Oil Weights

[Northern Husky]

Hello
The manual says to use 20w oil in the gearbox. The only 20w i can get is suspention oil.
What is a compariable weight thats readily available like a eg 10w-30?

What weights do you run?

Thanks

 

[Dirtdame]

You could run ATF, type F. I usually run a GL3 75 wt in my smaller engines gear boxes and 80 wt in the larger ones.

 

[highdez1981430cr]

In my two stroke gear box i run 30 WT. non-detergent motor oil with 20% marvel mystery oil.

Both can be purchased at walmart.

Change after each trip out after warm up, your clutch will be happy,

 

[Husq.fleet]

I run either 30wt TO-4 Drivetrain fluid or Fuller spec. 50wt trans oil. I have changed all mine to to the 50wt. It has a friction modifier thats works great with the friction material in clutches. Engine oil also doesn't have the shock load "cushions" that a drivetrain oil has. I dont know why they ever recommended a engine oil in a gearbox?
The local Husky shop here in the "day" put 80-90W in them from new, a little clutch drag when cold but it helped with gear spalling thru the hardness in the transmission, opinion of course. Scott

 

[Old Geezer]

Well you learn something new every day. Jap bikes, all I've ever used is straight 30wt engine oil. Gonna have to shop around to find that stuff.
30wt TO-4 Drivetrain fluid or Fuller spec. 50wt trans oil.

 

[Fritzcoinc]

Hummmm, the spec. sheet for my 86 400 XCE sez BelRay 70 wt.??

 

[Philbilly]

Oil Options

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the type of oil you use probably does not matter as much as you think. The only problems I've ever seen caused by oil is when you don't use ANY. As far as engine oil not having any shock qualities, what about the shock load a typical 4-stroke valve train endures with motor oil. There's a bunch of hype out there about labels and brands and that's what we usually pay for. Just something to think about...I like using a "no name" oil that is half the price of a "big label" (I don't like paying extra to sponsor those guys in NASCAR) and change it on a regular basis.

 

[1982 XC 430]

Hello all I'm new to the Cafe. I have the same Question and there have been a couple of responces on Oils but nothing on 20wt. My two Huskys are both 1982' a 430 and a 250 Xc's. Yes the Manual sez 20wt Trans Oil either Husqvarna or Bel-Ray. As 20wt is not a common Gearbox Oil and I have never really even herd of such a thing. My 250 I just picked up and its sat for a Decade so I did the normal stuff before riding it and noticed how thin the Oil was in the Trans when I drained it. I even e-mailed Bel-Ray to see if they still had any but didn't get any responce that did any good. So why 20wt, there must of been a reason, sounds like the later Bikes called for more standard wt Oils with the same basic Trans. The Bike started on the 1st Kick, the Clutch was froze up till I rode it a bit (typical problem of running Automotive Oil in a wet Clutch) and its a bit hard to shift into 4th. I'm running modern Ber-Ray gear Oil.

 

[Northern Husky]

....................l took Dirt dames advice, i now run ATF type F, this is my 4th big bore 80s Husky, it now has the best engagement of all of them. lm a convert.

 

[oldhuskychuck]

Husqvarna,s are not made to use ATF.. a good wet clutch type oil is best...
it will break down fast and tends to make the clutch swell...
i use ATF in my modern trials bike, and its great,,and changed every other ride.
for my enduro bikes, i use Castrol GTX 20-50 4T, and change it every other trial ride.
with ATF in these bikes, you will notice the shifting getting notchy real soon.
and above all avoid royal purple..worst thing i ever poured into a motorcycle.

 

[wrx]

SPECTRO golden gear 80wt and nothing else. been using it for 20+years with NO problems.

 

[Northern Husky]

Husqvarna,s are not made to use ATF.. a good wet clutch type oil is best...
it will break down fast and tends to make the clutch swell...
i use ATF in my modern trials bike, and its great,,and changed every other ride.
for my enduro bikes, i use Castrol GTX 20-50 4T, and change it every other trial ride.
with ATF in these bikes, you will notice the shifting getting notchy real soon.
and above all avoid royal purple..worst thing i ever poured into a motorcycle.

