On gear oil for Saab V4 transmissions (95/96/Sonett)

Most Saab V4 drivers in Europe seem to favour the following two transmission oils for their V4 transmissions:

• Castrol Universal 75w-90
• Quaker State Super Quadrolube 75W SAE 75W

Other recommendations:


Found on www.tomdonneymotors.com, original surce.

                                                         AN431

 

V4 GEAR LUBES

EP 80, the recommended lubricant for transmission coupled to Saab's two-stroke and V4 engines, has become very difficult to find as most oil companies have switched to producing multi-weight gear lubes.  What are the alternatives?  We asked some knowledgeable Saab mechanics what they use.

In the warm climate of Southern California, Bud Clark of J & B Imports still sees plenty of 96s, 95s and Sonetts.  Since these cars seldom experience temperatures of less than 50 degrees F, his shop uses Valvoline 80-85-90 weight. J&B customers who want a better lubricant usually request Bel-Ray 85W Gear Saver, so Bud keeps some on hand.  Bel-Ray Gear Saver is designed primarily for motorcycles, and it can be purchased from motorcycle shops.

Atlanta, too, is known for warm weather, but the folks at S&J Automotive go with a lighter weight oil.  Chris McPherson says they fill their V4 gearboxes with Pennzoil 75 weight gear lube, same as they use in 99 and 900 trannys.

Sports Car Service in Wilmington, Delaware, also uses a 75 weight  -- Super Quadralube by Quaker State.  Proprietor Bill Jacobson says 75 wt works well in the cooler climate where his customers live, but most important is to change the gear lube every 30,000 miles.  He has customers whose transmissions have lasted over 200,00 miles thanks to regular fluid changes.

Rick Parr of Parrformance in Lititz, PA, has his own "witches brew" made up of one part 90 weight gear lube, to get the extreme pressure (EP) properties, and two parts 10W-40 engine oil for lower viscosity.  Parr shys away from synthetics as they tend to leak past the seals of older boxes.

Jack Lawrence at Motor Sport Service in Jamestown, NY, has done a lot of development on Saabs since the 1960s, especially the Sonetts.  He recommends an 80W-90 for summer use, and a 75W for winter.  Though he hasn't tried it, he also says you could possibly run a GP4 or GP5 rated engine oil which contains high pressure additives.  Lawrence suggests that you add a little silicone to the gear lube as an anti-foaming agent.  Once you have filled the gearbox, add 4 or 5 drops (a short squirt) of a pure silicone spray such as Door-Ease.  The silicone helps eliminate foaming in the input shaft area.

West coast Sonett fanatic Jack Ashcraft uses Amsoil synthetic multi-weight.  He says it will quiet a noisy transmission, particularly one that has been rebuilt from several used boxes.  He also warns that due to viscosity, all transmission seals should be replaced before dumping in a synthetic lubricant.

Saab's V4 drivetrain service manual (p/n 0290908) recommends "EP-oil SAE 80", but the latest Saab bulletin on lubricants does not show an EP 80.  Instead, the V4 is listed with the 99 and 900 manual gearboxes under "EP 75 Wt Gear Oil", Saab p/n 99 00 754.

Manufacturers contacted about the availability of EP 80 pointed out that a multi-weight gear lube such as an 80W-90, must have the same flow characteristics as a straight 80 weight under SAE guidelines.  Consequently a multi-weight gear oil with the first number of 80 should work in a 96 series transmission.