GL4 gear oil

[mirmay]

Right, now to open a can of worms........... Thought I'd top up the gearbox oil on the ETZ125 today and noticed that the oil I was using was a GL4 oil. Now, I seem to remember a long debate on the Lada owners forum regarding the GL4 additive as it dissolves yellow (brass/bronze) bushes and bearings and as such is not good in older gearboxes. Can anyone here say if this is so? I am now panicking as I have racked up about 1,000 miles with this stuff inside. There is also some debate as to which oil to use, EP (extreme pressure) or plain sae40 et.c. i ran a lada Samara for many thousands of miles and that just used the recommended straight 40 in the 'box without any ill effects.
So, blue touch-paper lit, now standing back to seeyour comments.

[Skorpion]

Hi mirmay.

The oil to use is 75w/80 API GL4 gear oil.
sold at any motor store.
Most rider's recommend Silkolene light gear oil, its the same grade as above but as it's sold for motorcycle use is much more expensive,


EP oil is not necessary even though Wilf Green the importer of MZ's used to recommend it.

[therealche]

Quick search on google seems to suggest GL4 is the oil to use if there are bronze bearings, its GL5 you need to avoid. TBH MZs are that strong they would probably survive on Aldis best cooking oil (Please note this is NOT a seroius suggestion!)

[DAVID THOMPSON]

i had a 200cc triumph cub about 1965 it was a mid to late 50's model
and lived on a diet of bronze bushings in the transmission...
about 3,000 miles and trans would not shift
put in a new set and go again
my dad was making them on a lathe
he impounded the first set of oem ones
to measure and made the replacements
the magneto would not stay in time either

this bike ruined me from ever owning an other triumph

the electrical system on a friends t120 helped
if it was not having an electrical problem ..just wait a few minutes....

dave

[radiograf]

The realache said that mz's would probably survive on Aldis cooking oil, well origionaly engines where run on caster oil, made from pressed castor beans. Its still available, the downside is it does tend to coat the engine parts with a laquer, requiring a stripdown and clean. Castor based oils also react with modern oils, so don't mix them.