600 gear lubricant

[michael a]

600 gear lubricant I was told that 600 gear lube was the same as 140 gear lube. What do most of you use in your model A?

[RonC]

I use Shell Omala S2 G 680. Its considered equivalent to the 600 oil. It's thicker than 140w There are a few other brands.
www.kellerheartt.com

[Jeff/Illinois]

Michael I just re-read an article from Model A Times, where they said you can 'make' your own 600W by mixing 75% 140 Gear Lube and 25% STP.

I just run the 600W you can buy from the Model A houses. Got several bottles to use up.

Give that a try!

[HammerSaw]

Look at Model A Ford Club of America, Tech Q&A lubrication. Shell Valvato or Texaco Meropa 680. Agree also on Shell Omala.

[jb-ob]

On Long Island, NY, I can drive well into December with temps about 35 degrees using straight 140wt (ISO 460, GL-4) gear oil. Using anything thicker, I find it near impossible to get into second.
Don't over do the thicker is better theory.

Just my experience, your 'mileage my differ'.

JB

[Joe K]

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Run straight STP.

Works and has done so for many years.

Joe K

[Synchro909]

Penrite Transoil 250.

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

Could 600W be used in a REALLY tired engine?
Bill Stiff

[bartmcneill]

680 viscosity oil is some thick honey like stuff but that would make sense since the book says to jack the front wheels up and then turn the steering wheel lock to lock so the oil will flow down into the steering box better. Gotta see if my plant will let me have about 4 ounces of 680 viscosity oil. My steering gearbox is about dry. Just a hint, you can make 680 pour easier if you warm it up. I am a ICML certified Machinery Lubricant Analyst II so I've played with oil a little. Don't use it in your engine.........

[Joe K]

And reports are (have been here and elsewhere) that 600W oil found today is NOT the 600W "steam oil" available in 1930.

And more...

Somewhere among my collection of steam engine ephemera is a pre-WWII Esso brochure showing the then available steam oils, IIRC at least four grades were available depending on superheat, "quality" of steam, etc. AIso I think it is "Steam Engine Principles & Practices" by Terrell Croft (himself an electrical engineer writing on aspects of power plants then) which reiterates different steam oils for different applications.

So I think it best to say that even in the day, 600W oil could "vary" depending on many factors.

Has anyone gone into the Ford archives with transmission oil in mind? The Ford documentation may show more engineering details than simply 600W (which is now and was an engineering designation common then) but there may be information on properties or even "approved sources" which can be cross referenced for properties match with oil available today.

And - there is no doubt in my mind that oil capabilities have improved since then.

The 140W gear oil with an STP chaser might be just the thing?

Joe K

[dave in australia]

Originally Posted by Synchro909

Penrite Transoil 250.

X2, and it's Australian too.

[katy]

FWIW, the 1932 service bulletin for 4 cylinder cars shows SAE viscosity No. 110 for cold weather and SAE viscosity No. 250 for summer.

[Patrick L.]

From the charts I've looked at, 600W can range from 140-250 weight.

I've used 90, 140 and 250 over the years. 90 seems a bit light. There is not much difference between 140 and 250.

[HammerSaw]

Shell Valvato is now Shell Omala S1 W 680 and Texaco Meropa is now Chevron Meropa 680

[Kevin in NJ]

Re: Mobile 636 gear oil

[Follow Ups] [Post Followup] [Fordbarn Model A Discussion Forum]
Posted by Marco Tahtaras from c-24-4-43-195.hsd1.ca.comcast.net (24.4.43.195) on Saturday, August 09, 2008 at 9:38AM :

In Reply to: Mobile 636 gear oil posted by Bob from ? (64.237.121.113) on Friday, August 08, 2008 at 10:35PM :

Mobil:
Mobilgear 636 (Which has been replaced with MOBILGEAR 600xp 680 11/27/2011)

BP:
Energol GR-XP 680

Castrol:
Castrol Alpha LS680

Shell:
Omala 680

Texaco:
Meropa 680


Here is some more info
Re: 600W Thickness -- One (1) Answer


Read Follow Ups Post Follow Up Model-A Ford Message Board FAQ
Posted by H. L. Chauvin on Nov. 26, 2011 at 16:34:03

In Reply to: Re: 600W Thickness, Transmission Gear Grinding
posted by louis on Nov. 25, 2011 at 17:19:35

Hi Louis,
Your former question made sense when someone new to this Forum reads "all" of the many "different" former 600W discussions in the attached archives.

It appears most "salespersons", (parts suppliers & oil compaies), offer the 1930's 600W substitute, but as Marco noted in the archives in the late 1990's, they are "not" all the same.

Many articles appear on experiences of switching to thicker transmission oil; thus eliminating driver's not experiencing grinding of transmission gears.

Gear oil thickness, (resistance to flow), is measured by several methods.

Kinematic Viscosity per ASTM D445 is one standard method indicating the milimeters squared divided by time in seconds at 40 degrees C, or 104 degrees F, which is closest to trasmission gear oil viscosity after attaining operating temperature.

For example, per ASTM 445, water has low viscosity, honey has high viscosity.

The recommended BP Energol 680, Shell Omala 680, Mobile Extra Helca Super Cylider Oil 680, have ASTM 445 measured viscosities, (40 C), of a high 680; Texaco Mepora 680 indicates a thinner 646; however, Valvoline 85/140W drops down to 395, & Castrol 85/140W is thiner at 369.

One of the "most" scientific test conducted on Ford's 1930 recommended 600W appears to be a gentleman who wrote that he had an old sealed can of
Ford's recommended 600W.

After trying many gear oil substitutes, his highly scientific lab test indicated that the 600W was extremely thick, almost like melted tar, & equal to the above mentioned 680 viscosities.

His test, he dipped his finger in each & watched it flow!

It appears if one uses recommended gear oil with a viscosity of 680, & gears continue to grind, begin looking somewhere else.

Hope this helps 1930's future 600W research.

[Dino's A]

I run the "600W" stuff with about half a bottle of STP. Works great for me.

[Squally]

Originally Posted by Dino's A

I run the "600W" stuff with about half a bottle of STP. Works great for me.

Several people mention adding STP. When you say STP, which STP product are you referring to?

[denniskliesen]

When I got my A home after having sat in a carport since 1980, it had next to no oil in the transmission and differential. Might have leaked out over the years. So when I had it up on jack stands before driving it, I filled it with 600W bought from Snyder's. I ran it with the 600w oil for a month averaging 20 miles a day for about a month. I decided to drain it to get a look at what might have been floating around it then which looked brown from what came loose inside. Not having enough to refill, I used about equal parts of each of these three shown below. Differential has always been quiet, transmission was growling at first and second gears, third was smooth and quiet, and is considerably quieter in all 3 gears now. I realize they are engine oil additives, but they work for me.

[SeaSlugs]

Originally Posted by Squally

Several people mention adding STP. When you say STP, which STP product are you referring to?

that magical blue bottle of stuff posted above me. its a whole $3 at wally world. seems everyone including menards and most gaststations carry it. I used a 50/50 mix of stp and vendor 600w in the trans, dual high, worm drive, and steering box. all quiet. the stp makes it extremely sticky so it clings to gears and especially straight cut gears

[WHN]

Just changed my rear end and transmission yesterday. Used 600w from Mac's, looked like STP, which I also use 50/50. I think Mac's has changed their 600w oil in the last couple of years. As I mentioned, it now looks like STP.