Alright, I'm confused... - Harley Forum

unfknblvbl · #1 06-25-2009, 12:45 PM

and starting to get really frustrated. I never thought buying oil/changing oil could be so darn frustrating. I'm probably making this harder than it has to be as well

Last night I bought some Lucas oil for my bike without doing any research on it- number 1 mistake right there. After some reading this morning, I realized that I don't want to run it in my bike so I'll be taking it back to the parts store.

I have yet to find a local Amsoil dealer so I think I'm just going to order it online. With that said, I got the following information from another post on here:

Motor oil 20-50
Tranny- Severe Gear 75-140

and then it stated for the primary 75-90 GL-4 for the primary. Everything else I have read on Amsoil for a Harley it is reccomended to use 10-40 motor oil in the primary.

Can anyone shed some light on this? Better yet, Amsoil wise what should I use for my primary?

twitch54 · #2 06-25-2009, 03:18 PM

While I continue to use Harley lubricant for tranny and primary, Amsoil is oil of choice for motor, 20w-50, part # MCVQT-CA (case of 12 qts)

With respect to the tranny / primary lube, I see no reason why Amsoils Syn EP lubricants wouldn't work well, but if the bike is still under warranty I'd stick with HD's product for now.

evoKENevo · #3 06-26-2009, 12:52 AM

UFB
This does'nt answer your question AMZOIL wise. But for what it's worth I just changed all my fluids to Mobil-1 synthetics...15w50 in eng...Mercon-V type auto ATF in primary...and 75w140 gear lube in trans...for 3 reasons.

First off they're all rated (here and elsewhere) as good if not better than most others incld'g Amzoil...second they're considerably cheaper than anything "labeled" for (b.f.d.) motorcycle use...and third you can find it all readily avail. at most any Auto Supply...

Rocky · #4 06-26-2009, 03:48 AM

I run 20-50 AMSOIL in all 3 holes, some here have said no and some say yes. I guess it's a personal thing. I have a local jobber for the oil though and it's just as cheap as mobil 1. Got a buddy from Florida that runs 20-50 mobil 1 in his 09 Street Glide and has no issues with it though. We do have a resident oil expert on the forum and I'm sure he will once again come in with the real deal on oils.

Heck if you look through some of the older posts you may come across some of his advice.

Tbone · #5 06-26-2009, 09:02 AM

In all the reading I've done, I guess if you are going to run AMSOIL in your primary, it would be whatever they have that is equivalent to a 10W30 oil.
Just to add to your confusion, I run Mobil1 V-Twin 20W50 in my engine, Mobil1 sythetic 75W90 gear lube in my transmission and HD Primary II in my primary right now.
I have run 10w30 oil, and Rotella 10W40 oil in my primary. There didn't seem to be a difference in the primary with any of them.
I'm coming around to running Mobil1 synthetic 15W50 auto oil in my engine due to the experience of some on here that I have determined to have plenty of knowledge about these motors.

unfknblvbl · #6 06-26-2009, 11:48 AM

Gentlemen, Thank you for the input.

evo- I like your response and makes me think I will give Mobil 1 syns a shot.

Rocky- I've searched the site, read Bluesfan post, read the links that Frisco throws up. It helps, but sometimes when all that scientific stuff is thrown in there it just adds to the confusion. I kinda look at it like weightlifting supplements. There are so many opinions out there, experiences with them, etc it just adds to the confusion.

unfknblvbl · #7 06-26-2009, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by twitch54

While I continue to use Harley lubricant for tranny and primary, Amsoil is oil of choice for motor, 20w-50, part # MCVQT-CA (case of 12 qts)

With respect to the tranny / primary lube, I see no reason why Amsoils Syn EP lubricants wouldn't work well, but if the bike is still under warranty I'd stick with HD's product for now.

Just curious here, but why do you reccomend sticking with HD products in the tranny and primary if it's still under warranty?

They can't void my warranty if I don't. Due to the Magnusson-Moss Act a dealer cannot require you to use a specific product if they do not provide it for free and they still have to cover it under warranty if any thing is to go wrong. With regards to that though and other "modifications" (I guess if one would call using a different lube that) they have to directly link the "modification" to what created the problem in order for them not to cover it under warranty, but it still doesn't void the warranty overall.

If I was to blow my motor because I made an internal modification and then say one of my switches went bad or something not involving the engine that is under warranty went out they would have to cover the second one. That may not be a good example, but I think you get the jist of what I'm saying.

Rocky · #8 06-26-2009, 12:29 PM

UNK,
I agree 100% on the confused part, I'm just a country boy. When I was a young'en we used Quaker State 30 weight Non-Detergent oil in everything and it worked well. Then I had the priviledge of rebuilding a 283ci that had been running that oil all it's life, that's when I got aquaited with the sludge build-up of a Non-Detergent, parafin based oil. Never again used that stuff again.

tommyglide · #9 06-26-2009, 01:09 PM

A few thousand ago I put Spectro 6 speed in the tranny, quiet as a mouse, shifts easy, very difficult to find up here. If I could find their primary fluid I would use that, but I'm going to try evo's suggestion next.

evoKENevo · #10 06-26-2009, 02:39 PM

Yo,Rocky
Your story about bein' a young'n and all made laugh a little...partially because we seem to be from the same general "era" and I've heard stories about how guys have tried running the newer detergent oils in those old engines only to find that the sludge had been just about the only thing holding them together any more