Final Drive Hypoid Gear Oil

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I've not seen anywhere near the number of threads about the final drive oil as about motor oil. Does anyone besides dwalby use non Honda 'Shaft Drive Oil - Hypoid Gear Oil SAE 80W90?

Surely there is no reason not to use other name brands of hypoid gear oil of the same weight. While Honda says the oil should last the life of the bike*, I'd change it every other year or so as a matter of course.

*I read this somewhere else (not the service manual).
 

Mark

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Yup, I bought synthetic Hypoid and use it. The 1qt plastic bottle will last me quite a while as I only use about 6oz each change.
 
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When I purchased my 2005, I checked the gear oil and it had a lot of metal slivers floating around in it. I kept changing it out every motor oil change until it had no metal floating around in it. Just used Quaker state 80W-90 for the flush. Gears still look brand new and now I just change it out when I see any metal in it.
To me a good brand oil is all you need. I've never bought oil from Honda in 35 years and don't think I ever will.
 
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Castrol Syntec hypoid - full synthetic - use synthetic and the little magnet in the drain plug will never have metal on it again. My experience anyway.
 
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I've not seen anywhere near the number of threads about the final drive oil as about motor oil. Does anyone besides dwalby use non Honda 'Shaft Drive Oil - Hypoid Gear Oil SAE 80W90?

Surely there is no reason not to use other name brands of hypoid gear oil of the same weight. While Honda says the oil should last the life of the bike*, I'd change it every other year or so as a matter of course.

*I read this somewhere else (not the service manual).
The owner of Maxima oils (a San Diego based company) told me to change it once to their full synthetic and forget about it. I told him I was planning on keeping the bike a long time, and for well over 100k miles, he said that didn't matter. It was around 1999 when I changed it with about 30k on the bike (somewhere around the Honda service manual recommended change interval). I mostly took his advice, and only changed it one other time, probably around 2010, with about 90k miles on the bike. I somehow won a gift certificate to Offroad Warehouse, and had to use it on something, so I picked up some Amsoil synthetic gear oil. Don't know what I did with the Maxima oil, probably threw it out when I moved in 2006.

The other argument is you have to buy it in a 1qt or 1 liter container and that's enough oil for a few changes, so why not do it more often. Its a simple job too.
 

John OoSTerhuis

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Mobil 1 full synth but only because a friend bought it for his 40amp alternator upgrade at my house and left the bottle. That was ~80K ago.

John
 

wjbertrand

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I've never used Honda's (or Yamaha's) branded final drive oil. I've used Mobil 1 90w-140 forever.
 
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I also only use Mobil 1 90W-140 full synthetic. I change it every 20,000 miles or about once every 4th oil change.

Garry
 

dduelin

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Any hypoid 80w90 that is rated GL-5 will do. I've used Honda shaft oil, Havoline, and some NAPA branded stuff over the years. Rated GL-5 for emphasis.
 
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I've not seen anywhere near the number of threads about the final drive oil as about motor oil. Does anyone besides dwalby use non Honda 'Shaft Drive Oil - Hypoid Gear Oil SAE 80W90?

Surely there is no reason not to use other name brands of hypoid gear oil of the same weight. While Honda says the oil should last the life of the bike*, I'd change it every other year or so as a matter of course.

*I read this somewhere else (not the service manual).
Depends on personnel preference or whatever choice is at the time:). Final drive on my ST11 I used RoyalPurple 75-140w syn. BTW, the 75-140w in synthetic version IS correct ratio replacement for conv. 80w90.;). Have seen internal bearing results from final drives of other brand bikes, which opted to same conv. weight ratios with synthectic as conventional.....not visually a good result;).
 
OP
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Thank you all. I'm sold on non Honda gear oil. I'll get whatever well known brand I can find. I'll look for full synthetic 75-140
 
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Any hypoid 80w90 that is rated GL-5 will do. I've used Honda shaft oil, Havoline, and some NAPA branded stuff over the years. Rated GL-5 for emphasis.
+1 on using hypoid 80w90 that is rated GL-5. That's all that is required. I just went to my garage to see what I've been using the past 5-10 years or so, and couldn't find it - guess that I already used it all or I was looking for it in the wrong cabinet. Just looked at the owner's manual and it only specifies SAE 80 hypoid gear oil, but I think I remember seeing somewhere that GL-5 is specified, maybe in the SM, I didn't look there. Anyway, I'm sure that any name brand hypoid 80w90 gear oil that is rated GL-5 will do, as Dave suggested.
 
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Just looked at the owner's manual and it only specifies SAE 80 hypoid gear oil, but I think I remember seeing somewhere that GL-5 is specified, maybe in the SM, I didn't look there.
Service manual says the same thing, "hypoid gear oil, SAE 80", nothing more.
 
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I'm using Putoline RS75 SAE 75/80W fully synthetic GL-5. This oil is within Honda's original SAE spec for hypoid gear oil. For engine oil I'm using SAE 10W30 fully synthetic of the same Dutch manufacturer. Both oils are thin like water.

Kees
 
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Using thinner oils for both engine and final drive in my 2013 ST1300A yields a more responsive bike. I can confirm being able to feel the difference now having used different types of viscosity ranges. SAE 10W30 in engine and SAE 80 GL-5 in rear diff gives more fun compared to the more-viscous-than-necessary oils Mark referred to earlier.

Kees
 
OP
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You're not the first to make that assertion and it's still incorrect: CLICKY

--Mark
Thanks for the correction and link to your earlier post. I had forgotten what you said - back then I never expected to change the final drive oil very often, and I had a ready source of Honda brand oil - no more - I'm done w/ my local dealer and brand name oil is probably cheaper. I'll take the synthetic 77/140 back and exchange it for 80 wt.
 

TMUS

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Royal Purple Max Gear 75/90, change it with every rear tire change, 10k to 12k with PR4's
 
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Just put in Mobil 1 Synthetic Gear Lube LS 75w-90 for the first time. Switching from the standard Honda stuff. Just curious, nowhere is it referred to as hypoid? It is GL-5.
 

Mellow

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Just put in Mobil 1 Synthetic Gear Lube LS 75w-90 for the first time. Switching from the standard Honda stuff. Just curious, nowhere is it referred to as hypoid? It is GL-5.
You're good, it's what I use.
 
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