Whatever!!lt wasnt an observation, its a declaration, my last comment on the subject, ive no interest in starting oil wars!!

 

[oldhuskychuck]

dont get your spokes in a knot....just think...the old books say to use 80-90 gear oil,
i tried that once,,,what a mess...
use what ever works for you....if you have a modern style clutch in your bike,,,ATF will be just fine.

 

[tommie d]

FYI, you can still get Valvoline SAE 20W

 

[fran...k.]

Myself I run tractor transmission and hydraulic fluid from five gallon pails. I used light 80 or so bel ray transmission fluid for years which is good but more money and not as handy as a pail. The light transmission fluid of 80 or so sure is a different product than hypoid gear lube with a similar number like you would put in the diffirential of a rear wheel drive automobile. I do not know if suspention fluid numbers equate to the same viscosity as motor oil numbers. At any rate think about what would keep those starting gears from wearing particularly the one on the back of the clutch. I never took an automatic transmission apart does it have clutch packs in it similar to a motorcycle clutch? I know some tractor transmissions have similar clutch packs for the pto and also some clutches run in the transmission oil but not ones I have manuals for.

Oh the four stroke left kick one gets Mobil 1 with the red cap 15-? and the transmission and clutch are pretty much the same at the two stroke ones. That seems to work for me.

Fran

 

[halffast]

I too run the tractor trans/hyd fluid . It works great in both my Mag and '84 500 . Goes for about $16 a gallon at NAPA stores . Never a slipping or dragging clutch and at that price you don't feel too bad about changing it often . It is probably even cheaper at a TSC or Farm and Fleet store in the 5 gallon buckets Fran mentioned .

 

[pcnsd]

Asking what is the best oil provokes a profoundly political response in most people. It is like asking what attributes make up the best woman (or man for the ladies). Everyone has a favorite opinion, most not based on specific criteria as such, or a wide variation of criterion and there can be a lot of variation of valid logical output. Use what works best for you or is least expensive or most expensive or what have you. The best advise is to change whatever oil you use more often than not and keep shuffling oil types until you find what fills your criteria.

Regards,
PC

 

[7point62]

Oil is like soap powder. Each year the advertisments make outlandish claims about how much better it's got since the last brand overhaul and repackaging exercise that it's a wonder that the stuff we all used ten years ago actually worked at all...

Oh and the "Don't diss my oil" thing that is so common on all internal combustion engine related forums is just a demonstration of an interesting facet of human nature - the bit called faith.
Everone who cares even a little about their engines will put at least some thought into choosing an oil. Then, when their engine doesn't immediately explode in a shower of sparks then they will likely stick with it. It becomes their oil. They have faith. Soon enough things like scientific evidence and whatnot become irrelevent and they will defend their oil to the death. It's a bit like discussing religion or politics in a bar - it will end up in a fight.

Sorry for the hijack. As you were.

 

[Northern Husky]

Oil is like soap powder. Each year the advertisments make outlandish claims about how much better it's got since the last brand overhaul and repackaging exercise that it's a wonder that the stuff we all used ten years ago actually worked at all...

Oh and the "Don't diss my oil" thing that is so common on all internal combustion engine related forums is just a demonstration of an interesting facet of human nature - the bit called faith.
Everone who cares even a little about their engines will put at least some thought into choosing an oil. Then, when their engine doesn't immediately explode in a shower of sparks then they will likely stick with it. It becomes their oil. They have faith. Soon enough things like scientific evidence and whatnot become irrelevent and they will defend their oil to the death. It's a bit like discussing religion or politics in a bar - it will end up in a fight.



Sorry for the hijack. As you were.

Stand to stand to.

Very insightful, and as is half the problem with these forums, a tad of topic.
To be expected from the 'Platoon philosopher', abet an old version as the beloved L1A1 was traded in about the same time as Husky stopped being Swedish!!

Stand down

 

[tommie d]

And all he wanted to know is "What weights do you run?"