Manual transmission gear oil

Something grinding or sound like a box of pinball parts? Post here and get some help.

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Thicketmatt
Posts: 37
Joined: Sun Jun 30, 2013 11:33 am
What year is your cabby?: 1993
Do you own a Cabriolet?: Yes
Location: Charlotte NC

Manual transmission gear oil

Post by Thicketmatt »

I plan on draining and replacing my manual transmission oil in my 93 cabby. But I'm having trouble finding the right oil. Kammy's site warns to not use GL 5 grade oil. But every oil I find says "meets GL 4 and GL 5". Are these safe to use? Any recommendations appreciated.
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kamzcab86
Queen and Popette of Cabbydom
Posts: 1277
Joined: Wed Sep 11, 2002 3:54 pm
What year is your cabby?: 1986
Location: Arizona
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Re: Manual transmission gear oil

Post by kamzcab86 »

I just put Pennzoil's Syncromesh in mine (recommended by lots of folks). Shifts beautifully (and haven't yet read a negative thing about it), but it is thin stuff compared to what drained out.

I've read conflicting info regarding GL-5. Some say it's fine to use, others say it's most certainly not. If the bottle says "safe for yellow metals", then a GL-5 should be safe.

GL-4 is hard to find these days, if not impossible, in local stores. Here are some GL-4s:
http://www.amsoil.com/shop/by-product/t ... 2fmtg.aspx

Redline MT-90 (conflicting info regarding Redline though; some say it's great, others have had issues)

NAPA's Sta-Lube is GL-4, but it's an 85W90, a bit thicker than what VW originally specified. Fine to use until the weather turns cold (down to around freezing); when it's cold, shifting will be on the difficult side until the fluid gets warmed up.
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