Advice from anyone on gear oil for transfer case

Go to Amsoil's website and enter your vehicle and it will tell you the recommend oil and capacity for everything in the truck.

 

Of course they will, they are trying to sell you something.

 

I know I could have done it for half the price , but an extra 60 bucks for a 40 k truck isn't a big deal.
I used Valveoline on my 2nd gen, and never had any problems.

 

These threads quickly turn into Amsoil commercials.

 

I saw that.
Amsol has the capacities listed in pints, and math isn't one of my stronger subjects.

How hard can it be ,right.
Squeeze til it drips.

 

Supposedly the Toyota stuff is a secret sauce formula so have been only buying that for the transfer case for awhile.

 

I also used the OEM fluid in the transfer case. I figured I could splurge after using Kirkland oil for the last few oil changes. Not sure if it has been mentioned in this thread or not but 1 can is the perfect amount. The conversion from quarts to liters makes people think you need 1 full can and a little bit of a second can.

 

Amsoil gets the blood pumping for sure.

This stuff (diffs and tcase) is so buttery smooth. Love it.

Winter Upgrades V8 by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

 

Private labeled secret sauce, from the lowest bidder, do doubt..

 

maybe from what I have read they have a specific formula that no one else can make but many are very similar. Either way its been working well and transfer case is happy.

 

I'm sure it's good.
I changed mine out for Redline @ 122K and the oem still looked new.
If my Toyota history repeats itself, the TC will still be doing it's thing as the truck eventually falls apart around it.

 

ha true story. I swapped to Amsoil for a bit then went back to Toyota Spec but in the end that sucker is near bulletproof.

 

Yeah, but it took 3 whole pages this time. And we have Redline and Royal Purple peeking their heads in.

I would never pay 3x-4x the price for Amsoil, but I went to their site just to check it out. Turns out they have NO RECOMMENDATIONS for the transfer case. They do, however, have a GL-4 manual transmission fluid. If I were an Amsoil fanboy, that is what I would use in the transfer case, not the GL-5 differential fluid.

 

Recently changed my transfer case oil, used Redline MT-LV. Shifts great in cold weather.

 

Until it suddenly grenades itself.

 

LOL, you don't have to buy it. Amsoil is not as expensive as everyone thinks it is if you are a preferred customer with an account and buy directly from them. I get free shipping and 25% off list price. I pay $7.49 per quart of oil. I normally get my order within 48 hours of ordering. It works for me. To get that deal you just have to spend $500 a year. With all the cars I maintain and ordering oil for friends I hit that per quarter.

 

I've been running this route for many years...
With several rigs in my fleet, and helping siblings, parents, and children with their vehicles, it's worth it IMHO.

Cheers

 

Agreed, I do not mark it up or try to make money on any of it. I stock a couple of cases of 0W/20, 5W/30 & 5W/20 for my jeep neighbors along with some brake clean, fuel additive and upper cylinder lube. I buy a variety of filters for my vehicles and my friends and families vehicles when they are on sale and keep them on the shelf in my garage. When people need an oil change I gather the things they need and give it to them. I charge $8 a qt and $10-$15 per filter just to cover tax it helps us all out. Don't get me wrong. Most any brand is plenty good enough to use. But Amsoil makes all it's own products. They are not paying one of 5 refineries to produce their products and they do not make products for anyone else. They have been doing this a long time and provide an exceptional product and if done correctly it cost about the same as anywhere else. No brainer.
I even have a 55gal drum on the side of my house where people can dispose of used oil if they like. Every couple of years when it's full I replace it with an empty and give the used oil to someone who burns it for heat in a shop in the winter. Around here, most places are getting $125 or more for a basic oil change and some dealers are up around $200 now. Even in my GM vehicles that take 8 quarts I can do an oil and filter change for less than $70. And I know it is right and quality products are in it. Those little 3 packs of paper oil filters that Amsoil sells for less than .40 each. They are awesome. Anyone investing the time to do it themselves, it is worth it to look into this route. All the oil fits in my cabinet on the bench and everything else is on my upper shelf. Easy day.

 

https://youtu.be/oPHNLLP6z88

This guy seems to know what he is doing.
used Amsol 75-90 in the transfer case.
I thought ....keep it simple, buy all 1 product. The Car Care Nut also says you can use gear oil in the TC

 

Yeah, I'm sure it's fine, but Ravenol is a GL-4 that meets the Toyota spec and is a reasonable price. My TC fluid has always been super clean when changed. The Car Care Nut even says Amsoil is overpriced, and more important to change it regularly than what brand of fluid you use, as long as it meets the spec. I just use Ravenol for the TC and Super Tech dino for the diffs and change it before 30k. Changing it is more important than overpaying.