word "patient."
Must have come from the word PATIENCE! Waiting to heal is sorta' like watching grass grow!
If we all practiced patience, maybe we could infect the whole world with it! Next on the agenda would be to use "common sense reasoning!" Bill W.