Redline Shockproof Gear Oil - Long Term?

[al_roethlisberger]

So, when I was dropping off the bike for the case swap the other day, they noticed I had Redline Shockproof(Heavy) in the transmission, which I put in when I did the shift-return-spring repair.

 

Anyway, the tech at Moto Italiano said they have had a few complaints of the Shockproof leaving a gummy red residue/deposits all over the inside of the case, especially in areas where it can "settle".

 

He even showed me a transmission going through the recall, that had Shockproof in it, and sure enough.... even after quite a bit of cleaning(according to them), I saw gummy, bubbly red goo in the corner of the cases, and in other nooks and crannies

 

 

Anyway, I've heard nothing but good things about the stuff before this... any thoughts?

 

al

[Gio]

Hi Al,

 

Your post is quite timely. I have run Redline MT-90 for the last two changes (incl whilst in for gearbox recall) without any problems but was thinking of trying the Shockproof heavy at the next change....

 

I know Janusz has spoken highly of the shockproof heavy in the past...?

 

Gio

[Guest vkerrigan]

Al..................I've been using the Shockproof Heavy for a over a couple years now with no problems at all. In fact, the shift quality improved quite a bit as soon as it was installed. When my transmission spring was replaced about a year ago, I also saw the reddish pink goo all over everything in the transmission, but I interpreted this as a good thing as it was doing its job coating the parts. I don't have any scientific data to throw at you but I'm sure if you called their Tech Rep in Benicia, he could explain if this goo/residue/whatever is a concern or if its a normal occurance.

Hope your back on the road soon. ........................vk

[Janusz]

I can only say that:

 

1 - I use Shockproof heavy in both gearbox and rear end for three years now and over 30,000 km. Shifts and works perfectly.

 

2 - After reading about it and talking to Redline tech head guy I got curious and started an experiment over two years ago. I filled up two glass test tubes with it and two another with a regular, synthetic high performance Redline gear oil 75W-90 .

I kept them in the freezer for couple of days and then, in very unscientific manner, tested the flow. Shockproof heavy spilled out much easier then the other, equally viscosity rated oil.

Then I emptied all four tubes and placed them upside down on a flat dish and put them in a bottom drawer of my office desk. Looked after few days; Shockproof was still covering test tube walls with an even, thin red film of oil of seemingly equal thickness from the top to the bottom of the test tube. The other oil covered the walls with uneven streaks. Some areas were completely clean, some covered with thicker and some thinner film. Did not look nice from esthetic point of view.

After a FULL YEAR it was the same with Shockproof, the other was even more uneven.

 

Then I decided to wash one tube of each with a solution of dishwashing liquid and water. All red Shockproof oil washed clean but the other one could not be washed completely.

 

I still keep the other two test tubes in my drawer. They do not bother me and look the same. Does all of this mean anything? I do not know really.

 

3 - The Redline tech guy strongly recommended Shockproof for any bike with a separate gearbox and also in the rear end. When asked how often should it be changed he stated that in normal street use it does not have to be changed AT ALL. In other words it is good for a lifetime. I tend to believe it and did not change my oil yet. It looks very clean, like new.

I will probably change it one of these days just out of boredom and curiosity. In my 2000 VW auto box the oil is sealed for lifetime and I drove it (with help of my whole family) for over 250,000 now. It shifts better then when new.

 

4 - When doing the recall my mechanic did not mention any abnormality in my gearbox. Knowing him I am almost sure (right, Geo?) that he would notice and tell me if anything was not perfect. I asked him to reuse the same oil in the gearbox which he did.

I am not cheap and anxious to save $12 on a quart of oil. But I do not mind to be a guinea pig since I really believe that todays technology of synthetic chemistry is out of this world - equal perhaps to the tire technology and way ahead of any other one.

 

This is probably my longest post ever guys. But I rode two bikes today too so could be excused perhaps.

[al_roethlisberger]

....wow

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for the extended "testing"

[jrt]

John,

Nice post! I'm biased but I agree with you about today's petrochemical industry. It spends fabulous amounts of money on product development and although there is some crap out there (as ever)- there are also some very high quality products.

J

[Gio]

When doing the recall my mechanic did not mention any abnormality in my gearbox. Knowing him I am almost sure (right, Geo?) that he would notice and tell me if anything was not perfect.

 

Hi Janusz,

 

Agreed. I know the mechanic in question personally and can vouch for both his experience and integrity.

 

Very interesting experimental results - I wonder if shift quality would be improved going from the Redline MT-90 (75w90) I'm currently using to the shockproof heavy (as I believe it was when changing from the stock fluid)....?

