600 w

[Tom maxwell]

Is there a source of 600 W gear oil other than the antique auto vendors we normally use. I have not been able to find it at local vendors ... Pep Boys , Napa, etc.
Or is there a substitute oil that can be used for the gear oils and steering box that I can just drive to the store and pickup.

[Patrick L.]

It can be found at various large oil suppliers, usually in 5 gal buckets. It goes by some such number like 686, can't remember without looking it up. But, 600W is about 240-250 weight.

[Smurkey]

Try this, 140w gear oil, throw in some viscosity modifier if you want too (STP, Lucas, etc):

http://www.carquest.com/webapp/wcs/s...-1_10651_14332

[1931 flamingo]

Why not just order it from one of the vendor's. You're never going to use 5 gals of something else. FWIW
Paul in CT

[RonC]

These are the modern equivalents to the Ford transmission, rear end and steering box oils:

Mobilgear 600 XP 680
BP Energol GR-XP 680
Castrol Alpha LS680
Shell Omala 680
Texaco Meropa 680

[Tom maxwell]

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No trouble with buying from a vendor, but I was just figuring that this was something I could shop locally. As in everything I need for the coupe, time and shipping fees are always in the equation.
I also located it from the major suppliers but the 5 gallons and lead time was a little much.
I like the mixing idea.
Thanks
Tom

[Willie Krash]

Lubriplate SPO 288.
It ain't cheap.

[noboD]

I bought a five gallon pail from Frick, an oil distributor in Allentown, Pa. DON'T have it UPSed, it's shipped as hazardous material.

[Larry Seemann]

I buy Texaco 680 by the 5 gallon bucket from a local oil distributor and then everyone in the local club that needs some brings an empty quart oil bottle and we fill it up. Dividing the number of quarts by the cost of 5 gallons works out to about $5.50 per quart. Talk to your other club members and form a co-op.

[Mike V. Florida]

Just a little education,

600W is not a designation of a weight of oil. It is the name of an oil sold by Mobil Oil and has it's roots back to the beginning of industrial revolution.

"Mobil Cylinder oils are high performance high viscosity oils designed for use in enclosed worm gears operating at moderate to high speeds and temperatures, and where heavy loads, slow speeds or high temperatures demand high viscosity oils. They are also intended for use in steam engine cylinder applications. They are formulated from high quality base stocks that are resistant to oxidation and thermal degradation, and the build-up of harmful deposits caused by the high operating temperatures of steam cylinders. They protect against rust and corrosion and provide good film strength and excellent lubricity and they are resistant to water washout."

I'm not going to get into a pissing contest about if this is the best oil to use, I'm just stating what it is and yes you can buy Mobil 600w.

[Terry,NJ]

Just about any oil will work, Providing these conditions are present,
1) That it doesn't leak out! Too light an oil will find leaks.
2) It remains thick enough to slow the gears down to shift, yet not so thick it will prevent shifting.
3) It still lubricates.
Some suggestions are in addition to what has been mentioned are. STP and various concoctions thereof. Various Lucas products, Hub oil, oil stabilyser. I'm new to this and I'm using the Lucas oil stabyilser (sp) and STP. So far it seems to be working. Among Mod. A ers, which oils to use can be a touchy subject.
Terry

[Marco Tahtaras]

Very few folks put enough miles on their cars to wear out these areas regardless of what they use. I'm not a believer in "concoctions" regardless of what my neighbor says or does. I've read more about lubricants than I ever wanted to over the years.

It's important to note that most of our suppliers sell either a thinner SUBSTITUTE or a concoction labeled as 600W. I think Bert's in Denver may be an exception. For me personally, I will only run a true equivalent to 600W or true SAE 250 which Ford changed to in 1932. It just happens that the 600W is (or at least was) easier and cheaper to acquire if you have a group of folks to split the cost of a bulk purchase. The first 5 gallon can we got almost 15 years ago was about $52. I suspect it's at least doubled by now.

I first posted the list of brand equivalents 10-15 years ago. At that time the only SAE 250 gear lube I could find was Penrite. That was not commonly available in the USA at the time. Now there is Lubriplate SPO 288 and possibly more. I haven't read the spec sheet on the Lubriplate but it should be good. I still have enough ISO 680 to last me for many years so I won't be reading specs on other lubricants anytime soon.

