Maintenance & Technical > KX500 Original
ATF as Gear Lube
kxraptor:
We've tried ATF before,but have switched to a quality synthetic.The harder you work the clutch the more you'll need a quality lube.
81cr450:
I'm an atf fan all the way. As the pics above show disassemly is clean. I really can tell a difference on clutch feel. I will concede that the heavier oils are better for the gear as heavier = more load bearing ability.
I do think that there is every bit as much metal/aluminum in a dark oil as in the atf you just cant see it as well becuase the oil is so dark. I say get rid of the aluminum plates in any clutch as they're just a grenade with the pin pulled period. The reason I switched to atf was 2 part, most auto manufacturers in late 80's early 90's switched to atf in their manual trans's. So you have this & the fact that the clutch is the same as an auto clutch pack. I'd really be curious to see the flow of comparison between the 2 as its all in motion if the lighter or heavier would reach the bearings better.
k5abuser:
Never use atf of any kind. It will. Allow the gears to could them self to the shafts. Kawasaki says to use 30 at motor oil. If your motor is apart polish the channels. For the shift forks a.d the shift forks their eels and run slick 50 though. Best to use old clutch while the slick 500 is in the bottomend. The bike wil shift like never before. Sometimes to easy. I've seen bikes with atf run in the bottomend and if it makes a lot of hp or is run hard all the time u will have proublem.
martinfan30:
--- Quote from: k5abuser on March 10, 2011, 07:31:46 AM ---Never use atf of any kind. It will. Allow the gears to could them self to the shafts. Kawasaki says to use 30 at motor oil. If your motor is apart polish the channels. For the shift forks a.d the shift forks their eels and run slick 50 though. Best to use old clutch while the slick 500 is in the bottomend. The bike wil shift like never before. Sometimes to easy. I've seen bikes with atf run in the bottomend and if it makes a lot of hp or is run hard all the time u will have proublem.
--- End quote ---
DO what to the shift fork eels?
BushPig:
I've blown quite a few gearboxes on different brands of bike to smithereens over the years. One gearbox had been treated with Slick50, two others were running Bel-Ray Gear Saver, another was using some expensive Castrol 2-stroke gearbox specific stuff, a couple were running motor oil as per the bike manufacturers specs. NONE were running ATF...... Add to this that I've run ATF on and off for years and I'd have to say that ATF is no more likely to cause problems than any other lube.
When you consider that ATF is inexpensive, readily available, seems to provide unrivalled clutch and gearbox action, AND it gets run in the gearboxes of machines that pump out many times more torque and hp than what we're playing with I reckon it's good enough for me. Sorry, but I don't buy the Snake Oil salemen's hype and the marketing that goes on.
Change it often just like you should with any other gearbox oil and keep the money you saved to spend on beer and chicks... (unless the wife confiscates it first).
Bushy
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