 

Gio

[Janusz]

Geo;

According to my limited knowledge Guzzi transmission is very different then a car gearbox where extreme slipperiness of GL-5 rated oil would prevent synchronizers from proper working and could cause a gear clashes. I think the more slippery oil the better for us.

Therefore in my competition Jeep i use MT-90 in manual transmission since it is GL-4 rated. (GL-5 oil could also potentially chemically damage brass parts of older design car transmission I heard).

But for Guzzi I would not hesitate to use as slick oil as possible and Redline high performance 75W/90 fits the bill since it is GL-5 and of course newer Shockproof Heavy would even be better I think.

Will you see even more improvement switching to Shockproof? I do not know but suspect yes. Why don't you try it and tell us?

Trying out made me a believer so it might happen to you also.

[Guest ratchethack]

So, when I was dropping off the bike for the case swap the other day, they noticed I had Redline Shockproof(Heavy) in the transmission, which I put in when I did the shift-return-spring repair.

 

Anyway, the tech at Moto Italiano said they have had a few complaints of the Shockproof leaving a gummy red residue/deposits all over the inside of the case, especially in areas where it can "settle".

 

He even showed me a transmission going through the recall, that had Shockproof in it, and sure enough.... even after quite a bit of cleaning(according to them), I saw gummy, bubbly red goo in the corner of the cases, and in other nooks and crannies 

Anyway, I've heard nothing but good things about the stuff before this... any thoughts?

 

al

37475[/snapback]

 

Al, I sympathize with your unease at finding something completely foreign inside the opened box. But consider that Redline Shockproof Heavy Duty itself, which can be rated at 75W250, is more'n likely a completely foreign lubricant to you, just as it was with me at first. After thinking over your post, I'm more confident now than I was after my initial research which led me to run this stuff since 5K miles ago, after my trans recall. "Gummy red goo stuck in all the nooks and crannies" seems entirely consistent with the mission of the product and the Redline documentation, however unlike anything else it may appear to the eye. My trans instantly shifted noticeably smoother and felt more "silky" overall after the synth 75W90 I had in there before - and has ever since. I've got a few hundred thousand miles now in 2 separate car transmissions using their MTL products and per mfgr. recommendation, never changed the stuff after initial fill. I can't say enough about the stuff. Keep the Redline faith, man!

[Gio]

Hi Janusz,

 

I don't see a down-side to trying it out - I must confess I was cautious based on the 75w250 rating but your viscosity experiment indicates similar behaviour to the 75w90.....

 

I'll give the stuff a try and let you know.

 

Cheers,

 

Gio

[Gio]

I kept them in the freezer for couple of days and then, in very unscientific manner, tested the flow. Shockproof heavy spilled out much easier then the other, equally viscosity rated oil.

 

Hey Janusz,

 

I was curious about these results so I put some MT-90 (75w90) and shockproof heavy (75w250) in two glass tubes and cooled down to ~4c in my fridge (also garage temperature at this time of year). The viscosity of the MT-90 was much lower (like thick syrup) than the MT-90 (more like liquid honey)....? Any thoughts?

 

Gio

[rocketman]

I am a new Guzzi Lemans owner and recently performed my first service. I put redline 15-50 in the crankcase and redline shockproof light in the gearbox and final drive. Based on my research, shockproof light, made the most sense because of its 75-140W rating. Since Guzzi recommends and 80/90W I thought the shockproof heavy seemed like an overkill at 75-250W. Whats up with the .02 liters of Moly??? (whatever it is)? Is this critical for the Guzzi trans? I too noticed improvement in shifting. Smoother, silkier, quieter.

[Janusz]

Hey Janusz,

 

I was curious about these results so I put some MT-90 (75w90) and shockproof heavy (75w250) in two glass tubes and cooled down to ~4c in my fridge (also garage temperature at this time of year). The viscosity of the MT-90 was much lower (like thick syrup) than the MT-90 (more like liquid honey)....? Any thoughts?

 

Gio

37713[/snapback]

 

 

You got me here Gio. Now I am really confused...

[twhitaker]

The Moly goes in the final drive IF you use a GL-4 rated lube. I believe the Red Line is rated GL-5 and should not need the stuff.

[Gio]

You got me here Gio. Now I am really confused... 

 

Janusz,

 

Just to clarify - I'm comparing the GL-4 MT-90 (product code 83522-50304) with Shockproof Heavy (product # 83522-58204) and found the viscosity of the shockproof to be much lower. Did you compare MT-90 or the high performance 75/90 with shockproof heavy in your experiment?

 

Gio