towcat said:
I found gear oil in my ZF in my '92 too and did the ATF flush. Found out the bearings is just a "little" noisy.....
I know a trans rebuild in in the works before I head back out to TX again....
Yeah, I been running 50 wt detergent motor oil (not multi viscosity oil) in my '90 ZF for about 5 years now. Mine is a hi miler (at least a gizillion) though & was getting some noise up thru the stick, especially in low RPM's mostly, say when slowing down to make a turn or something. Give it a little fuel & it would go gggrruupppp up thru the stick. Makes it a bit hard to shift till she warms up though, down around 20 deg & especially 20-30 deg below! I shift slow & easy & try to just putt along slowly up thru the gears, as well as not put it in any hard pull for 3-5 miles till warmed up.
Few years back I ran 30 wt in a sloppy, wore out Turbo 400 auto. in a junky work 1ton. The Turbo 400 was the best part on the truck, & it was slipping & about gone, but then I put over 50K miles with 30 wt.
I've always kept the oil changed, depending how hard I been working it....oil's cheap! Last year I added about 1/2 pt Power Punch...slick things up some.
As you say, I know I got a rebuild coming up, but waiting round for a "roundtoit" as well as I'm looking for a different style tranny. I need different gearing....more low end.
Actually, from what I've learned, some of the gears in the older ZF aren't designed to lube very well with some of these heavier oils. The materials the gears are made out of require ATF for better lube. What I been told anyway.
Just my $.02
James