FYI Coastal Gear Oil GL-5 and yellow metals

[TruChaos]

I've read a number of forums about gear oil and yellow metals. Some people say that all GL-5 oils are now safe for yellow metals and others say no GL-5 oils are safe for copper, bronze etc.

I was curious about the Coastal gear oil since it seems to be a pretty good price. So today I called Warren Unilube (they make Coastal) and spoke with their tech guys. They say that Coastal gear lube is safe for yellow metals and has been for years. I asked them why they don't state that on the packaging and they said there has been an on going internal debate on the subject of changing the packaging but so far the no change folks have won. According to some of the corporate people there is no reason to change the packaging because others in the industry don't mention the issue on their packaging. I explained that they're losing business and that other manufactures such as SuperTech have it printed right on the label.

He added that it's not the sulfur that makes some oils corrosive, it's the form of the sulfur, and Coastal uses sulfur compounds that don't react with yellow metals. According to him, the additive package in GL-5 is the same as the other GL ratings (GL-4, etc.), it's just that there is more of it.

I explained to him that his company is losing money because many tractor people are afraid to use their product for lack of information and he said that he will definitely pass that up the chain because increasing sales is obviously of interest to the company.

 

[biggerten]

I'm including below a copy of an old post regarding Coastal gear lube.
This was from about three years ago.


Below is a series of back and forth emails regarding Coastal 80W90 Gear Lube I purchased in a 5 gallon bucket for $40 at Autozone. I finally was able to get ASTM D130 test information that qualifies it for the MT-1 rating, classified as 1a.

The emails are best read from the bottom up, as they are copied from my email program, and are in reverse order.

ASTM D130

Copper Strip Corrosion Test ASTM D130

The Copper Strip Corrosion Test ASTM D130 is used to evaluate the corrosive tendencies of oils to copper containing materials.

In this test, special three-inch copper strips are cleaned, polished and immersed into a test tube containing the oil being evaluated. The test tube is held in a water bath for three hours at 212ºF (100ºC). At the end of the exposure period, the strip is removed and cleaned. The strips are compared to a specially prepared set of standardized reference strips and rated against these standards on a scale of Class 1 (slight tarnish) to Class 4 (heavy tarnish).

An industrial gear lubricant that exhibits a 1b classification in this test is considered to exhibit good resistance corrosion to yellow metals.

This description from this article.

End of ASTM D130 description


email inclusions below

Tom,

The application information would be fine. Please omit any formula information if you would.

Thanks,

Jim Chancey
Quality Control Lab Manager
Warren Unilube, Inc.
West Memphis, AR
(870)732-7846
jchancey@warrenunilube.com


From: Tom Norkunas
Sent: Wednesday, June 04, 2008 12:48 PM
To: James P. Chancey
Subject: RE: Coastal 80W80 gear lube

Jim,

Thanks a bunch.

I'd like to post this information to a tractor website that has a number of members interested in this information, but would like your permission to do so, since our discussions have thus far been private.

Tom Norkunas

-----Original Message-----
From: James P. Chancey
Sent: Wednesday, June 04, 2008 12:41 PM
To: Tom Norkunas
Subject: FW: Coastal 80W80 gear lube

Tom,

I’m glad you sent me an e-mail this morning. I got this response finally 2 e-mails before yours. Hope this helps. Yes this is the additive Sal is talking about that is in our 80W-90.

Jim Chancey
Quality Control Lab Manager
Warren Unilube, Inc.
West Memphis, AR
(870)732-7846
jchancey@warrenunilube.com


From: Rea, Salvatore
Sent: Wednesday, June 04, 2008 9:39 AM
To: James P. Chancey
Subject: RE: Coastal 80W80 gear lube

Jim,

Sorry for the late reply.

***** is API GL-5/MT-1, SAE J2360, and Mack GO-J.

D130 performance is excellent (1a at 100C/3 hrs in Esso Stanco base oil). So, yes, ***** is "yellow metal friendly".

