| Author | Message | ||
     Dave_02_1200 |
I have heard that standard gear lubricants kill stators but I have never heard what ingredient in gear lube is responsible or how it damages stators. Can anyone here shed some light on this mystery? | ||
| Steveford |
Sulfur. It eats the insulation on the windings. (Message edited by SteveFord on November 27, 2013) | ||
| Dave_02_1200 |
Are there any other gear lubes, besides the HD stuff, that don't contain sulfur? Maybe some 60 weight motor oil or a synthetic gear lube? | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
It's a tricky issue really. You have clutch plates that need friction to work, you have copper wires with insulation, and you have a tranny that needs to be lubed. All of it heated to about 180F. So many variables involved. So easy to cost yourself money. I just gave right up before I started and stick only with the H-D sport-trans/formula+. | ||
| Steveford |
I just added it up and it looks like I've put 160,000 miles on Buells so far, give or take a thousand or two. I just dump in regular old Mobil 1 15/50 everywhere and so far, so good in the gearbox and clutch department. Mobil 80/90W Gear Oil did eat two stators before I became aware of the problem. That was more a case of time left in the bike, not necessarily mileage. | ||
| Dave_02_1200 |
I just finished reading about the sulfur issue. It looks like Red Line and Amzoil recommend their motorcycle oils in Sportster transmissions as a replacement for HD Sporttrans. Erik Buell is now affiliated with Amzoil so that is what I plan to use from now on. Thanks | ||
| Buellistic |
IMHO HARLEY-DAVIDSON Sync 3 has worked best for me ... 111,818,6 miles as of the last ride ... Use it in the transmission because if the motor sprocket oil seal goes bad just where do you think the transmission oil will go ??? | ||
| Dave_02_1200 |
Lafayette, Agreed. That is why I use the same stuff in both the transmission and the motor. Right now I have Mobil 1 V Twin 20-50 in both the transmission and the motor but, after reading about the new Amzoil V-Twin oil I think it might be a better choice. Besides, they are a sponsor of EBR. | ||
| Reepicheep |
In my experience? All over my rear tire. | ||
| Harleyelf |
Reep, you're thinking of the transmission drive sprocket. The motor drives the primary chain; when it's seal fails motor oil usually fills the primary case. Then it exits through the vent tube or the clutch cable. I've been using Mobil 1 v-twin 20-50 since sport trans fluid disappeared. | ||
| Reepicheep |
You are correct Elf, I was thinking of the crank seal on the primary side. | ||
| Ratbuell |
Use it in the transmission because if the motor sprocket oil seal goes bad just where do you think the transmission oil will go ??? We've had this discussion before, LaFayette... When that seal goes, the transmission oil stays where it is. The ENGINE oil moves. The ENGINE is pressurized; the primary/transmission is splash-lubed (NO pressure). If the seal between the two goes bad, the pressurized side (engine) pushes into the non-pressurized side (transmission/primary). Transmission oil doesn't go anywhere until there's an external leak, or it overfills from engine oil pumping in, and it comes out the overflow tube. Transmission oil will NEVER go into the engine, because the engine's oil pressure keeps it out. That said, I also run Syn3 - mainly because it's easier for me. Same oil in every hole on every bike, never have to wonder if I put the "wrong stuff" in there. And it makes it dirt-simple to top off if something runs low - it's all the same.  | ||
| Buellistic |
Ratbuell: Check HOUSTON BUELLERS as "i" will be there in DECEMBER and we can discuss this face to face ... See you then !!! | ||
| Ratbuell |
Unfortunately I'm nowhere near Houston...but I'd be happy to discuss it if you're ever on the East Coast. | ||
| Screamer |
Although it's not very common, trans fluid can transfer to the engine oil through a bad crank seal. The engine lube system is pressurized but upstroke vacuum in the flywheel cavity can draw fluid from the trans if the seal is bad - and if enough trans fluid is present. We were chasing a different issue but confirmed by dyeing the trans fluid that it can migrate to the engine if you have a poor seal. | ||
| Buellistic |
If there is just a possibility of this happening to my BUELL "i" want to prevent it !!! If you want your motor sprocket oil seal to last even longer adjust your primary chain to 3/4 inch on the tight spot which keeps the metal on the drain plug to a minimum !!! | ||
| Dave_02_1200 |
Some of us have PCV valves to our motors that allow pressure to escape on the downstroke but cause a crankcase vacuum on the upstroke. That vacuum would suck transmission fluid into the crankcase if the seal is bad. | ||
| Ratbuell |
Fair enough. I run stock breathers on all my bikes, but I can see how the theory could apply. Although I think if the seal was bad, it would be leaking engine oil into the primary first (and in greater quantity), and leaking some of that mixture *back* into the engine on a vacuum stroke. | ||
| Buellistic |
"i" have gone one step farther and put a PCV Valve in my timing plug hole !!! | ||
| Screamer |
We had several incidents of trans fluid migrating to the the flywheel cavity to the point where it would cause the engine oil level in the tank to go up. We also encountered (more often) engines with bad crank seals that would expel nearly all of the engine oil to the primary. There's a lot of factors that can influence which direction the fluid would move (and a lot of theories) but ring seal and breather system seemed to the bigger influences. Fortunately the new (10 -12 years ago?) seal design and the inverted installation solved the common crank seal problems. |
