Maintenance & Technical > KX500 Original
ATF as Gear Lube
Hillclimb#42:
I am no engineer or scientist, but love this site and can't help but give my 2 cents. I think we all agree that ATF is a thinner viscosity than oil. I believe that is so it can be pumped thru an auto transmission. The ATF is continuously pumped and cooled in a car. A standard transmission in a car has 80wt gear oil. I know bikes have simalarities to both, but is closer to the latter. My opinion is that heavier gear oil may cool better and also last longer. Oil's viscosity or thickness breaks down and gets thinner with heat and time. Also in our bikes the clutches are submerged in oil, so any friction disc wear results in fine debris in transmission. It seems logical to me that a heavier oil would overcome this gritty, usually silver, debris longer. It seems like it will all work, if you change every other ride, but I don't change that often. I could be way off, which has happened plenty on here and in plenty of race tech conversations, but I think the oil in transmissions job is to cool all moving parts and to reduce wear to gears and I think heavier oils would stand up against time/abuse/heat better. I think it is possible to run a lighter weight oil in extreme cold and thicker oil in extreme heat, but have not ventured that direction either. On the other hand, no matter what you use, I am sure it is important to change frequently. I like my oil to basically, come out looking like it went in. The oil mixed with clutch debris can gel up around the kick shaft and gear and can cause funky problems if let go too long. (All opinions, No Science) :|
Johnniespeed:
Thanks Alan for reviving this post. I wanted to post an update. Last year I switched to Dexron in my 04 KX500. This thing shifts great with Dex, the clutch works great. The best benefit is that ATF is cheap. I do not feel that ATF will cause any problems and I think that it will not have any reduced cooling effect. Also in extremely hot temperature, I do not think there will be any reduced lubrication. Also another update, my experiment of sharpening my kick start gear ratchet teeth has been a great success. My kickstart now works better than it did when new.
I think this site is so helpful. Thank you to all who contribute and work at keeping this thing going. John
Mhardee:
Been running B&M Trick shift in mine since new.. The viscosity argument doesn't hold a lot of water,, The transmission and clutch of a dirtbike is very similar to the clutch packs in an automatic transmission.. They are subject to tremendous heat loads with the thing pretty much slipping all of the time.. Your dirtbike clutch takes nowhere near the beating..
Change it and never look back...
Mark
5dracing:
Guys I'm trying the ATF in an old street bike I have. It's an 82 Goldwing. I have noticed smoother shifting, and lower engine temps. I'll try to keep posting info here as I continue using it. This bike has 63,000 miles on it and had a trailer behind it for about 40,000 of those miles. I use this thing like a truck and ride it year round unless the white stuff is on the roads. I did notice a reduction in oil leaking already. It seems that the ATF does something to the gaskets.
Emilio:
ATF works just fine. I couldn't tell a big differance but I started using it becasue it was alot cheaper and like HUGHES said, if it works in trucks way not in the buke. Atf is a little thin however but maybe adding a ounce of lucas trans could thick it up and help with foaming. O hi everybody just a few words from the new guy. Not to riding and trucks though. :-D
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