I know it has been a while and things are constantly changing as well as opinions.
We have a resident LUBE expert in our midst. Bill_NY once asked Rusty his thoughts on what we should be using in our Barths. I know they are not all the same but...

Rusty we are always adding new Owners how about your latest thoughts in one place on the best protection for our drive trains. Engine, transmissions, differentials, bearing............. Please!

As you can see I was up in the middle of the night. Rusty I know you have done this multiple times but I also know you have changed your opinion with new information. I named it to be easy to find in a search.

Good timing Dana. I was reading some posts on other sites and there was some discussion about the newer oils and increased camshaft lobe/tappet wear.

A similar problem surfaced in aviation oils with some Lycoming engines. Lycoming recommends an additive to reduce cam wear. Fortunately the Aeroshell oils I use have this additive.

The suggestion was that there is less zinc (or sulfur?) in the newer automobile formulations. Some were suggesting EP additives, etc.

I've never seen much use for additives but maybe it could be time...

I would also like to hear from Rusty. Any guidance would be appreciated.

Times are a-changing.

Used to be, single viscosity oils were the norm; no engine builder recommended multi-viscosity except where cold-weather cranking was an issue. Now, single -viscosity oils with an adequate additive package are hard to find. The reason is that viscosity index improvers (VIIs) have been made shear stable, which means they don't break down. This is important because a multigrade oil, say a 10W40 starts with a 10W and the VII retards the loss of viscosity as the oil heats up. It still thins out (40 weight oil at 200°F is thinner than 10W at 0°F).

Zinc-bearing additives are being minimized as are those with phosphates. ULSD has minimized the useful sulfur (an excellent lubricant) in older fuels. Sulfur was also the main contaminate in diesel motor oils. What I have not seen is a raising of change intervals due to lower sulfur. The probable reason is there is no reason to run very expensive tests on vintage engines, so builders stick with original recommendations as a CYA measure...

The older calcium and barium ashes (metallic ash detergent-dispersents) have been supplanted by ashless additives.

So, what to use?

Motor oil: I use Shell Rotella T 15W40. If I were to change, it would be to Mobil Delvac Super 1300 15W40. Kendall Super DIII is an excellent single grade (Kendall gear lubes are also superior). Where the manufacturer's recommendation for a vintage engine is for straight SAE 30, 15W40 should be suitable, but check with the mfr. Synthetics (IMHO) are wasted in diesels, as the oil is discarded due to depletion of the additives, not deterioration of the base stock.

ATF: Allison has its own specs; follow them. Older Ford trannies (typically the C6 in RVs, 1T vans and PUs) typically recommend Type F (Mercon) but the Mercon/Dexron formulation seems to have no drawbacks. The difference between the old Type A (Dexron) and Type F was the slip-stick differential; GM's slid to engagement, while Ford's locked more quickly. In GM trannies (TH400 and 4L80E) should use straight Dexron. If the fluid rarely exceeds 200°F, synthetic is not needed.

Grease: (Chassis lube and wheel bearings) The usual recommendation is NGLI Grade 2, which signifies its "thickness". Three performance levels are generally found: Standard, EP (Extreme Pressure), and HD (Heavy Duty). Standard is fine for some apps, but one grade for everything is more practical, and EP usually fills the bill. HD additives are for heavily-loaded hypoid/helical gears, not generally found in RVs. Synthetic base stocks are worthwhile, but lithium soap thickeners are recommended for grease-packed bearings.

Differential Lube: GL-4 for standard diffies, GL-5 for limited-slip diffies. Most older ones recommend 90W, but it's very hard to find. 85W140 is an acceptable substitute. I use synthetic, since it's replaced at long intervals. Most major companies produce excellent gear oils (it's not rocket science); I use Valvoline, but would be happy with Shell, Mobil, BP, or Kendall. Both MWrench and I have had unfortunate experiences with Amsoil - and I used it against my better judgement - I'm wary of any company who withholds ASTM test data (presuming that any were even run).

As you know, I just changed RE to amsoil before you and Ed mentioned having problems. 8 quarts and $120+ later I have decided to keep it this year at least.

http://www.amsoil.com/shop/by-...torefront%2fsvg.aspx at the bottom of the page lists a bunch of ASTM stuff. The problem I have no clue what it means. So Rusty if you get a chance interpert it please.

Sadly, all those ASTM tests are basically meaningless. Not a one relates to wear resistance or long-term stability...it's like certifying a steak by sending a photo of the steer it came from...all the cited tests are basic. Who cares what the flash point of gear oil is? ASTM D 3233 (failure load, lbf.); lb.ft? What about psi? That said, most gear oils post similar tests. What counts are performance tests; see below.

IMHO, the listing is puffery...compare with the quals of Phillips 66 (Conoco-Phillips owns Kendall) gear lube. Those listed qualifications represent real-world testing. (Mack GO-J is especially severe - most Mack tests are). While Amsoil states its lubes can be used in "applications requiring any of the following specifications: API GL-5, MT-1, MIL-PRF-2105E, Dana SHAES 234 (Formerly Eaton PS-037), Mack GO-J, or the differential (hypoid) gear oil specifications from all domestic and foreign manufacturers such as GM, Ford and Daimler Chrysler," it doesn't state that its products have actually passed those tests.

