Hey guys, so my Case 350 loader is still running thankfully. After some upgrades and using it for a ton of work I noticed that one of the final drive units has a very small leak. After looking into what's involved with changing the bad seal I decided that the leak is small enough not to worry about yet since I have other things that are more important (replacing most of the hydraulic hoses and replacing the seals in the track adjusters). But this got me thinking, and I'm pretty sure that the oil in the final drives has never been changed...at least not in the last 25 years. So I looked in my Case 350 service manual and it says to use SAE 90 GL4 fluid. I headed over to tractor supply and bought a 2 gallon jug of SAE 90 gear oil. Well once I got it home I actually read the label and found out that its SAE 90 GL1 fluid for Ford tractors between 1939 and 1952 so I'm guessing this is no good. After a quick search online I wasn't able to find any SAE 90 GL4 oil. My question is can I just use a modern 80w-90 or 75w-90 gear oil in these final drives? From what I can tell in both the service manual and parts book its just a couple of gears in the final drives, I would think any gear oil is probably good enough. Any help would be appreciated!
I just Love, "I would think any gear oil is probably good enough" reminds me of a First Date. You can't fix that first impression. Like one of my old Bosses after the years of using the wrong oil in these 750 H.P. gear boxes. "I can't see why there's a problem". Guess he should of looked at the plates, the fancy, shinny ones drive riveted right to the case. One told you what oil to use. Lazy and Costly. Ended up buying 3 new ones! GL1 is the lowest level of performance and is only used in vintage transmissions. GL4 is the first serious level of EP performance and is specified for many gearboxes and final drives from mid 1930's onwards. You can pick a different one but make sure to do your home work.
75w90 gear oil is too light for most final drives, and will be burnt in a short period. The manual I have calls for Case FDL fluid for the final drives. Early sn range call for 90W as a secondary option Later sn range call for 85W-140 as a secondary option I have used 80w90 in most final drives, and have not had any issues. Any quality brand of 80w90 is GL4 rated, (shell spirax for example) IMHO you would be fine to use 80w90. 85w-140 would be suitable for extreme conditions and hot temperatures. When I worked at a Case dealer, there was a cross reference chart for obsolete oils. They may be able to provide you a firm answer if you are still concerned.
Thank you for the helpful reply! So after some more searching I think I found what I need: Sadly it's from Walmart but I guess I'll have to overlook that this time.
frickenbored Sorry I can be a real Turd Sometimes. Anyhow somebody on here found a good price for the engine oil I use. It was $10 something back then. About the same I paid for 5 gallon buckets. Probably not the most eco friendly way to buy it, but surely a lot easier to handle. Mobil Delvac 1300 Super Heavy Duty Synthetic Blend Diesel Engine Oil 15W-40, 1 gal for $11.87 at Wallmart.
lol don't sweat it I was just joking around...thats definitely cheaper than the Rotella I've been using.
I had to look up Case FDL for something today. 75w90 gear oil is a suitable cross. Or 80w90 (pretty much same, 75w90 is most usually synthetic though)