Dumb question on oil

[Welderpaul]

I need to put the oil back into the gearbox and rear transmission in my (vintage) tractor before I get too far on with the painting. The oil i bought some time ago is Morris Lubricants Golden Film Classic motor oil SAE 20W-50 Performance Levels API SF/CC

Ye olde handbook asks for the same spec oil to both which is listed as SAE Viscosity No 90.

I bought the oil, I think, on a recommendation from a tractor forum.

Is this oil ok to chuck in?

 

[dannyp]

It’s an old tractor, it’s oil it’ll be fine. Tbh old tractors usally get 10/30 super universal in everything

 

[wristpin]

You don't mention the make of "vintage tractor" but some, such as old Fordsons, have worm gear final drives requiring specific lubricants. You mention Morris Lubricants - they have a very helpful technical department.

 

[Bryan Williams]

Hasn't oil got a shelf life as well?
Even though it's a fossil fuel..

 

[Bill Edwards]

Old dexta?

Generally speaking on machines of considerable vintage almost anything will do, Super tractor oil universal generally being a good choice as it does everything quite nicely.
The trick is to avoid synthetic stuff which they were not designed for.

 

[Welderpaul]

Yes it's an old Fordson Dexta. The original handbook doesn't give any information other than viscosity so i guess it wasn't that important back in the day.

It ran perfectly fine for the old farmer who i bought it from...running on a lovely beige emulsion of oil and water with some lumps in.

 

[brightspark]

I had a grey Fergie the back axle was white watery oil in it. from memory it took 5 gallons of oil

 

[Welderpaul]

The oil in the rear axle lubricates the final reduction gear and diff and also operates the hydraulic power lift. It also provides oil to the aux hydraulics so tipping trailers etc. I would think the aux hydraulics would be the most likely to contaminate - any manky oil from a trailer or whatever would end up in the rear axle oil system. Not the best of engineering design but on a small tractor i guess there wasn't room for a seperate tank?

Book says a total of 32.4 litres of oil for both. I drained about 15 litres out when i stripped it

 

[dannyp]

Super universal then. 10/30 engine oil but is also rated as gear and hydraulic oil with all the additives to keep wet brakes and clutches happy

 

[addjunkie]

I use tractor universal in my likkle kubota works a treat. And I like the one size fits all.

 

[steve t]

like others have said universal tractor oil, I use it in my 35 for everything, similar to the dexta

 

[Bill Edwards]

The oil in the rear axle lubricates the final reduction gear and diff and also operates the hydraulic power lift. It also provides oil to the aux hydraulics so tipping trailers etc. I would think the aux hydraulics would be the most likely to contaminate - any manky oil from a trailer or whatever would end up in the rear axle oil system. Not the best of engineering design but on a small tractor i guess there wasn't room for a seperate tank?

Book says a total of 32.4 litres of oil for both. I drained about 15 litres out when i stripped it

Even on biggish new tractors it’s common/normal for the same oil to do the tractor hydraulics, gearbox, diff, final drive and external hydraulics.

As well as allowing a lot of oil to be lost for all systems if there’s a leak it raises a huge can of worms over cross contamination.
Not only is there new and oil being mixed when trailers/implements are changed between tractors but machines are now sensitive to the type of oil and when most manufacturers state a certain type for their machine they could end up on a real mixture when a trailer is used on a few different makes of machine.

 

[DaveB]

The 20w-50 is a multigrade oil and will have a viscosity equivalent to a single grade oil of between SAE 20 and SAE 50 depending on the temperature at which the comparison is made.

If the spec is for a SAE 90 oil then that's what I'd use.

Also the motor oil does not have a GL (gear lubrication) rating.

Check with Morris Lubricants technical department in writing.

 

[Welderpaul]

is it live drive??

Nah

 

[dannyp]