What’s The Best Gearbox Oil For The Dino 246?

you have tried redline MTL?

 

Had a reply from Redline, here is their reply

Thank you for contacting Red Line Oil, in your 246gt transaxle or the 308 the 75W90NS would be recommended. This is a non slippery GL-5 gear oil, suitable for use with the synchros. The Ferrari limited slip units typically don’t chatter so don’t require any additional friction modifier.


The MTL is a 75W80 GL-4 gear oil, a lower viscosity and different fluid than called for so wouldn’t be recommended.




Regards,




Dave Granquist

here is the tech data

https://www.redlineoil.com/75w90-ns-gl-5-gear-oil

 

just try MTL- it works....

 

I am sure it does, the spec looks good but worried about the viscosity and moreover if any long term damage is done for short time gain, any chance of explaining the reasons for saying this - just interested.

 

I have friends who have used it for 25 yrs. the car wont melt. And it will shift better


Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat.com mobile app

 

Thanks, I don't have a problem with shifting on my 246 and use a standard Castrol EP80 oil, I was merely responding to 4camgt original post. Ferraris have always had gearbox issues from cold which belies the fact that [possibly] the wrong viscosity was selected in the first place. Whats at stake is the longevity of the gears and LSD over time. If these cars were used every day then there could be a possible issue with it

You could be right and if that's your experience then I am cool with it but Redline don't recommend MTL - so we have a point to discuss?

Best

Tony

 

I have queried the use of GL4 (MTL) & GL 5 oils with Redline, here is there reply

A GL-4 gear oil is suitable for use in straight and helical cut transmission gears as well as low offset final drive gears.


A GL-5 covers all of those GL-4 applications as well as high offset hypoid differential gears.


In the older Ferrari manual transmission and transaxle applications a GL-5 gear oil was typically called for.


Some GL-5 gear oils can be corrosive, cause pitting to brass, bronze or copper components, also many contain a friction modifier so can be too slippery for use with synchros as they are designed for differential use.


Our EP/GL-5 gear oils contain a copper deactivator so are not corrosive to brass, bronze or copper components, the “NS” fluids are non slippery, non friction modified containing the proper coefficient of friction for the synchros.


With our 75W90NS there is no need to be concerned regarding suitability or use with synchros

 

Yes, Tony, I will stick with what I have in the gearbox now, the Castrol Manual EP 80 (also specified as an EP 80W 90, and listed that way by some distributors). Apparently, that is what you use, too.

And, yes, the LE Duolec 1605 oil which was poured into my gearbox by the transmission re-builders, appeared to be of incorrect viscosity. It should probably have been Duolec 1604 instead of 1605. I questioned the re-builders about this. They answered something to the effect that synthetic oils are so good at low temperatures that you can easily go up one rating in viscosity. Besides, they had used this oil in one or two other Dinos and the owners had been very happy with it, they said. Perhaps, but it did not work for me. Was glad to get rid of it.

My gearbox works extremely well now, with the regular EP 80 or EP 90 oil that Ferrari specified. Allows very fast shifts, up or down.
I have other issues with the transmission in the form of transmission noise, which I will take up in another thread. But the shifting and synchronizing is fine.

 

look forward to the thread, I had transmission noise and it was cured by measuring and making a new pre load shim. Dino parts make them in various shim thicknesses, but I made my own as it fell outside their range. (well the machine shop next door did!)
All the noise was cured
Tony

 

Freeman, this thread turned out to be very interesting, and we have learned a lot about gear box oils now. At least I have.

But reading your initial post again, I would like to make this point:
We often blame the original design of our vintage cars when they do not perform or shift as well as we think they should. And we look for modern components - oil, electronics or whatever - to fix those problems. "They weren't any better in those days", I often hear. Wrong, I say! They WERE better. They were very well designed and they can be made to perform very well even by today' s standards. We forget that the typical Dino has been through hell and back several times during its 48 years and perhaps 8 or more owners. They just need to be properly re-built to become something close to what they used to be.

What you are describing about shifting your car, particularly around second gear, sounds to me like a textbook example of a transmission with worn synchros. That is exactly how they behave then. It always shows up on the second gear first. I can understand why you are not eager to get into an expensive transmission rebuild, but I don't think any magic modern oil will be able to compensate for worn synchronizers. I may be wrong, but that is my experience. If it scratches on downshifts only, you could get around it for a while by double clutching. But if it also scratches on up-shifts, it means it is time for new synchros. But by all means, try with different oil first if you think it will make a difference, and I hope you will report the results here.

If in the end you decide to have the transmission re-built, I think you will be surprised at how good a Dino gearbox can be, and how quickly and easily it can be shifted. Even without miracle oil!
Lars

 

Lars, totally agree, there is no magic solution or potion! Been there, worn the shirt and poorer for it. Engine oil is another classic con, I love the sales pitch "extra mpg" like we are bothered when driving a 246 at 5000rpm

2nd gear is definatley the Achilles heel of the dino, perhaps the remedy in a earlier post may do the trick on any rebuild.

If any can convince me otherwise then I am all ears!

Tony

 

Swepco 201 blue was the go-to gear oil in the 80's and 90's but entering the 2000's I started hearing great reviews about Redline 75W90NS so tried it in an oil change comparison. Swepco 201 is a great gear oil but Redline really was better, shifting was remarkably improved.

BTW, if you'd like to see how the internals of gearbox 2063E move after being rebuilt, Bernd Buschen (ex-McCaw, 3rd largest Ferrari collection in world) describes the actions of the Dino gearbox in this video: