Re: 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" <[EMAIL PROTECTED] (remove extra dot)> wrote in
message news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> 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
>
>