Topic: Cold Gear Oil/Clutch Drop

[H8PVMNT]

Went to the in-laws place this weekend.  It was maybe 14 below F.  I am still working on my winter tune on the carb.  Got the cold mixture heater working and it really helps.  My clutch is a used Toyota one that I took off a motor I had.  It was in decent shape and has worked well for about 8,000 miles. I switched the trans to lucas 85/140 oil which is noticeably stickier than the regular 80/90 dino I had been running.

When it gets cold the gear oil gets really thick. You can kill thee engine with the trans in neutral if you let the clutch out on start up before the motor is all warmed up.  After a mild clutch drop you can usually start it up again in neutral with the clutch engaged and it will turn OK.  This time that oil was pretty thick and I wasted what was left of my old clutch though.  We started down the road after this to go home and had nearly no hook up.  The in-laws were headed to church that day in Helena, some 80 miles away, so I had the local autozone, the only thing open on Sundays, pull me a clutch kit.  They picked it up and my wife and I did an emergency clutch job on a cold concrete slab. Monday AM.

New clutch ($73 el cheapo) hooks up great.

I am thinking of running thinner oil in the trans for winter.  Might have just been because that I cheaped out and ran an old clutch though. New clutch disk was about .315, old one was worn down to .280.  Maybe it was just too worn out.

[SqWADoosh]

Went to the in-laws place this weekend.  It was maybe 14 below F.  I am still working on my winter tune on the carb.  Got the cold mixture heater working and it really helps.  My clutch is a used Toyota one that I took off a motor I had.  It was in decent shape and has worked well for about 8,000 miles. I switched the trans to lucas 85/140 oil which is noticeably stickier than the regular 80/90 dino I had been running.

When it gets cold the gear oil gets really thick. You can kill thee engine with the trans in neutral if you let the clutch out on start up before the motor is all warmed up.  After a mild clutch drop you can usually start it up again in neutral with the clutch engaged and it will turn OK.  This time that oil was pretty thick and I wasted what was left of my old clutch though.  We started down the road after this to go home and had nearly no hook up.  The in-laws were headed to church that day in Helena, some 80 miles away, so I had the local autozone, the only thing open on Sundays, pull me a clutch kit.  They picked it up and my wife and I did an emergency clutch job on a cold concrete slab. Monday AM.

New clutch ($73 el cheapo) hooks up great.

I am thinking of running thinner oil in the trans for winter.  Might have just been because that I cheaped out and ran an old clutch though. New clutch disk was about .315, old one was worn down to .280.  Maybe it was just too worn out.

Switch to Redline MT-90 oil and never look back. Best thing you can do for your trans.

[OVRAROK]

x2 on the redline mt-90, those brass synchros like the gl-4 oil, its pricey, but good insurance

[H8PVMNT [OP]]

Will that stuff feel thinner than the lucas at arctic low temps?

[OVRAROK]

if you google redline mt-90 in cold weather, there are a great deal are positive remarks, in winter weather

[H8PVMNT [OP]]

Outstanding.  I will order some next payday. The lucas is great in the diffs.  I hardly know my lunchbox locker is even there, but it seems pretty gooey in the low temps for the trans. Shifting is great, just the cold starts with the trans glued shut is not so good.

[SqWADoosh]

Outstanding.  I will order some next payday. The lucas is great in the diffs.  I hardly know my lunchbox locker is even there, but it seems pretty gooey in the low temps for the trans. Shifting is great, just the cold starts with the trans glued shut is not so good.

Yup I run lucas HD 85-140 in the diffs, MT-90 in the trans and cases, and Mobil 1 in the engine. 

[redneckcustoms13]

I personally have no experience with the cold weather your dealing with so my statements are of no support on that spectrum. I deal with heat. The mt 90 is awesome in the heat. Never had an issue with it in any of my rigs that run it.