What weight transmission oil should I use?

[aforceofone]

I have a 1991 kdx200. The manual says to use 10w-30 or 10w-40 oil. I've always used 85 weight oil in other two stroke dirtbikes and fourwheelers. Is this a misprint? A local racer told me the manual was wrong and to use Bel-Ray 85w oil. What do you guys think?

JaMeS

 

[Knobbyjake]

Try a search in the KDX forum, lots of opinions there. If I knew how to put the link in this post I would have. Oh yeah, I've had good luck with Wal Mart synthetic 10/40 in the summer and 10/30 in cold weather. Shifts great! :aj:

 

[JCW]

I used 70-80 weight for years in my KXs, but my KDX likes lighter oil. With heavy oil I had a few minor shifting problems. Now, I use 20w50 Castrol in hot weather and 10w40 during cold weather and it seems to work well. Also, this stuff is about 1/4 of the cost of the 80 weight golden spectro I used in the KXs. My opinion is change it often and go by how your bikes shifts and feels.

JCW

 

[DeSeRt_KaW]

alfabravodel,

Hey, My 2001 KDX-200's manual says the same thing...But everyone told me I dont have too.

I run Bel-Ray GearSaver 10w-80 for my Transmission Oil, And Its great, But
I guess if you can find 10w-40 Oil...I guess go for it bro.

 

[aforceofone]

I was using a left-over bottle of Bel-ray 75W that I had laying around, but it made the kdx feel like shifting gears on a big rig. My foot was sore at the end of a 3 hour ride. Yesterday, I put some cheap napa 20W-50 oil in just to see how it would shift. Well, now it shifts like a dream. Tuesday i'm going to get some full synthetic 20w-50 cycle oil. Until then, the bike sits. Thanks for replying everyone. I did a search on transmission oil in the forums and was suprised by how much info I was able to gather.
Thanks again everyone!
JaMeS

 

[Matt90GT]

Shake a bottle of the Belray 80w gear oil and then some hypoid 80w gear oil and then some 10-30. Tell me which one it is more like?

That is really an ATF type of weight. It is NOT thick like 80w gear oil. It is obviously a different rating there. I personally have been running the Honda HP 80-90 that is $4.99 a quart and comes with a spout tip so it is easy to pout.

 

[Knobbyjake]

Originally posted by Matt90GT
Shake a bottle of the Belray 80w gear oil and then some hypoid 80w gear oil and then some 10-30. Tell me which one it is more like?

That is really an ATF type of weight. It is NOT thick like 80w gear oil. It is obviously a different rating there. I personally have been running the Honda HP 80-90 that is $4.99 a quart and comes with a spout tip so it is easy to pout.

Yeah, sometimes changing oil makes me pout too! ;)

 

[Matt90GT]

If I could edit my typo, I would POUR it

 

[whtkdxtra]

I use type F transmission fluid in mine. Shifts great and it's cheap enough to change frequently.

 

[jssport]

The confusion comes from different scales of weights.

Gear oil generally comes in 70-90 weight and motor oil from 10-60 weight.

A 70 weight gearoil is like a 10-30 weight motor oil, and 90 is like a 20-60.

I've seen charts where is shows, the equivilency, if I find it I'll post the link.

JimS

 

[Jim Crenca]

Mobil synthetic ATF has worked the best for me; even better than Mobil 1.