Tranny thought

[Typrus]

Heres an idea...
Take a differential pump (you know, like the 4x4 folks use for diff cooling setups) and pump the gear lube through a filter and have it reenter right about the input shaft bearing. Help get fluid to the high spots that seem to get starved.

Anyone think there is any validity to the idea? Not sure what kind of filter would work for 80W-90 gear lube lol. But if we could keep the high spots well lubed, we'd cut down on failures I'd suspect. Not to mention keep parts cool and increase longevity in that way. And filtration is good.


Any thoughts?

[Neu]

I think a heavy duty diesel oil pump would work out just fine, just have to set it up right.

[takza]

other thoughts....

"Problem to most worry about is 5 speed transmission. Have saw Ford Ranger, Chevy S-10, Toyota, and my 720 diesel all with dead trans. Big load; keep it Out of 5th!! Few more engine turns, maybe 55 instead of 65mph comfortably. 4th is direct coupling with no gear side thrust on bearings or case. Better lubrication with synthetic or teflon additive good idea. Will not recommend this but good personal success; Along with deciding to keep my 720 diesel out of 5th when pulling a 16 foot 2 axle trailer, drained the 3rd replacment transmission that went in, pumped in a whole tube of molyEP gun grease, added a quart of 20/50 motor oil to thin a bit, and topped off with 85/90 transmission grease. Sure it cost a couple mpg over the watery stuff but that 100,000 mile transmission has lasted over 250,000 more."

"I drove my 1980 Accord from about 90,000 miles on. It was 12 years old when I bought it and ran until I drove it into the ground years later. I used Restore in the engine oil and got noticeable, dramatic improvements in horsepower and gas mileage. What I didn't expect was to have Restore save my manual transmission... Somewhere around 100k, the 5-speed manual transmission started making a horrible low-pitched grinding noise whenever it was in gear. The noise was loud and unsettling and got louder with higher speed... I knew it was probably a bearing and it wasn't worth getting a $700 tranny job on a $300 car. So, in a last-ditch effort to squeeze a little more life out of the poor thing, I added a small (4-cylinder sized) can of Restore to the manual transmission oil... I was ASTOUNDED when - in about 300 miles - the grinding noise started to fade. After a month and about 500 miles, it was COMPLETELY GONE! I never heard another peep out of the transmission! I wouldn't recommend this to anyone unless they have no other options (I looked, and Restore does not recommend their product in manual transmissions), but Restore did completely fix a worn-out, dying manual transmission in a 16-year-old Honda. If it can do that, think of what it can do for worn rings and mainshaft bearings. Chris N "

[SirNik83]

the last tranny oil change I did in the Tercel I added about half a quart of Lucas. That stuff they had at NAPA on the counter display. I haven't noticed a difference. My transmission sometimes pops out of first when lugging it down hills or in parking lots, and it feels kinda... old. but it works. I was hopping for a better result from the Lucas. I'll drive it till it dies and then replace it with my spare.

[Petros]

The filter and cooler idea has merit, I like it. But has anyone put a temp gauge in the trans to see if it ever runs hot? It might be a waste of effort if they are failing because they are just wearing out, not overheating. If they are wearing out, than the super slippery additives are the only thing that will help. Lets try and determine why they are failing first, and then take action. If you put one of those widgits on your trans there would be no real way to measure if it did any good.

How are those things powered? They sound interesting.

[Typrus]

Tilton Engineering Transmission/Differential Oil Cooler Pump
Flow rate- 1-2gpm
Working Pressure- 60PSI maximum
Power- 12vdc
Temp Range- Up to 265F constant
Self priming up 8ft vertical height


So electrically powered by their own motor.

A cooler might be cool, but at very least a filter and an oil feed to the high spots to prevent oil starvation. Thats my biggest thought. Get some fluid way up there. If cooling is necessary, add one. If not, why do it? Heck, I have no idea what kind of filter one would use on that thick of a fluid. But I'd imagine a 7.3L Powerstroke filter would work. If that is the case, thats a lot of surface area. I bet it'd shed a few degrees by itself. Not to mention adding a little over 2 quarts capacity.


I'd imagine the increased failure in 5th gear has to do with the lowered counter and main shaft rotation rates reducing overall supply of fluid to the bearings and gear teeth. As in automatics, the thin overdrive band has to hold back all the engines power and road force and generates great heat in doing so causing failures. Not to mention lower pump speed (pump speed depends on engine speed in most applications) and higher shaft speeds. Makes sense to me...

[takza]

the last tranny oil change I did in the Tercel I added about half a quart of Lucas. That stuff they had at NAPA on the counter display. I haven't noticed a difference. My transmission sometimes pops out of first when lugging it down hills or in parking lots, and it feels kinda... old. but it works. I was hopping for a better result from the Lucas. I'll drive it till it dies and then replace it with my spare.

On the oilguy forum they did an article on the Lucas trans additive where they claimed and demonstrated that it caused foaming and under-lube of a trans mission where the oil needed to climb to the higher gears and bearings. I was using something simlar in my trans when it went out in Wyoming...though I can' t really link it with that.

I have a can of Restore I bought on sale...but I have moly in it now and they aren't really compatible...plus I have no issues with it. Restore costs less than $10.

The idea of R&Ring the gear oil each year at least gets new oil in and old dirt out..costs less than $12 or so if you DIY. In an old trans where the tolerances are high...I think you need the thicker stuff anyway. Since I use the moly...it will probably stay for 15K.

[Mac]

i thought about the same thing, there is store here in canada called princess auto, they sell hydralic fittings, hoses, filter adapters and donaldson filters. I thought about adding a filteration system to my tranny, but i never bothered.

80W90's Viscosity index is only slightly higher than 10W30. Engine oil and gear oils use different weight scales to prevent mixing, but it is often thought they use the same scale and gear oil is this super thick goopy oil, what gives it that appearance are its sheer and climbing additives making it appear thicker than it really is. 80W-90 engine oil would be about as thick as that stop leak/smoke stuff.