Series 2 Anyone put ep140's in the axles

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I don't know anything about 140 but I imagine it's a fair bit thicker than 90. My worry would be that any metal debris in the diff would be suspended in 140 rather than sink to the bottom and so potentially, do more damage.

Col
 
cornish rattler said:
Was thinking if its thicker it would help with wear, i know the army put something like it in their series gearboxes when they had them.
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I expect that might depend on where in the world they were operating. Perhaps thicker oil in the tropics etc but perhaps thinner oil in cold places. As long as the diff has had some decent oil all its life, I doubt you need to worry much about wear.

Col
 
As has been said, Land Rover have a spec for the oil. If anything I would be looking for a multigrade oil so its less viscous when cold. The lubrication achilles heal of the LR diff is the pinion bearing behind the input flange. This relies on oil being flung off the CW into a channel in the casting, if the oil is to thick you may starve this bearing of oil. Oil is only any good if it can get to where its needed, it would be wrong to assume a thicker oil will always have a better film strength. If you are really worried about wear then maybe a synthetic and or a GL5 spec oil.
 
Citizen Kane said:
Why wouldn't you use a synthetic or multigrade?
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Because I have never seen any improvement in using them in engines or gearboxes that were not designed for them, but I have seen problems result from doing so.
In the case of engines, doing so can result in damage. In the case of gearboxes and axles, more likely just leaks, although damage to components is also a possibility.
The axle was designed, and the lubricants for it specified, by a qualified engineer, who did the load and temperature calculations beforehand.
It is unlikely that you will improve on his reccomendations.
 
Citizen Kane said:
Why wouldn't you use a synthetic or multigrade?



Interesting, do you know where?
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No I don't, just a vague recollection. I wouldn't be surprised if they did tho, it was very common.
On a similar note I had an Iveco van a couple of years ago (1999 model) and that had bronze in the gearbox so GL5 was not to be used. I had a fair job tracking down a suitable GL4
 
I could well be wrong, the point of my original comment is that modern oils aren't always a good idea in older technology
 
I am sure I read in some lr literature of the time that 85/140 was recommended for extreme duty situations in the series 2 models.

So as I fitted a tdi and doubled my bhp that is what I use in the entire drivetrain, and have done so for years, with only one halfshaft failure, which has nowt to do with the oil.
Only thing to note is when the outside temp is under zero degc, the gears are stiff to engage for the first couple of hundred yards.

Apparently it is GL4 spec for the older cars as GL5 spec attacks some metal bushes in the trans, but guy on s2 forum stuck one of the bushes in two pots of oil one gl4 other gl5 and never noticed any difference to the oil or the metal, Iirc they had been in the jam jars of oil for years? but this is not operating conditions so maybe there is something in it?
 
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Turboman said:
Because I have never seen any improvement in using them in engines or gearboxes that were not designed for them, but I have seen problems result from doing so.
In the case of engines, doing so can result in damage. In the case of gearboxes and axles, more likely just leaks, although damage to components is also a possibility.
The axle was designed, and the lubricants for it specified, by a qualified engineer, who did the load and temperature calculations beforehand.
It is unlikely that you will improve on his reccomendations.
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Said engineer probably didn't have access to synthetic oils but he did know about multigrade EP oils and even specified one as suitable for the Series 3 diff which I assume is identical to the Series 2 diff

The Defender diff is all but identical in design to the Series diff, spec for oil for that is synthetic GL5 multigrade. OP was primarily worried about wear so why not use a superior oil.
 
I used 80w-90 GL4 in the entire drive train of the Series as it was what my local motor factors had on the shelf.

I had read that the gearbox had bronze components so needed GL4 spec oil. I decided it would be simpler to only have to buy one type of oil.
 
Citizen Kane said:
Said engineer probably didn't have access to synthetic oils but he did know about multigrade EP oils and even specified one as suitable for the Series 3 diff which I assume is identical to the Series 2 diff

The Defender diff is all but identical in design to the Series diff, spec for oil for that is synthetic GL5 multigrade. OP was primarily worried about wear so why not use a superior oil.
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I doubt if 80/90 weight oil is going to make much difference to the diff as opposed to EP90. On the one occasion I have used multigrade oil in a Land Rover diff, it did seem to make it leak more.

Whilst I am not doubting the experience of @lynall, I am slightly surprised by it. I have only used 140 weight oil on one occasion, in a noisy gearbox, not on a Land Rover. We had the oil, as a friend had a Sunbeam motorcycle, which used 140 weight in the transmission.
What we found was that running the heavier oil made the gearbox run extremely hot, which didn't matter too much, as we only wanted to drive to a scrapyard about 30 miles away.

I can only say what my general experience has told me, and what I do.
If others are happy to do otherwise, that is fine by me, it is their motor, and their money.
 
lynall said:
Apparently it is GL4 spec for the older cars as GL5 spec attacks some metal bushes in the trans, but guy on s2 forum stuck one of the bushes in two pots of oil one gl4 other gl5 and never noticed any difference to the oil or the metal, Iirc they had been in the jam jars of oil for years? but this is not operating conditions so maybe there is something in it?
Click to expand...

I have read somewhere on the internet that the bronze corrosion issue was noticed a few years after GL5 was first introduced. I am sure I read that it has supposedly since been rectified, but cannot say that for certain.

I used GL4 anyway as not to risk it.
 
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