BigMattyD Posted July 11, 2005 Share Posted July 11, 2005 I got a chance to change the oil in the transmission and diff. this weekend. My question is: Why does the gear oil smell so bad? It is way worse than regular oil. I am thinking that it must have sulfur or something like that in it, or maybe other smelly anti-wear additives. My wife wouldn't even let me back in the house because I spilled some on my hands and shirt... Eventually, I convinced her to let me in. Matt D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
All_talk Posted July 11, 2005 Share Posted July 11, 2005 Yep 90w stinks bad, one of the worst automotive smells, right up there with smoked clutch and burnt ATF. Gary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Setright Posted July 11, 2005 Share Posted July 11, 2005 The funny thing is, that no matter what the brand, or whether its mineral or pure synthetic, it ALL stinks! The "Extreme pressure" additives must the culprit. YUCK! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spazz698 Posted July 11, 2005 Share Posted July 11, 2005 Yep 90w stinks bad, one of the worst automotive smells, right up there with smoked clutch and burnt ATF. Gary my bf managed to shatter his clutch (not even a week old!) while racing, I remember he hit 2nd gear, then a HUGE cloud of smoke came flying out from under the hood and within the car itself. I was SO happy I wasnt in there. The car reeked of burned clutch right up til he wrecked it a few months later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuBrat84 Posted July 11, 2005 Share Posted July 11, 2005 I like when the 80/90 drips on your exhaust pipes and then burns... yum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
All_talk Posted July 11, 2005 Share Posted July 11, 2005 It seems that every leak in a EA Sube makes its way to the exhaust... oil, 90w, ATF, CV boot, all of them. I think the general rule is if the car stops smoking/smelling you better check the fluid levels... you out of something. :-p Gary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blitz Posted July 11, 2005 Share Posted July 11, 2005 I've always wondered why one of the major oil companies has never managed to modify that gear oil stink into something slightly less offensive. ...like bananas or something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiniTransAm Posted July 11, 2005 Share Posted July 11, 2005 Gear lube and ATF are the worst smelling fluids out there. I even hate the smell of clean ATF. I can't stand getting it on me. I have to wash my hands almost immediately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Setright Posted July 12, 2005 Share Posted July 12, 2005 On my Impreza it is IMPOSSIBLE not to spill on gearbox oil on the exhaust pipes when draining the old stuff out. No amount of wiping will get it all off. Then you go a drive and burn it off! Dang that stuff reeks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
99obw Posted July 12, 2005 Share Posted July 12, 2005 I love the smell of automotive fluids, with the exception of antifreeze, that smell brings back bad memories of a horrific head gasket failure. Little trick for ya, when draining fluids and there is something underneath the drain that you want to keep clean, drape a plastic grocery bag over it and then throw it away when you are done. Of course the exhaust would have to be relatively cool for that to work, but you get the idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigMattyD Posted July 12, 2005 Author Share Posted July 12, 2005 Actually, I have to admit that I kind of like the unusual smell of the gear oil. I caught myself sniffing the rag I used to clean it up yesterday. Don't worry, I wasn't "huffing" the fumes. I think it just reminded me of a fun day working on the car.... Matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mwd Posted July 12, 2005 Share Posted July 12, 2005 The smell is the sulfur/phosphorus extreme pressure additive (EP). Not all synthetic gear oils smell of sulfur/phosphorus additives. Some manual transmissions prefer GL-4 80-W90 gear oils. The synchronizers like GL-4 better than GL-5. The additive that smells the worst is the additive for limited slip differentials....it is derived from whale oil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now