BearKiller

On popular advice from this site, for many years, I have been running 5-Quarts plain Jane 5W30 Mobil 1 Full Synthetic in all the Getrags around here.

I am at Rural King the other night and I am seeing at least four flavors of Mobil 1 5W30 Full Synthetic; no matter which you choose = $29.99 for a 5-Quart Jug

Where I come from, that's six bucks per quart; the local Advance soaked me for nearly $17 for a single quart a few weeks ago = I was in a bind.

I figure it is all the same stuff, just in different jugs --- or is it?

There is plain old Mobil 1, then there is High Mileage, then there is Trucks and Suvs, and then Heavy Duty Truck; I may have missed a couple.

For running in a transmission such as the Getrag, would one of these choices be any better than another ?

But then, like I said, it is probably all the same stuff.

KRB

The 5w30 synthetic part is 5w30 synthetic no matter what, right? Especially under the same brand.

So the difference must be in additives, I would presume.

Or is it all just marketing???

u2slow

I invite you do some exhausting testing on brands, flavours, and varying viscosities.

We're all basically in the trial & error camp. The transmission is at least a 35yo design, spec'd for an oil that was widely available at the time.

oliver foster

Still an easier question than what to use in the NV4500 camp.

I have been running Mobil 1 5 W-30 in my Getrags for 15 years.
Now they have 4 flavors of the same fluid?

BearKiller

Regardless of which you choose, the jug says "Protects for 10,000 Miles Guaranteed" and "Advanced Full Synthetic"

The "SUV" flavor does say "Triple Action Formula" that is lacking on all the other flavors; I have no idea what these three actions are.

Then it may be like Shell Rotella which has NOT BEEN Rotella nor Shell for several years; the last I read, it was a Pennzoil product, and that was several years ago.

Remember that unique smell when you used to open a jug of genuine Rotella ?

oliver foster

I remember that smell from last week where I grabbed a gallon jug of Rottella out of a case I have had on the shop shelf for years.

u2slow

We are talking about engine oil here. Many of the additives are not applicable to a 'simple' gearbox.

The fussiness of the NV4500 is the carbon-fibre syncros. From what I've read... if you do a rebuild with brass ones, its far more forgiving on the oil type.

In one Getrag, I realize I've been driving with the same 5W50 Castrol synth for the about 10 years. Guess I should change it.