BMW final drive 75W90 GL5. Supertech semisyn OK?

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I probably should have combined this with my gearbox oil question. 2007 BMW R1200R. My owners manual says nothing about final drive oil, and previously it was changed by the dealer.

The only specs I could find online are 75W90 GL5. But people act like it wants some kind of unicorn blood. Is there some other spec in addition I need to look for? Or will the bottle of Supertech Semisyn 75W90 GL5 I have in my garage be OK? If not, what?

On an R1200R forum people said Castrol Syntax Long Life 75W90 was the same as an equivalent BMW Castrol oil, and should be suitable. And some use other stuff.
 
I just bought a couple of bottles of it to put in the rear axle of my Volvo 240. It says on the back of the bottle can be used for top off of limited slip/positive traction rear axles. Mine is not limited slip/positive traction. Pretty sure that BMW has limited slip/positive traction rear axle, so it's the wrong fluid, or you would need to use a pack of limited slip supplement.

My local Walmart does stock the Valvoline 80W-90 with limited slip for not much more than the SuperTech blend.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Valvoline-VV831-1-Quart-High-Performance-Gear-Oil/23325574
 
The oil that BMW originally specified for final drives was a Castrol 75w/90 non limited slip oil that was hard to come by and expensive. Some on the BMW motorcycle forums have opined that the limited slip oils might migrate where they were not desired. Others have used Mobil 75w/90 with no apparent ill effects, so who knows. I found a non limited slip 75w/90 from Liquimoly at NAPA and used that in my R1200RT.
 
I picked up Red Line 75W90, the limited slip version because it said BMW SAF-XO which I remember reading on the forums (either for FD or gearbox, I don't remember which, and I guess I didn't realize it was a spec rather than the name of an oil) . Did engine and transmission oils today. Final drive will probably be next weekend. If that's the wrong oil for the for final drive I can buy something else.

My car has two LS diffs, but doesn't get LS oil, since they're sealed viscous coupling units. Seems odd to put the LS version in the bike, but I want to meet BMW specs.
 
Just for the record, Castrol SAF-XO was non LS and was the recommended oil for the final drive. Castrol Syntrax, available at Autozone, is LS.
 
Originally Posted By: KernelK
Just for the record, Castrol SAF-XO was non LS and was the recommended oil for the final drive. Castrol Syntrax, available at Autozone, is LS.


Correct.
And further to this SAF-XO is not a specification.
The only relevant specification here is GL 5.
If I recall correctly SAF-XO did not contain limited slip additives and neither does the Syntrax.
Limited slip additives may or may not be a problem for the seals if there is a compatibility issue due to the additive having a negative effect on the seals.
I would highly recommend staying away from LS additives altogether in this application.

The Syntrax branding supersedes the original SAF-XO which was always the specified grade of oil.
Of course now there's been a shift in branding for BMW away from Castrol to Shell.
So whatever is the equivalent in the Shell product will be the new flavour of the month at the dealerships.
 
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You have a 2007, there is a very specific procedure to follow.

It only holds 185ML, mo more, no less.

So the correct oil is recommended.

You have to drop the drive to drain.

then fill thru a sensor hole.

Here is a link to a good picture procedure

http://advrider.com/index.php?resources/r12gs-final-drive-fluid-change.48/

this drive was supposed to be sealed for life. Failures made BMW rethink that recommendation. So it is a bit hard to change.

too much oil will cause leaks.

Rod
 
The SAF XO is a brand that exceeds the GL5 specification in several ways. You only need 185 ML per change a bottle will last a long time.

I recommend using it.

The drive costs a lot to rebuild.

Rod
 
Thanks Rod. I just watched the JVB video, so I think I'm prepared, but it doesn't look like I can do it until next weekend. Just hit 48k miles.

Hopefully I'll do the valve check/adjust and TB sync then too.
 
Originally Posted By: KernelK
Castrol Syntrax is definitely limited slip, at least here in the States.


Interesting, thanks for the feedback.
Is that for the Syntrax 75w-90 grade?

Prior to posting, I took the liberty of checking a couple of Castrol TDS for the SAF-XO and the later Syntrax and they didn't state that it contained any LS additive at all.
I was basing my response on that information.

I have also had extensive experience with the Castrol SAF-XA in the 80w-140 grade and the later Syntrax equivalent in automotive applications. In comparison and in contrast, the TDS for both of these oils have a clear statement regarding the content of LS additive at the maximum recommended treat rate.
 
Originally Posted By: ragtoplvr
The SAF XO is a brand that exceeds the GL5 specification in several ways. You only need 185 ML per change a bottle will last a long time.

I recommend using it.

The drive costs a lot to rebuild.

Rod


Yes I know.
I used to work as a BMW motorcycle mechanic.
I have put many liters of the stuff into their final drives.
According to the RSD, the earlier drives took a nominal 180 ml and the later models take about 200 ml.
It's a little hard to measure exactly when putting it in.
We used to sort of pump/shoof the stuff in through a short piece of flexible rubber tube just the right OD to just fit in the hole.
The tubing was inserted onto the top of a larger plastic bottle like a commercial sauce bottle containing a little more oil in it(maybe 300 ml) than required because of the location and angle of the filler holes.
Only enough oil to get to the bottom of the filler hole is required.
It was the easiest and most expedient way of getting the oil in there without it being a messy procedure, and it's hard to overfill this way.
 
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Originally Posted By: Ducman
Originally Posted By: KernelK
Castrol Syntrax is definitely limited slip, at least here in the States.


Interesting, thanks for the feedback.
Is that for the Syntrax 75w-90 grade?

Prior to posting, I took the liberty of checking a couple of Castrol TDS for the SAF-XO and the later Syntrax and they didn't state that it contained any LS additive at all.
I was basing my response on that information.

I have also had extensive experience with the Castrol SAF-XA in the 80w-140 grade and the later Syntrax equivalent in automotive applications. In comparison and in contrast, the TDS for both of these oils have a clear statement regarding the content of LS additive at the maximum recommended treat rate.


Yes this is the 75w90 grade. I was going to use it until I saw that it was limited slip. I then went with the Liqui Moly 75w-90.
 
Originally Posted By: Ducman
And further to this SAF-XO is not a specification.

Are you sure? I realize it seems to be a name for a specific Castrol oil, but there are BMW, Red Line, and apparently Shell branded gear oil bottles that list SAF-XO as well, as if it were a spec. On the other hand, if SAF-XO does refer to an actual spec, I haven't found it--if there is one, anyone got a link to the spec or more information about it?
 
Originally Posted By: MotoTribologist
First thing I found, seems pretty straight forward.

Yes I saw that too. But that's about Castrol's SAF-XO oil, rather than defining an oil standard.

This label suggests BMW SAF-XO is an actual standard.


I find it odd that the oil for the above label is an LS oil, but the other oils marked SAF-XO are not, and wonder if it's suitable for the final drive or not. If SAF-XO is indeed a BMW standard, and is what is required by the FD and that oil meets it, it should be fine. On the other hand when they built my bike they apparently thought they had a lifetime fill in the final drive, and later learned they were wrong. So far it looks like the common wisdom is just use a non-LS GL5 75W90 and call it good.
 
A car with a clutch type limited slip and the final drive of a shaft drive bike may have different requirements, but my R series airhead manual doesn't say anything about what NOT to use. In both cases there are meshed gear teeth which need gear lube. In the good old days the "limited slip additive" came in little bottles.
 
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