| Author | Message | ||
     Cowboyup |
I just joined so go easy on me. This is my first Buell.I've got about 3000 miles on it and want to switch to synthetic. I would prefer to use Mobil 1 15w-50 which I see many of you approve of.My question is; does anyone know of any reason not to use it the trans? It seems that everyone who uses Mobil 1 in their engines uses the Mobil 1 gear lube in the trans, yet those who use 20w-50 synthetic also use it in their trans (such as the HD brand). Any info is appreciated. | ||
| Glitch |
Welcome! You can use engine oil, I wouldn't, I don't. Use Mobil 1 full syn gear oil. Shifts much nicer. | ||
| Hootowl |
I'm using Mobil 15W50 in both engine and tranny. Shifts nice. Nicer than sportrans. I've never used the Mobil gearlube, but I would imagine that you can't go wrong with it. | ||
| Ingemar |
I wouldnt use anything else but tranny oil in the tranny. Better safe than sorry, although I'm pretty sure regular engine oil won't hurt it. I'm using Red Line 20w50 in the engine and 75w90 in the tranny. | ||
| Reepicheep |
The transmission breaks down oil differently then an engine does. Instead of fouling the oil with combustion byproducts, I believe the transmission high loads and gears "chop up" the long chain polymers.  Well, at least until your crank seal goes, but thats a different topic... Anyway, there are great oil additives that hold up much better to transmissions (shear stable or some such), but if you used them in engine oil and they got into the combustion chamber, the deposits they would leave would be a nightmare for the engine. So basically, Mobil 1 Gear Oil has an additive package better designed for gearboxes, but that cannot be used in anything that might make its way into the combustion chamber. Mobil 1 15-50 (or VTwin) has an additive set designed to absorb the oil contaminaints as a result of internal combustion. I think somebody else here pointed out that the gear oils are designed to grab contaminants and settle out of solution where they sit out of the way. The car oils are designed to keep the contaminants in suspension, so they are carried to the oil filter. Not sure if it is true or not, but it makes sense. | ||
| Hootowl |
I figured if HD says to use their synth in engine and primary, it was probably OK for me to use the 15W50 in there. I'll most likely switch to a synthetic gear oil the next time I change it though, just to see how it feels. | ||
| Gowindward |
I'm using the Mobil 1 15w50 in both crankcase and gear case. I considered the Mobil 1 gear oil, but not sure it will go well with the wet clutch over time. I see the gear case not being any different than a bike that combines both crank and transmission in the same casing other than filtration | ||
| Xb9er |
Do not use SportTrans, ever, in an XB. I have used in my XB9R's primary/trans: SportTrans (break-in period, one fluid change), Mobil 1 MX4T, Mobil 1 75W-90 Gear Oil, Mobil 1 V-Twin 20W-50. All of the Mobil 1 products provided noticeably smoother shifting than SportTrans and made it easier to find Neutral. I switched to Mobil 1 V-Twin 20W-50 in the engine at about 1,000 miles or so and that is all I have used since. I will only put 20W-50 for V-Twin or Mobil 1 gear oil in primary/trans. I have no problem paying twice as much for the fluids. I am not going cheap on oils like I do on aftermarket parts, etc. If there is science showing that the car oils are better that the motorcycle oils, then I will switch. Mike. | ||
| Chainsaw |
Hypothetically speaking, could Mobil 1 Gear Oil lead to stator failures? I have a...um..."friend" that has used Mobil 1 75w90 nearly exclusively in his XB, and for a lot of miles on his Sportster. The Sporty's stator was replaced last month with 34,000 miles on it, and his XB is currently in the shop with a faulty stator at 15,000 miles. Coincidence or not? My...um..."friend" plans on going back to SportTrans in the interim to avoid any warranty-type issues. | ||
| Xb9er |
You fell for the "use H-D products only or else you void the warranty scam"? Could be just coincidence. You haven't given the histories of the bikes. I doubt that the stator problems are related at all to the use of Mobil 1 gear oil, unless maybe it was overfilled or underfilled. In any case, using sporttrans is not a cure for anything. Go to H-D Syn 3 20W-50. Mike. | ||
| Chainsaw |
...as the Owner's manual says on page 64 "use only Harley Davidson Sport-Trans Fluid" I am beginning to wonder if there is an actual reason behind this recommendation other than selling more SportTrans. I have not fallen for any "scam". I have, however had 2 stators replaced under warranty in a period of 60 days. As amusing as leaving my bike(s) at various dealers in the Denver Metro Area is, if there is a bonafide correlation between Mobil 1 and stator failures, I sure as hell want to find out before my warranties expire! | ||
| Brucelee |
Mobil One 75-90 has transformed my trans like I never imagined. Great stuff every 2500 miles. Good luck | ||
| Glitch |
could Mobil 1 Gear Oil lead to stator failures? I dunno I'm still experimenting. The first one went out at 20thousand miles. I'm at around 27thousand miles now. | ||
| Hootowl |
HD now recommends their 20W50 synthetic in the primary. The manual of course still says Sportrans, but only because its now out of date. What was the failure mode of your stators? Shorted? Open? Bad lead wires? Was it the same for both bikes? If it makes you feel any better, I've lost a stator too. I wasn't using Mobil gear oil either. It was the heavy shockproof. I suspected the oil too, but I have no real way of knowing. | ||
| Cowboyup |
If HD recommends its' own 20w-50 "MOTOR" oil in the trans, and we know by independent analysis that there are no ingredients in their oils that are not in other synthetic brands, are there any reasons why mobil 1 should not be used? I hope i'm not beating a dead horse here, but i've always used Mobil 1 15w-50 in all my previous motorcycles which shared oil between motor and trans. It has always worked well for me, and it gives me a warm fuzzy feeling inside knowing it is in there. | ||
| Reepicheep |
I think the stators just go. I lost one at about 20k miles, most of which was mobil 1 Gear oil. Mine was a short across the wires. In theory, I suppose it could be something in the Mobil 1 gear oil breaking down the stator insulation, but I don't think stator failures at 20k miles are that unusual on any bike (M1 gear oil or not). If it was a mobil 1 problem, I would think it would break it sooner rather then later, or there would be a more obvious correlation. It would be interesting to see if changing from a full loss charging system to a better regulated system would stretch out stator life spans (less thermal and mechanical stress on the coils). | ||
| Hootowl |
I have read (somewhere on this board) that the stock stators just suck, and the aftermarket ones are better and cheaper. |
