There is an interesting 90w gear oil made for the rear diff in Subaru STIs. It is apparently synthetic and a single weight 90 oil. Costs about $22 quart though.

Ther oil comes in metal cans covered with Japanese writing so I can't tell you specifically what it says.

 

XLevel Posted on Aug 11 2006, 06:15 PM
Yes.
The additive in LE-607 is ALMASOL.
The LE-607 is ready-to-use.
(if it has been sitting on a shelf for a while => shake it!)

TubeDriver Posted on Aug 11 2006, 07:23 PM
Post a picture of the label if possible
Not that I speak or read Japanses but others do.

 

Question. Would it be safe to put the Redline light weight shockproof oil in my 01? Just got new gears.

 

If this is the stuff you are talking about, Redline LightWeight ShockProof, then I would say: "No".
Because it is SAE 80W and not SAE 90.
Just a little too thin IMO.

Honda Marine makes hypoid gear oil in SAE 90 GL-5 if you want to stick to Honda products, Mobil 1 75W-90 is an option or LE-607

 

I live in Southern NJ and the temperature rarely goes below 10 deg F [and also rarely gets that low].

I put LE-607 in my diff this summer and plan to leave it there and drive with it all winter. I've heard a lot about not using it in cold weather but nobody has ever said how low is too low.

It's pour point [according to it's MSDS sheet] is -11 degrees F.

Would people [who knows about these things] like to express an opinion as to below what temp they think it would be unwise to use?

 

trapper Posted on Dec 19 2006, 09:50 PM
Is this a trick question?


A general rule of thumb is to select an oil that has a pour point of about 20F lower then your lowest anticipated ambient temperature.
With that in mind and looking at your temps +10F to -11F: you're allright.
Mobil 1 75W-90 has a pour point of -46C (-50F)
But.. Mobil 1 does NOT have ALMASOL

About that ALMASOL compared to Molybdenum Disulfide
Maximum Service Temperature

 

when i first drive my car in the morning... sine i put redline in the lsd doesn't work until the oil is warmed up. so i'll spin the inside wheel for about a minute before the oil gets warm...

i might switch to something else

 

It certainly wasn't intended to be. Most posts on the subject said it shouldn't be used below freezing.

That's 43F [+32-(-11)] above the pour point and I thought that it probably could be used safely somewhat lower than that. Your "20F differential" [no pun intended] rule of thumb was exactly what I was looking for.

Thanks

 

Since viscosity SAE ratings have changed, I decided to add this link of gear oil SAE J306 specs to this thread. I think it is a good history summary of the change and well help explain why SAE weights and labels are changing (LE 607 to LE 1605 for example).

http://www.lubrizol.com/products/automotiv...ar-oil/J306.asp

 

Just a note, my AP1 diff failed with LE607, but I think it would have been worse without it. Appears as if the dealer did an improper shimming of the pinion gear ~30k miles ago on a rebuild. (no launching, drifting, etc for me) The pinion gear is the only thing that broke, caps intact, ring intact. Flange bolts torqued with the force of Thor (had to be cut off) and thrust washer fused to the bearing.

So like I said, if anything, the 607 helped it from being even worse.
I plan on refilling the rebuilt diff (4.57s) with LE607.