Sal
Salvatore Rea
Infineum USA, L.P.
1900 E. Linden Avenue
Linden, NJ 07036


From: James P. Chancey
Sent: Wednesday, May 28, 2008 4:48 PM
To: Rea, Salvatore
Subject: RE: Coastal 80W80 gear lube

***** (Formulation information deleted per Jim Chancey’s request)

Jim Chancey
Quality Control Lab Manager
Warren Unilube, Inc.
West Memphis, AR
(870)732-7846
jchancey@warrenunilube.com


From: Rea, SalvatoreSent: Wednesday, May 21, 2008 4:15 PM
To: James P. Chancey
Subject: RE: Coastal 80W80 gear lube

Jim,

Please let me know what is the additive package and what is the treat rate.

Sal
Salvatore Rea
Infineum USA LP
Specialties Technology
Gear and Industrial Oils


From: James P. Chancey
Sent: Wednesday, May 21, 2008 2:28 PM
To: Rea, Salvatore
Subject: FW: Coastal 80W80 gear lube

Sal,

Could you answer our customer’s questions.

Jim Chancey
Quality Control Lab Manager
Warren Unilube, Inc.
West Memphis, AR
(870)732-7846
jchancey@warrenunilube.com


From: Tom Norkunas
Sent: Wednesday, May 21, 2008 1:17 PM
To: James P. Chancey
Subject: Coastal 80W80 gear lube

Jim:

I am trying to determine the characteristics of the Coastal 80W90 gear lube. I purchased a 5 gallon bucket at Autozone, it is labeled GL-3, GL-4 and GL-5.

Can you give me the ASTM D-130 test results for this product? My tractor manual (Jinma 354) says to use a lube that won't corrode bronze bushings.

I guess what I am really asking is if this product is 'yellow metal friendly'.

Thanks.

Tom Norkunas

 

[Transit]

Amziol and others have gear oil stated as safe for yellow meatless.

if you do not say it is a safe oil for yellow metals, than it is NOT safe.
If you use such an oil and something goes wrong it is on your head.

 

[Rich Waugh]

Just because a product says it is safe is not a guarantee, either. Remember asbestos? Remember thalidomide? Remember DDT? Etc....

Also, just because a product does not say it is safe does not mean it is not so. Looked at bottled water? Nowhere does it say it is safe to drink. Likely is, though.

Labels on products are designed by advertising execs and designers, NOT by engineers. Believe or disbelieve them at your own risk. The sensible approach, if you really are concerned, is to do your own research and ask questions of the manufacturer as the previous poster obviously did.

 

[studor]

If it says MT-1 it is "yellow" metals safe -- a couple of years ago I read all the forums and was concerned that changing the oil in my Jinma might prematurely cause the gearbox to "calf" unless I found the magic formulation -- turned out it was a lot harder to find a lube that was not yellow metal safe than one that was. -- then it also turns out that there is no yellow metal in there anyways

 

[TruChaos]

then it also turns out that there is no yellow metal in there anyways

I was wondering about that.

 

[TruChaos]

Just because a product says it is safe is not a guarantee, either. Remember asbestos? Remember thalidomide? Remember DDT? Etc.....

This is exactly why I make my own baby oil, which requires a lot of work.

Do you realize how many babies it takes to fill an 8 oz bottle?

 

[bluechip]

If it says MT-1 it is "yellow" metals safe -- a couple of years ago I read all the forums and was concerned that changing the oil in my Jinma might prematurely cause the gearbox to "calf" unless I found the magic formulation -- turned out it was a lot harder to find a lube that was not yellow metal safe than one that was. -- then it also turns out that there is no yellow metal in there anyways

Only yellow metal we have seen is some brass thrust washers in at least teh front differential. may be a bushing or too in there also but most are ball bearings. no sychro rings, which i'm guessing is the reason most transmissions that speicfy oils safe for yellow metals do so.