Results 1 to 11 of 11

Thread: Getrag G280: Recommend me an oil

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Location
    Perth, Australia
    Posts
    306
    My Cars
    '92 740iL + '85 M635CSi

    Getrag G280: Recommend me an oil

    Car's in workshop right now having a clutch replaced. I've supplied the new clutch, G280 in/out/selector seals + the crank rear main and then completely forgot about the oil for the gearbox!!

    Need some ideas please. Something that will obviously allow the synchro rings to work but at the same time will hopefully damp down the layshaft rattle at idle. It's been a long time since this gearbox oil was replaced. I think it was replaced last time with either RedLine gear oil or ATF. Not sure, but obviously things have probably moved on since then. What's the current thinking please? Looking for advice and experience reports to help make a decision.

    Cheers

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Hagerstown,MD
    Posts
    1,027
    My Cars
    1984 Euro 635
    Quote Originally Posted by Legoman View Post
    Car's in workshop right now having a clutch replaced. I've supplied the new clutch, G280 in/out/selector seals + the crank rear main and then completely forgot about the oil for the gearbox!!

    Need some ideas please. Something that will obviously allow the synchro rings to work but at the same time will hopefully damp down the layshaft rattle at idle. It's been a long time since this gearbox oil was replaced. I think it was replaced last time with either RedLine gear oil or ATF. Not sure, but obviously things have probably moved on since then. What's the current thinking please? Looking for advice and experience reports to help make a decision..

    Cheers
    Look into Redline MTL or Redline MT-90. The folks on the M5 board seem to favor both
    '84 Euro 635
    '88 M6 (Gone but not forgotten)

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    North Carolina
    Posts
    10,579
    My Cars
    '86 M635/'10 Clubman
    Quote Originally Posted by EuroGeorge View Post
    Look into Redline MTL or Redline MT-90. The folks on the M5 board seem to favor both
    It seems like Blanton likes MTL, which is good enough for me...

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Location
    Perth, Australia
    Posts
    306
    My Cars
    '92 740iL + '85 M635CSi
    Thanks mate, found some MT-90 locally and got that to put in this weekend. Cheers

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    Boston, Ma
    Posts
    1,649
    My Cars
    86 635,72 E3, 88M6,73 E9
    I think the Redline website still has recommendations for our cars.
    Rob E3

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Location
    Perth, Australia
    Posts
    306
    My Cars
    '92 740iL + '85 M635CSi
    Quote Originally Posted by RSheiman View Post
    I think the Redline website still has recommendations for our cars.
    Yeah they do, for US market cars at least (which is understandable). The Red Line website recommends MTL for the G280, but the US market cars only got the later improved v2.0 of the G280. There is commentary I've read elsewhere that there's two versions of the G280 as it went through a minor facelift redesign at midlife somewhere along the line. Early G280's had brass synchro rings which were changed to something else in the later version and were much more susceptible to the gear wheel/layshaft 'chatter' at idle with the clutch engaged. Being an '85, I'm pretty sure my gearbox is one of these early model ones as opposed to the quieter running later model version the US cars got.

    Hence MTL or the 80W oil is recommended for the US cars for better cold weather running, while the early cars like mine are better off with the slightly heavier MT-90 (90W oil) to dampen down the inherent layshaft rattle a bit.

    Some others suggest a 50:50 mix of the two for a middle 'best of both worlds' kinda thing. Apparently you can safely mix the two together in any ratio you like and this is even suggested/recommended to some degree if you can't get exactly the effect you want with one alone.
    Last edited by Legoman; 05-24-2019 at 09:12 PM.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    West Nyack, New York
    Posts
    1,391
    My Cars
    86 635csi 98 740i 96 MB
    Hey Rob how are you doin'???

    I'm wondering why most guys are using a gear oil in the boxes
    when it clearly says on realoem and the manual that the
    5 speeds require ATF.

    Could it be that long term gear oil use has screwed up the synchros and bearings
    that increasing viscosity will help things out?

    When I bought my Metric Mechanic 5 speed, Jim told me use nothing but ATM.
    The shifting forks have dimples that slow down the synchros when shifting.
    If you use gear oil the thick viscosity clogs the dimples reducing friction
    and the synchros wear prematurely.

    It's just a wonderment on my part that when the info from BMW
    and BMW tranny re builders are recommending ATF, most of the community is using gear oil.

    Hope there's an "Idiotfest" this year- would be good to see you.

    Bob V

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Location
    Perth, Australia
    Posts
    306
    My Cars
    '92 740iL + '85 M635CSi
    Quote Originally Posted by 1986series6 View Post
    Hey Rob how are you doin'???

    I'm wondering why most guys are using a gear oil in the boxes
    when it clearly says on realoem and the manual that the
    5 speeds require ATF.
    Possibly because when you do use ATF the gear rattle that results is horrendous and very, very uncivilised. Maybe it wasn't when the gearbox was brand new and not even run in to allow them to sell the cars, but once run-in, there's no way on Earth you'd have bought one of these cars with ATF in the gearbox. The noise sounds like the gearbox is filled with swarf and random left over bolts.

    Disclaimer: My car's done 85,000 miles since new and never been rebuilt.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    West Nyack, New York
    Posts
    1,391
    My Cars
    86 635csi 98 740i 96 MB
    Legoman,

    Thanks for the feed back. So you're saying that when ATF was used from the factory
    after a while gear rattle reared its ugly head and to quiet it down gear oil does it.

    Makes perfect sense. Now I ask myself will I eventually have this problem or
    will the tapered shaft bearings that Jim used in the rebuild stand the test of time?

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    CarHeavan
    Posts
    77
    My Cars
    Forced Induction!
    Interesting thread, I'm getting ready to change the oil in my Getrag, so this has been a good and education read.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Location
    Perth, Australia
    Posts
    306
    My Cars
    '92 740iL + '85 M635CSi
    Car in workshop with G280 out

    No leaks, bit of uneven scalloping on the flywheel, so that's getting a tizzy-up, worn clutch fork pivot bearing (to be replaced), fork is fine to reuse, new clutch (old one looks fine actually, but just has had too many heat cycles, is hard and glazed so being replaced), new selector rod knuckle bearing (worn/loose), new MT-90 oil (old stuff was Redline gear oil of some description, not ATF), nothing unusual on mag drain plug, new spigot bearing into back of crankshaft, new input/output/rear crank and selector rod seals (just because) and will be all good to go again.
    Last edited by Legoman; 05-28-2019 at 01:01 AM.

Similar Threads

  1. Viton O-rings recommended for E36 oil filter housing
    By berkeleyEE in forum 1991 - 1999 (E36)
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 05-05-2009, 06:44 PM
  2. Recommend Shop for Oil Pan Replacement
    By wcbimmr328 in forum California sponsored by Avus Autosport
    Replies: 7
    Last Post: 05-31-2007, 02:23 AM
  3. what does bmw recommend about engine oil
    By handling in forum 1999 - 2006 (E46)
    Replies: 13
    Last Post: 02-27-2007, 01:37 PM
  4. Recommended x5 engine oil?
    By abenar23 in forum 1999+ X5, X6 (E53, E70, E71, F15, F16, G05, G06)
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 10-12-2004, 11:56 AM

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •