General topics » I've bought the wrong oil for my bevel drive.

In a few months time bike '17 1200RS will be due it annual service. Apart from the usual check over, all it needs is oil & filter, bevel oil change & brake flush.

I can do the oil & filter change myself as I have the BMW oil & filter, but I needed the bevel oil.

BMW recommends THIS

Which, according to Motorworks, as been superseded by THIS

..but being a bit dense, I bought THIS

I wonder what the difference really is.

Or...order it from BMW. I've changed mine twice so far and easily have enough for another change. That makes the price rather reasonable.

83222460128 - HYPOID AXLE OIL G3 - 0,5L - $49.00 USD

Pricey for motor oil, but to get 3+ changes from one bottle makes it not so bad.

My Haynes manual says Castrol SAF-XO

aka Syntrax Longlife 75W-90

My rear hub is still turning after a couple of 180cc oil changes

8976A87B-5170-4953-B8B9-3A8D7C854F9B.jpeg - Bild entfernt (keine Rechte)
2B4A4319-A50F-4FEA-B8C4-B95DF35EEE94.jpeg - Bild entfernt (keine Rechte)

Same grade and viscosity. Can't see a problem.

Just make sure you don't order this Castrol TRANSMAX Axle Long Life 75W-90 75W90 Fully Synth Axle Fluid - 1 Litre 1L
Rather than the correct 75w90 ( i cannot confirm I did this but UK supplier gave me a refund !!!) and I ordered the correct 75w90 as per the previous entry.

Also ------ 180cc per bevel change means 1 litre goes a long way.

It is the same oil as for the gearbox oil on my R1200ST so any older R1200 non combined engine/gearbox version I guess

Zitat von Dave H im Beitrag #5

---

Just make sure you don't order this Castrol TRANSMAX Axle Long Life 75W-90 75W90 Fully Synth Axle Fluid - 1 Litre 1L
Rather than the correct 75w90 ( i cannot confirm I did this but UK supplier gave me a refund !!!) and I ordered the correct 75w90 as per the previous entry.

---

Zitat von L2RKE im Beitrag #4

---

Same grade and viscosity. Can't see a problem.

---

So, just to be clear Dave, you're saying 'make sure I don't order the one in my SECOND LINK? This is the stuff Motorworks are selling.

Let me join the list of confusion then because the advice has changed since my original purchases. :-

2020 I bought transmax 75w90 castrol and that was longlife transmission oil but returned it and purchased their Castrol Syntrax, as their recommended bevel drive/gearbox oil. (opieoils)
Somewhere on an earlier forum I was advised not to buy any other bevel oil and if the dealer uses it then I will copy.
I had just had my R1200ST bevel unit rebuilt (good job at Oceanbmw Plymouth) and was reinstalling it myself.
Again I was advised to make sure I got the bmw recommended Syntrax castrol as they supplied it back to me 'dry' after overhaul
Now I see some sites are now advising using Transmax 75w90
Look at opieoils.co.uk and the advice has changed!
Maybe the specification has changed but as of today they have this update

DISCONTINUED - Castrol Syntrax Universal Plus 75W-90 Fully Synthetic Car Gearbox Oil

This product has been replaced or superseded by:

Castrol TRANSMAX Universal LL 75W-90 Fully Synthetic Transmission Fluid

Like I say 'confusion' but if that is the latest update and the oils specifications are now correct for the drive unit/gearbox I guess I will now buy Transmax75w90

I now change bevel oil every year in the RS and every two years in the ST now (it's a longer job) but currently it has had 3 oil changes since rebuild just to be safe.

Haven't been down to Oceanbmw in two years since the ST brake fluid change (needed again now) but now everything is opening up I will get it, and the RS, brake fluids done by them.
Perhaps I will confirm the current advice, (Castrol for ST engine, Shell/bmw for the RS and hopefully the same for all bevel/gearbox uses.
Mileage is so low last two years I have been home servicing and bikes have been on battery tenders. Spent more on oil and filters than petrol but hopefully that changes this year!
Dave

Cheers Dave,

Blimey!, bit of a minefield eh?

Perhaps the name changed but not the product?

I just checked my 24K service dealer invoice. What they charged me for to refill the bevel drive was "75W-90 gear oil".

Then I went to the updatable BMW factory service manual DVD (which was last updated about 6 months ago). What it says to use is either "BMW Synthetik OSP" or Hypoid Axle Oil G3". I bet Hypoid Axle Oil G3 is easier to find than BMW Synthetik OSP, and no doubt cheaper, too.

Zitat von wessie im Beitrag #13

---

seems 70W-80 and GL5 are the codes to look for

are we there yet or does this oil thread have another 20 pages to go?

---

My interest in their thread has to do with my lack of knowledge of bevel drive lubricants. When I visited the local O'Reilly auto supply store, they had just two brands of "Synthetic SAE 75W-90 Gear Oil" labeled as a Transmission and Differential Lube, the house brand and Lucas brand. Both were rated for service level API GL-5. I bought the Lucas brand oil: "The Perfect Hypoid Gear Oil".

After I returned home, I took a look in my big Clymer air-head manual, which recommended API GL-5 for both the transmission and the final drive. So that oil has been around for a long time and the only thing that has changed is that it is now "synthetic" and costs $17 a quart (.946 mL).