Thanks for your incite on the latest and greatest of what to use and some what not to use. I know it will help many who are doing their regular maintenance.

I now use Kendall DIII in my Cummins. I have used Mobile Delvac Super 1300 for a long time as I have used Mobile synthetic in most of my BMW race engines and have a lot of good experiences with Mobile. When I switched to Kendall, the first thing I notice was an increased oil pressure. At least 5 PSI over other oils at the change and it stayed 5 PSI higher the entire time until next change. I did quite a bit of experimentation with engine oils. I put a lot of miles on my Breakaway (130K in 6+ years) so I believe my comparisons and notations are quite accurate.

Oil change intervals are 8K-10K miles.

Allison MD3060:
Absolutely change to synthetic and new filters. Our coaches came with non-synthetic Dexron II, or III. Sadly, many coaches have never had the trans serviced from new so the oil is old and filters are -----? In my case (75k miles) when I bought it (2006), the filters had a 1993 date code on them and I can say that none of the access bolts and drains had ever been touched.

I strongly recommended TranSynd made by Castrol directly from a Allison shop. Pricey but well worth it. Allison states that when they switched over to synthetic oil, their warranty claims dropped by 70%. I changed oil three times over 2 years to get most of the previous oil out. VERY PRICEY!

Front axle bearing in my Breakaway as in yours is a flooded bearing and I use Kendall gear oil there as well. I also put a high strength button magnet in the middle of each axle stub to collect any wear particles between changes.

Coolant:
I use a standard 50/50 mix antifreeze but add 8 oz of RMI 25. In my effort to keep the engine cool, (I drive hard and in HOT areas) adding fans (4 ), wrapping the exhaust, new radiator new plastic light weight engine fan, the addition of RMI 25 reduced the operating temperature more than any of the mods I made. It is a coolant cleaner and lubricant but has a water wetter additive that probably contributed the most to lower operating temperatures.

Grease:

I used EP lithium grease in the "U" joints and front axle king pins and tie rods. On diesel pushers our drive shafts are short and the "U" joints experience a lot of angular displacement so the service is rough. I check them before every trip.

HTH

Ed what did you use in your diffy?

Diffy first then the tranny. Tranny now shifts as intended from the electrical side with the key pad and ECU controls for $600. Look forward to the benefits from TranSynd but not the cost. Tranny fluid wss changed out at 58386 in 2000.

Change antifreeze last year. RM 25 sound worth a try. Isn't our cooling system about 8 gallons. Seems that was the figure I used when changing out last year. Not sure without looking.

I took the dash air out si I have the 2 fans from the condenser. Is it worth my time to try and enhance the cooling. If so I can go back and reread your cooling thread.

I have seen Mobile Delvac Super 1300 and Rotella but have not come across Kendall DIII. The nice thing about Rotella you can get it everywhere anytime.

Kendall DIII single-grade I'm familiar with (my former '81 Nissan Maxima diesel now has 700K on it, and had DIII since 40K.

While MWrench is pleased with 5 psi higher oil pressure (I assume multigrade), that isn't necessarily meaningful stat. Higher RPM requires lower oil pressure, and so, lower viscosity - better cooling...

Differential Lube changed out. Interesting? Try and find 10 quarts of any gear lube. Ended up ordering it online.

Not any easier trying to find Transynd for the tranny. Why does everything have to be so hard? Tranny is next.

Transynd is easy, just go to Interstate diesel in bloomington. They are the Allison distributor in MN.

Here's a helpful hint - if two (or more) brands of gear lube meet the same MilSpec - like MIL-PRF-2105E - they're compatible, a major test criterion for MilSpec lubes. So you can safely mix and match brands to stock as much as you need.

Right from the site. These are all meet the same specs as far as Allison is concerned. TranSynd aint the only game in town!
Approved Product Listing as of 6/23/2013

TES 295® Approval Number Approved Marketer Product Brandname
AN-011001 Castrol Heavy Duty Lubricants TranSynd
AN-031002 BP Lubricants Autran Syn 295
AN-031003 BASF Corporation Emgard 2805
AN-031004 International Truck & Engine Company Fleetrite Synthetic ATF
AN-051005 ExxonMobil Lubricants and Petroleum Specialties Company Mobil Delvac Synthetic ATF
AN-071006 John Deere & Company HD SynTran
AN-1010007 Mack Trucks, Inc Bulldog Synthetic ATF
AN-121009 Case New Holland CNH HD Synthetic ATF
AN-121008 Shell International Petroleum Co. LTD. Shell Spirax S6 ATF A295

What is RMI 25?

RMI 25 is a coolant additive that contains a cleaner, lubricant and most importantly a glycol compatible water wetter.

When I added this to my cooling system, the coolant temperature stayed right at the thermostat opening temperature unless I was going up a LONG steep grade. Even then the temps stayed lower under similar conditions before adding RMI 25.

Of course other situations need to be met, radiator outside should be blown clear regularly and if the rad is plugged internally, not much will help.