If you choose either of those or something else, don't mix. Most folks don't realize just how incompatible seemingly similar lubricants can be.

Finally, while some lubricants (or concoctions) will certainly prevent wear better than others, a Model A will survive almost anything. That is exactly why there are so many still on the road after all these decades!

[Smurkey]

From this Ford 1930 Sales Manual spec. sheet: "HEAVY SEMI-FLUID OIL"

Something tells me there wasn't a lot of lab testing of specific lubricants back in the day, and if there was, Ford didn't think specifics mattered too much...

[Marco Tahtaras]

Originally Posted by Smurkey

From this Ford 1930 Sales Manual spec. sheet: "HEAVY SEMI-FLUID OIL"

Something tells me there wasn't a lot of lab testing of specific lubricants back in the day, and if there was, Ford didn't think specifics mattered too much...

Most Model A owners today severely underestimate Ford's engineering back then.

[Joe K]

Among Mod. A ers, which oils to use can be a touchy subject.

Which I don't understand. I've used 600w steam oil, the 140w gear oil, and straight STP in the transmission.

The only downside I've seen is the 140gear oil used to leak out through the cluster gear and reverse idler shaft before I cut grooves in them and installed O-rings to prevent it.

Straight STP is there now. A little stiff at first in the winter (like to the end of the driveway) but I don't drive much in the winter anyway.

But the umbrage? How can anyone fault someone else for what they think works! And all those parts SHOULD they wear before their time are replaceable. It's only money.

Dunno. Some think there is only one way.

Shadetree exists to find OTHER ways. And that's part of the adventure. And the delight!

Joe K

[Marco Tahtaras]

Originally Posted by Joe K

Which I don't understand. I've used 600w steam oil, the 140w gear oil, and straight STP in the transmission.

Straight STP is there now. A little stiff at first in the winter (like to the end of the driveway) but I don't drive much in the winter anyway.

But the umbrage? How can anyone fault someone else for what they think works! And all those parts SHOULD they wear before their time are replaceable. It's only money.

Dunno. Some think there is only one way.

Shadetree exists to find OTHER ways. And that's part of the adventure. And the delight!

Joe K

You're right, "It's only money".

As I've posted NUMEROUS times over the last 15 years "STP is NOT a lubricant!" As always, folks are welcome to do what ever they wish with their cars.

For those that haven't seen STP labels, there are a couple points of interest below. The first is an old STP label I first posted in the late 90's.



Now, fast forward 15 years and here is info straight from their web site:


"10. Can I use STP® Oil Treatment in my manual transmission?"

"STP® Oil Treatment has been used successfully in manual transmissions, gearboxes and differentials at a 10% treat-rate, by volume (i.e., 90% oil and 10% Oil Treatment, by volume). Do not overfill."

[Mike V. Florida]

Originally Posted by Marco Tahtaras

You're right, "It's only money".

As I've posted NUMEROUS times over the last 15 years "STP is NOT a lubricant!" As always, folks are welcome to do what ever they wish with their cars.

For those that haven't seen STP labels, there are a couple points of interest below. The first is an old STP label I first posted in the late 90's.



Now, fast forward 15 years and here is info straight from their web site:


"10. Can I use STP® Oil Treatment in my manual transmission?"

"STP® Oil Treatment has been used successfully in manual transmissions, gearboxes and differentials at a 10% treat-rate, by volume (i.e., 90% oil and 10% Oil Treatment, by volume). Do not overfill."

Never let facts get in the way of opinion.

[dave in australia]

I just get mine direct from Penrite, but then it is an Australian made oil.

[Kevin in NJ]

The correct oils have secondary effects that you should be concern with in your car.

Remember cleaning your axle housings?

They were coated with this smelly stuff. That is the side effect of this oil. It coats the inside of the axle housing with a rust proofing. The unvented housing will get condensate on the metal. This can cause rust flakes which would not be good for your bearings.

Does stp or the others thinner oils do this?

[Joe K]

Heh. As I got the truck, and as I worked on the obviously challenged tranny, I took note of the 600w/sawdust mixture that was in the transmission case. In that case too I guess you could say the majority mix "was not lubricant" either.

And it worked well enough to get the sale of the car. (blush)

I've learned a lot since then - the process continues too.

Joe K