Is gear oil... gear oil?

My limited understanding is that marine gear oil has emulsifiers in it.
This allows oil to mix with water if water should enter your drive unit
thereby providing some lubrication. Otherwise, the oil and water would
separate and you would have no lubrication on the lower part of the unit.

I don't think it is necessary. I use Redline's 75W90 GL5 gear oil in my
unit and it is not marine based. It is a great synthetic though. I don't
think the emulsifiers are really that necessary. If you get water into your
lower unit, you have worse things to worry about.

Jeff


"Charles B. Summers" (remove extra dot) wrote in
message ...
In my quest to get my boat ready for storage, I went down to the local
X-Mart for lower unil gear oil (grease?) They had only 2 quarts of Marine
80W90 GL5 gear oil, and I bought both quarts. Not knowing if this would be
enough to refill the lower unit, I went across the street to Advance Auto
and purchased a gallon of the same stuff... but it wasn't labeled as
marine.

I know now that my gearcase only holds 22oz, so I kinda bought way too
much.
But if it's the same stuff, I'm not too worried because it shouldn't go
bad.
Anyone know if it has to be labelled for marine use, or is there a
difference in 80W90 GL5 grease???

--
Visit Charles at: www.thebasspro.net
www.secretweaponlures.com
www.outdoorfrontiers.com
www.midtennclassic.org

Thanks Jeff!

"Jeff Durham" wrote in message
...
My limited understanding is that marine gear oil has emulsifiers in it.
This allows oil to mix with water if water should enter your drive unit
thereby providing some lubrication. Otherwise, the oil and water would
separate and you would have no lubrication on the lower part of the unit.

I don't think it is necessary. I use Redline's 75W90 GL5 gear oil in my
unit and it is not marine based. It is a great synthetic though. I don't
think the emulsifiers are really that necessary. If you get water into
your
lower unit, you have worse things to worry about.

Jeff


"Charles B. Summers" (remove extra dot) wrote
in
message ...
In my quest to get my boat ready for storage, I went down to the local
X-Mart for lower unil gear oil (grease?) They had only 2 quarts of
Marine
80W90 GL5 gear oil, and I bought both quarts. Not knowing if this would
be
enough to refill the lower unit, I went across the street to Advance
Auto
and purchased a gallon of the same stuff... but it wasn't labeled as
marine.

I know now that my gearcase only holds 22oz, so I kinda bought way too
much.
But if it's the same stuff, I'm not too worried because it shouldn't go
bad.
Anyone know if it has to be labelled for marine use, or is there a
difference in 80W90 GL5 grease???

--
Visit Charles at: www.thebasspro.net
www.secretweaponlures.com
www.outdoorfrontiers.com
www.midtennclassic.org