Gearbox oil..

[ajcommercial]

I've just changed the clutch in my Multi, I bought it with a clutch judder that I recon was the result of a long term cam box oil leak getting in through the bell housing and contaminating the clutch...

 Any how the oil that came out was thicker than BV and red in colour. I have put Total Gear 8 in and the gearchange is back to being smooth again...

 Just out of interest what gerbox oil is red ??  Just interested..

[polar]

atf is usually red

[leftfootleashed]

atf is usually red

Yup, probably ATF

[ajcommercial]

Is ATF any good as a gearbox oil then ?

 I thought ATF was for auto box and power steering..

[oilyrag]

ATF has been used as a gearbox oil - for example Rover gearboxes mated to the V8 ran on it - but why it was used in those boxes, I'm not sure, and certainly the boxes didn't fare that well under heavy use or when power was increased.
Premature bearing wear, synchro issues and general noise were not uncommon. I rebuilt a number (too many) of those gearboxes and found no difference if I swapped over to using a standard gear oil.
Later boxes used a horrendously expensive Land Rover product, with much the same results as ATF.
If you had a red puddle on the garage floor then you knew it wasn't an engine oil leak, and ATF certainly creeps and dribbles. How it might end up in a Berlingo - maybe someone read the wrong chart in Halfords!

[ajcommercial]

Cheers oilyrag..

  I have a MGF and forgot about the ATF in PG gearboxes although I have bought the TF94 oil, 5l at £32 makes it more expensive than Total 75/80 gear8..

 That reminds me the clutch is slipping in my MGF so that needs doing too..

[leftfootleashed]

My old Volvo 240 specified ATF for the 5 speed manual M47 gearbox mated to later redblock engines. No idea why.

I'm sure I read a suggestion somewhere of putting it in a gearbox to quieten a worn synchro (but then you can find most things suggested for that purpose if you look hard enough: thinner gear oil, thicker gear oil, ATF, engine oil, extra virgin olive oil...).