Bar and Chain Lube for straight cut gears? (1 Viewer)

[BigIslandFJ]

Hi all. Long time reader, new poster here. I've done an exhaustive search on the subject, but I can't find anything...not even on Google. You know you're desperate when you have to click "next page" on Google....

Anyway, anyone ever heard of using Bar and Chain Lube on a transmission with straight cut gears?

I was casually talking to another FJ40 owner here on the big island of Hawaii about how whiney my tranny was and he suggested using it. He went as far as to say that his "transmission guy" won't even warranty anything that doesn't have the stuff in it. I'm assuming he doesn't own a dedicated transmission shop with that attitude, but I'm curious about whether or not it will quiet down my set up or if there are any risks associated with it.

H42, by the way, but it shouldn't matter since the case is the only thing that hasn't been changed.

 

[Coastline]

Hi all. Long time reader, new poster here. I've done an exhaustive search on the subject, but I can't find anything...not even on Google. You know you're desperate when you have to click "next page" on Google....

Anyway, anyone ever heard of using Bar and Chain Lube on a transmission with straight cut gears?

I was casually talking to another FJ40 owner here on the big island of Hawaii about how whiney my tranny was and he suggested using it. He went as far as to say that his "transmission guy" won't even warranty anything that doesn't have the stuff in it. I'm assuming he doesn't own a dedicated transmission shop with that attitude, but I'm curious about whether or not it will quiet down my set up or if there are any risks associated with it.

H42, by the way, but it shouldn't matter since the case is the only thing that hasn't been changed.

Take it for this is worth, or not, but when I was much younger and smarter than I am now, I learned from some old timers back in Missouri, hill billies I guess, who would put fine saw dust in their gear boxes to quiet them. I never did try it but, always wondered.

 

[amaurer]

The only straight cut gear in a H42 is reverse... I thought?

 

[Pin_Head]

That lolo dude has been smoking the pakalolo.

 

[pb4ugo]

Take it for this is worth, or not, but when I was much younger and smarter than I am now, I learned from some old timers back in Missouri, hill billies I guess, who would put fine saw dust in their gear boxes to quiet them. I never did try it but, always wondered.

It ain't worth much! unless.... roll back the speedo too. Then you're good to go.

"Seriously dude, it was owned by a little old lady & she only drove it on sundays."

It's a crooked old used car lot trick.

 

[DougAustinTx]

It kind of makes sense to me. Bar and chain lube has something in it that really makes it cling to metal..... kind of like that honey looking oil additive that Andy Granatelli used to hawk on TV....STP.

I guess that it might make the gears quieter. If it were mine, I would be looking for why the tranny was whining and fix it before something goes crunch.

 

[lcwizard]

Lucas has products that cling to metal and I'm pretty sure they've done extensive testing to make sure they are compatible. That being said.., for a short term any petroleum based oil is better than no oil.
Way back when, myself and a friend , Don Robbins, competed in a run called "24hours on the Hammers" where you ran the seven runs , back to back without stopping, as fast as you could. We learned a valuable lesson about power steering. Running 38's on a 40 we boiled over the saginaw dry so many times that we used up not only our 4 quarts of P/S fluid but also 6 quarts of motor oil. We finished the last trail on brake fluid. There were about a dozen or more rigs. We started in fourth, finished in fourth, trading places back and forth with Pat Gremillion ( Premier Power Welder ) who eventually finished third. He'd get a flat, we'd pass him... our P/S would mess up and he'd pass us...and so on about four times. On his final pass he tossed us the brake fluid that got us to the finish

 

[coleman2347]

Back in the day, it was standard procedure to add STP to our 4 speeds when we rebuilt them (M21's, Ford top loaders) I swear they shifted slicker...

 

[hobbes]

I think there was a sawdust reference in the Grapes of Wrath. (What a horrible book, btw...)

 

[Splangy]

I think there was a sawdust reference in the Grapes of Wrath. (What a horrible book, btw...)

The sawdust is an old slimy salesman trick to quiet things down to make a sale. That's probably the first time I've heard somebody say that about that book!

 

[BigIslandFJ]

Heh, no pakalolo for this guy...although that may actually help...

To be honest, as you can probably tell, I'm new to the Toyota realm. I bought this FJ40 not long ago, but I've been doing engine work (SBC 350) on it for 8 years on and off but never had to touch the tranny. Back story, in case you're interested: The previous owner was a Marine Huey pilot who knew nothing about turning a wrench but had plenty of money to spend. Me, on the other hand, was his crew chief from 01-09 and now we work together in Hawaii on helicopters. He breaks em', I fix em'.

I'm still going on what he says was done. He "says" it was an h42, but either he's wrong and there is a problem, or it's not an H42. I've read on other posts that H41's have spur gears. Is that correct? Or is it more likely that I have problems?

It does have a whine that is consistent through all gears. Other than the noise and more backlash than anything I've ever driven, it drives fine and pulls hard. According to the previous owner, it's always been noisy and he's owned it for 15 years.

I know there is no sawdust in there...if there was, I probably wouldn't complain about the whine but more about how my tranny is fried.

Again, I'm trying to learn about this thing, so try not to burn me too bad.

 

[srgould41]

I can't tell you what you have in there or if the noise just means it's about to fail, but straight cut gears are just plain noisy. You can try a heavier oil, like 140 weight. You can also add sound deadening to the tunnel area to cut the noise that makes it through to you.

 

[ojaij40]

If you in an FJ40,..I'm amazes you can hear clearly enough to even distinguish the gear whine,...

 

[hobbes]

That's probably the first time I've heard somebody say that about that book!

Have you read it? I warned a buddy of mine who was on the "read the classics I always meant to" kick. I was there when he finished it...and threw the book across the room.

 

[SteveH]

It's highly unlikely that bar and chain oil has the EP (extreme pressure) additives in it that gears require. It also has no stated weight - is it 50 weight, or 130 weight? How does it react to cold weather? Some bar and chain oil is total crap, and doesn't even contain the anti-fling additives in it that make it stick to your saw chain.

It's $12.99/gal (for Stihl bar and chain oil) and I can buy a 5 gal. pail of 80-90 for less, per gallon - so you don't save a dime by using bar and chain oil.

I would not use bar and chain oil in a transmission, unless you also use 'backwoods goop' in your steering knuckles - in which case, you're good to go!

 

[DougAustinTx]

If I remember correctly, EP (Extreme Pressure) gear lube is useful in hypoid type gears, but is not necessary for straight cut gears, if that is what you have in your tranny. Straight cut gears benefit from heavier oils.