Is LF fluid obsolete?

Was at the dealer today to pick up some LF and they said there was no listing and tried subbing this. I'm holding off for now untill I can get some official answer .

 

Yeah. GL5 is supposedly NG.

If there is a substitution, there would at least be a manufacturer communication on the nhtsa.gov site. It does take a while for them to get posted. I would expect the dealer to have the info on hand.

 

Some recent discussion in this thread:

 

They are not the same. Toyota defines what they should be used for right on the can.

 

Good stuff. It is always best to have both sides to look at. Of course, I could have punched in the part number.

 

Where are the Canadians buying this stuff? Have called 6 dealerships now and they either say just use regular gear oil or that they can only order in bulk for the shop.

 

$27 RAVENOL J1C1003 MTF-3 SAE 75W Full Synthetic Gear Oil - 1 Liter for Manual Transmissions, Differentials & Transfer Cases

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QPCL7ZE

I have some of this which supposedly meets the requirements. Haven't changed my transfer fluid yet though....

 

I am aware of the ravenol. However would prefer to stay genuine yota for the LF 8s possible.

The diffs otoh will be getting motomaster 75w90 full syn since it's such a good deal

 

At my dealer they had to grab it “off the Lexus shelf”.

 

The price is right, but the additive package isn't as strong. It has worked well for me, but I will use the Toyota stuff unless we get more VOAs on the other compatible fluids. AFAIK, we only have the Toyota and Ravenol VOAs?

 

I've changed my transfer case fluid twice since owning my 2016. Both times I used this. Have had zero issues with the the Ravenol. I even called them the first time to confirm that it is a direct replacement for our fluid and they confirmed it is. Many others on here have used the same oil with no complaints.

 

The important thing to note about this LF fluid, is Toyota is importing this fluid from Japan to put in an American made Borg Warner transfer case. If they felt good ol’ Lucas or Redline or Yadda yadda was appropriate, they would just use that at the factory.

The can of oil literally says “made in Japan” on it, and carries no GL rating.

As mentioned, I was surprised at the problems I caused myself on cold mornings by using the generic synthetic 75/90 that my dealer said was “what we use in the shop”. Within a few months they started stocking the LF fluid, so I assume I’m not the only one who had problems.

No issues at all since going back to LF fluid.

 

Huh...
First time I've seen EMG Lubricants listed.
I thought ExxonMobil got out of Japan.

 

I flushed the transfer case about 20k ago... that LF is hella expensive, GOOD LAWD! lol

 

Yap ravenol here too. Only Germans would invent such a handy bottle.

 

Yeah it’s pricey, but being stuck in 2WD at the bottom of an icy mountain pass, that you must go over, is expensive too. For me, the cost of a litre of LF, for the peace of mind it offers, is meaningless.

When I had the 75/90 synthetic in there (I believe it was Amsoil Severe Gear), the transfer case would eventually shift into, and out of, 4WD after the truck warmed up for 1/2 hour or so.

This situation left me stuck on a frozen beach that I camped at overnight in February, but needed 4WD to get off of. I had put the truck in 2WD to maneuver into a tight camp spot, then could not put in back in 4WD the following morning. Eventually the residual heat from the exhaust (thank you crossover pipe!) warmed the T-case enough that it would operate.

This happened to me three more times on the same trip, but only in the mornings. That’s when I knew the 75/90 oil was a fail and luckily found my dealer had started to carry the LF fluid. It has been two winters since that time, and no problems whatsoever again.

I also feel the T-case operates quicker, and is quieter with the LF fluid in there at all other times. It’s strange stuff. It doesn’t look like normal gear oil, or smell like normal gear oil.

 

I had the same symptoms. Engagement was laggy and sticky with the royal purple. With ravenol it seems like it's back to normal

 

Good info on the RP. Synromax came up a lot in the other T case threads.

 

I used this when I flushed my Tcase and it works great. As dumb as this sounds, it seems like it goes in and out of 4x4 easier now.