600 Weight transmission oil

[Morgan Wright]

Bar and chain oil for cars. I hear it makes it easier to jam it into 2nd gear.

 

If there's any left over I can use it on my pancakes.

 

 

Edited December 7, 2019 by Morgan Wright
typo (see edit history)

[Hubert_25-25]

Morgan, 

    Thanks for posting the 600W note about keeping 1" below the oil fill plug.  We take it for granted to "fill it until it drips out", but that may be a modern application and not how they did it in the past.        Hugh

[Morgan Wright]

I don't think I can pour this stuff though the filler plug, I know it won't go through a funnel. I might have to take the top off the transmission and remove the shifter/parking brake levers, and pour it in the top.

 

 

[JFranklin]

It'll pour if you warm it up. An oil suction gun works great for filling through the filler holes.

[Guest]

I was always told that if you could touch the lube with your little finger in and down through the filler plug your differential or transmission was full enough.  That has worked for me for 60 years through a multitude of old and new vehicles.

[27donb]

7 hours ago, Hubert_25-25 said:

Morgan, 

    Thanks for posting the 600W note about keeping 1" below the oil fill plug.  We take it for granted to "fill it until it drips out", but that may be a modern application and not how they did it in the past.        Hugh

 

According to "Ford literature". 

 

There is no question Ford was and is incredibly successful in the design of automobiles, but are the Model T and Model A Ford transmissions of similar design as the Buick, where the U-Joint depends on lubrication from the transmission oil?

 

I have done no experiments, to determine at what transmission oil level the little trough that feeds the U-Joint is deprived of oil.  I believe the trough is supplied by the spinning transmission gear closest to it.  1" below the fill plug may be fine, I just have no evidence to say that it is.  

 

Wear to the U-joint or Ball Socket Bushing can happen over time, silently, from lack of critical lubrication in an area that we cannot observe.

 

Especially with reading the threads on drive line vibrations and sounds, and worn U-Joints and Drive Shaft Ball Sockets and Bushings, I prefer to fill to the bottom of the fill plug hole, so that the thick 600w oil has a chance to get to those crucial driveshaft areas.

 

 

[Bloo]

IMHO fill to the capacity in the manual. A normal level was as Tinindian describes on many older vehicles. Too much might leak. As for the u-joint, on a Chevrolet (and on some Pontiacs), you have to fill the u-joint separately when assembling. Even though the u-joint oil is shared with the transmission, the u-joint wont get oil fast enough if it starts out dry and you only fill the transmission.

[michealbernal]

I found that if I warmed the container in the house over nite and then poured it into a funnel situated in the filler inlet and the just went away and did something else for the rest of the day it slowly drained into the transmission.  You just cannot be in a hurry when working with this stuff.

[Morgan Wright]

These are all from Dyke's 10th edition (1919).

.

 

Edited December 7, 2019 by Morgan Wright (see edit history)

[Morgan Wright]

That last pic says 600 W is the same thing as "steam cylinder oil"

[raydurr]

I fill mine to the top two times a year. I do this with the u joint life in mind. I prefer oil dripped on the drain pans rather than replacing an almost impossible to find u joint. In addition , on a 1929, the rear section of the transmission must be removed to remove the old u joint . The u joint must be pressed off.The rear bearing is usually lost in this process.

[Bloo]

600W is steam cylinder oil. 600W is not the viscosity, it is a brand. The "600" probably referred to the flash point in degrees Fahrenheit. The brand is owned by Mobil today, and they make two different viscosities of steam cylinder oil under that name. Back when your Buick was new, I suspect steam cylinder oil was mostly not petroleum, it was vegetable or animal or something (so I've heard). When the auto industry started to replace it with petroleum gear oil in the mid 30s, they called the new stuff SAE 160. 160 did refer to the viscosity, but that standard no longer exists.

 

Edited December 7, 2019 by Bloo (see edit history)

[Morgan Wright]

Today I took out the drain plug and left it. It's 23 degrees F now, was 11 last night, going down to 6 tonight. At the rate the 90W was coming out, it will be done by Easter.

[raydurr]

Currently Exxon Mobile carries a modern steam cylinder oil called Mobil Extra Hecla Super Cylinder Oil which has a ISO viscosity of 680. Has anyone used it?

[alsancle]

19 hours ago, Morgan Wright said:

Bar and chain oil for cars. I hear it makes it easier to jam it into 2nd gear.

 

If there's any left over I can use it on my pancakes.

 

I used 300 weight oil on the recommendation of my dad for the same reason.   Get the straight cut gears to slow down faster so that you can shift easier.

 

The downside to the heavy oil is that you the transmission is not very usable until the oil heats up.    I went back to manufacturer recommended viscosity and was much happier.

[Morgan Wright]

3 hours ago, alsancle said:

 

...    I went back to manufacturer recommended viscosity and was much happier.

 

 

For my car, this is the manufacturer recommended oil

[Hubert_25-25]

Here are some thoughts from what I have read and how I am managing my 1925 Buick.  There are 3 places 600W oil was recommended.

Steering GearBox.

    I use 600W gear oil in my steering box, but I have also put a spring loaded lip seal on the output shaft so it does not leak.  Many others use John Deer Corn Head Grease because it is thick and will not leak out when the steering boxes begin to get worn.  You can replace the felt seal on the steering box output shaft and that will help.  You need high viscosity to keep the box from leaking more than anything.  I fill it until it flows out the filler hole.

Transmission

     These typically used 600W and were thinned with kerosene to help shifting.  I found shifting very difficult on 600W.  I use a 50/50 mix of Lucas 80/90 gear oil and Lucas Stabilizer.   I also fill this until it just flows out the filler hole.  I figure if excess fluid, it would run down the torque tube and at least the torque ball would be lubricated.  Any extra would end in the rear axle.

Rear Axle

     It is just a rear axle, and 600W is not going to leak out as easily, so I have stayed with 600W for the rear axle.  I do keep it 1" below the filler hole because I have read of others that have had oil come out the drain tubes on the rear axle backing plates.    

Hugh

 

 

[DonMicheletti]

Having worked on big steam locomotives I used saturated steam cylinder oil in my E-45. It has always shifted perfectly.

One thing, the steam cylinder oil sticks to everything, not like typical oils that will, eventually, run off. I think that stickiness helps.

[Morgan Wright]

It only took "almost 2 quarts", and I bought 6.

 

And I had to empty the last of the 2nd quart into the gear box.

 

Well, now I have 4 quarts of bar and chain for my chainsaw anyway. The trees are going to be falling. Anybody need some logs?

[Morgan Wright]

On 12/8/2019 at 11:26 AM, DonMicheletti said:

Having worked on big steam locomotives I used saturated steam cylinder oil in my E-45. It has always shifted perfectly.

One thing, the steam cylinder oil sticks to everything, not like typical oils that will, eventually, run off. I think that stickiness helps.

 

Do you still have to double clutch? Because that's a pain.

[DonMicheletti]

Nope, just shift quickly like the manual says. I dont lolly gag between gears. And it does not grind doing it.

 

However, I do not wind it up before shifting but shift far earlier thatn I do with a more modern car (like the 38's).