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Post by JerryScript on Sept 20, 2013 6:34:32 GMT -5
The day I purchased my scooter, a girl came in to the dealer who was having problems with hers. Turned out her gear oil was low. I don't know how many miles she had on it, but regardless, I'll be changing mine just to be safe!
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Post by Kwagga on Sept 20, 2013 12:34:57 GMT -5
I suggest that the gear oil gets replaced with a synthetic gearbox oil, which would not have to be replaced for a few thousand km's. Engine oil can also be replaced with a semi/full synthetic oil at about 3000km's, and changed when the book says so. I will change around every 2000km's. Sooner than that is a waste of expensive oil. I heard that some Chinese scooters should not run on Semi/full synthetic, but that does not make sense. Also, don't use synthetic with a wet clutch bike, unless the manufacturer recommends it. I also suggest that the anti freeze be changed immediately from the el cheapo Chinese product to a better quality anti freeze.
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Post by sailracer on Sept 20, 2013 12:45:33 GMT -5
Once again, I am flabbergasted by backyard engineers who think they know it all. I am an industrial engineer with over 30 years experience. I also have extensive experience with gearboxes and oil choices. I have never ever seen steel gears flake and I have seen gearboxes heat up to 375 F with no adverse effect on the oil. PETROLEUM weight gear oil.Furthermore, on my last scooter, I put 16000 miles on the same gear oil. Change it if it makes you feel better. Me, Ill save my money.
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Post by Kwagga on Sept 20, 2013 13:51:09 GMT -5
[replyingto=salracer]sailracer[/replyingto]Engineers don't necessarily know it all, especially 'old school engineers. In my experience, most engineers experience is gained behind a desk, and are not capable of using a spanner. There are also better ways of giving your opinion without belittling others, but they don't teach that in engineer school. PETROLEUM is the suggested oil, but there is nothing wrong with using a synthetic 75w90, which in mine and other engineers opinion will do a better job. I agree that I have not seen metal flakes in oil with normal wear and tear, but have experienced it and seen it where there has been abuse, bad workmanship or a faulty part. I have stripped the gears off a cluster gear on numerous occasions while racing, and no quality of oil could of prevented it.
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Post by sailracer on Sept 20, 2013 14:29:13 GMT -5
For the record I am a Hands on engineer, not a desk driver.I get greasy and dirty right along with the mechanics working with me. And Yes I am old school with over 30 years of been there done that under my belt.I have seen full synthetic oil do damage to a 75 HP screw compressor that I once had. I don't much care for full synthetic oil. I have no problem with the motor oil advice. I do with the gearbox advice. I was not meaning to belittle anyone, but this subject has been gone over numerous times,and some guys who have no hands on experience are giving questionable advice.Not only with this, but on many subjects. I'll leave it at that ;D
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Post by rockynv on Sept 21, 2013 6:43:54 GMT -5
Hands on tells me that some folks may get away with not changing the gear lube as recommended while many will not. Asside from that all you have to do is look at all the posts from people who did not regularly change the gear oil and had gear box issues including fantom vibrations along with failure of the muffler system and rear body/frame members from the gear box vibrations. Too many times I have helped someone check their gearbox lube to find it with a grey tone to it from the suspended metal particles and potentially from deteriorating gasket material.
When I did the post mortum on my Lance on which the original owner had not changed the gear lube for 3,500 miles the bearing damage was clearly present as was the film of worn metal particles like putty in the bottom of the gearcase so I changed cleaned out the worn metal residue and all the damaged bearings. I left the gears and shafts as they did not seem worn enough to require it but would have changed them if upon reassembly I found them whining or clattering excessively now that they were back to their original alignment.
I rebult it myself and started changing the gear lube per the owners manual using non-synthetic lube as there is no sense in using a semi-permanent lube in a box that requires, due to its basic design and materials, that the lube be changed out multiple times per year.
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Post by sailracer on Sept 21, 2013 8:24:41 GMT -5
well maybe there are variables, like how it was ridden, and If it wasnt removed and replaced with a quality PETROLEUM gear oil within the first few hundred miles of purchase.I changed mine one time when it was new.,and put 16000miles on that oil.When I retired the scooter, I emptied fluids, and that oil was as good as new. A little blackened, but still good.I know quite a few fellow scooterists who use the same practice and none have had a gearbox failure.In the workplace, I have seen hundreds of gearbox failures.Most of the time, when a bearing fails, it's not due to "bad" oil. It's due to a lack of oil.If you keep your level good (even overfill it by an ounce)you should be fine.
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Post by rockynv on Sept 21, 2013 8:50:15 GMT -5
Location also has a lot to do with it too. Here the roadways are close to or over 100 degrees most days and we have a year round riding season so the results may vary compared to a Northern State where the riding season is only a few months and the roadways rarely get over 75 or 80 degrees. Even the local roads here have 45 to 55 mph speed limits on which traffic flows a bit faster and a bike ridden in that type of traffic will need to be on a more severe maintenance schedule than one ridden where there are mainly 35 mph roads.
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Post by sailracer on Sept 21, 2013 9:21:50 GMT -5
[replyingto=rockynv]rockynv[/replyingto]Agreed. There is no "one size fits all" answer to gear oil changes
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Post by rockynv on Sept 22, 2013 20:49:38 GMT -5
Agreed. There is no "one size fits all" answer to gear oil changes Have to consider which answer will harm the most folks and that will usually be to streatch out the maintenance schedule. So the "safe" answer is to change it with the engine oil as per the owners manual on most GY6. A bottle of conventional gear lube at Walmart will run less than $10 and will last most folks through the year and is cheaper than the muss and fuss of dealing with direct along with the collateral damage that can occure by skipping the changes. Yes that probably is based on seasonal recreational use and not year round riding commuting to work and such however then a bike with full filtration and a better cooling system would be a more logical choice regardless of the country of origin.
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Post by gsragtop on Sept 22, 2013 21:39:34 GMT -5
Just wondering is it possible to add on a oil filter?? Also how much oil does the typical 50cc motor hold??
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Post by prodigit on Sept 22, 2013 22:20:31 GMT -5
50cc holds almost a quart of oil. I don't think there's a possibility of adding a filter, but for sure a magnetic drain plug would reduce the amount of metallic particles in the oil that are the most immediate wear on the engine.
Though, another thing that worries me is metallic (steel) particles that get magnetized by the oil drain plug, and get released, could stick on steel walls due to the remnant magnetic field on them. That on itself wouldn't be bad, if it wasn't that the engine case is made out of aluminum (non magnetic), and the only steel parts they would get drawn to are the cylinder and the bearings (which also happen to be experiencing the most movement...
Then again, a magnetic drain plug will most surely remove more steel particles out of the oil, than cause others to stick to the walls.
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Post by JerryScript on Sept 23, 2013 7:57:43 GMT -5
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Post by surfpick on Oct 12, 2014 19:45:34 GMT -5
I picked up some gear oil when I bought engine oil. I haven't changed the gear oil yet. I found a manual for my scooter. It says: gearbox oil: SAE 10W-30/SE That sounds like motor oil?? The gearbox oil I bought says; 85w-140 Wassup wid dat?
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Post by katastroff on Oct 12, 2014 20:03:17 GMT -5
Gear oil I change every season, motor oil every 500 km, only full synthetic, but I ride it like I stole it.
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