Penrite semi fluid lube

WLA gearbox

All flathead topics
Post Reply
Battleready76
Member
Posts: 18
Joined: Mon Aug 25, 2014 8:03 am
Bikes: 1942 WLA
Location: Western Australia
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 2 times

Penrite semi fluid lube

#1

Post by Battleready76 »

Gday
Anyone got experience with putting penrite semi fluid steering box lube in a WLA gearbox
Good idea or not to minimise or stop it leaking mine doesn’t leak a hell of a lot but I heard it’s a good option ?
Will it work as expected??
George Greer
Senior Member
Posts: 1957
Joined: Tue Nov 09, 2004 6:02 am
Bikes: 1942 WLA Type III
Hybrid WL/KH bobber project.
58 FL
Location: Markt Einersheim, Bayern
Has thanked: 972 times
Been thanked: 259 times
Contact:

Re: Penrite semi fluid lube

#2

Post by George Greer »

Others with a lot more experience than me will probably also chime in,

But I would not use it,

I use straight weight oil as the manual describes, for my WLA.

I am understanding that oil gets into the roller bearings and lets them roll, where as thicker lubricants can gum up the roller bearings to where they don’t roll.

They “skate”, instead of doing the job intended and creates more wear, quickly ruining your gearbox bearings.

Plus if you are constantly checking the oil level and adding oil when necessary, you are always putting fresh oil in the gearbox.

Good luck

George
RooDog
Senior Member
Posts: 5327
Joined: Tue Oct 31, 2017 1:00 pm
Bikes: 1950 Panhead, Resto-Mod
1968 90", 5 Speed Shovelhead,
1984 Home Built Custom Evo 100" Bagger
Location: Knoxville, Tennessee
Has thanked: 2801 times
Been thanked: 2158 times

Re: Penrite semi fluid lube

#3

Post by RooDog »

Designed for a steering box. A steering box is not a high speed spinning mechanism but rather a very slow speed reciprocating piece under high thrust loads. An entirely different engineering & lubrication situation.
Pascal
Senior Member
Posts: 575
Joined: Wed Aug 13, 2014 8:27 pm
Bikes: WLA
Has thanked: 58 times
Been thanked: 144 times

Re: Penrite semi fluid lube

#4

Post by Pascal »

Don't fix the symptoms...fix the cause!
If your box leaks, don't fiddle with thicker lubes...but fix the leak!
Battleready76
Member
Posts: 18
Joined: Mon Aug 25, 2014 8:03 am
Bikes: 1942 WLA
Location: Western Australia
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 2 times

Re: Penrite semi fluid lube

#5

Post by Battleready76 »

Correct my gearbox drips the normal indicator amount a few drops runs sweet as smooth never misses a beat its more a question on peoples opinions on the stuff as there are some I speak with that use it.. I’ll stick to traditional gear oils
old man emu
Senior Member
Posts: 1027
Joined: Sun Mar 25, 2012 7:00 am
Bikes: WLA Mk lll, civilianised
Location: Gilgandra, New South Wales, Australia
Has thanked: 46 times
Been thanked: 117 times

Re: Penrite semi fluid lube

#6

Post by old man emu »

There are many "experts" in the motor vehicle world who think they no more than the engineers who designed their vehicles. Often applying that "expert" knowledge results in the destruction of the machine through over-stressing of one type or another.

The H-D engineers specified 50 Grade oil for the gearbox, so that is the oil to use. I will say that the quality of 50 Grade oil in terms of additives (also researched and designed by true experts in that field) has to have improved since the 45 C I and associated gearbox were designed. I will admit that I use 50 Grade oil designed for aero engines, but that is simply because it is easier for me to get without having to buy a full box of automotive 50 Grade.

Obviously you can't get 78 octane fuel, but it is an accepted fact that the octane rating specified by the engine's designers is the minimum required to prevent detonation. It doesn't hurt the engine to use fuel of a higher octane rating. (Don't start raving on about higher octane rated fuel producing more power. That shows a complete misunderstanding of the term "octane rating" and the chemistry of combustion.)
Hogey
Member
Posts: 203
Joined: Thu May 26, 2022 5:10 am
Bikes: 2001 fxst 68 shovel
Location: Victoria
Has thanked: 301 times
Been thanked: 83 times

Re: Penrite semi fluid lube

#7

Post by Hogey »

Penrite Pro Gear 80w-140 i use
RooDog
Senior Member
Posts: 5327
Joined: Tue Oct 31, 2017 1:00 pm
Bikes: 1950 Panhead, Resto-Mod
1968 90", 5 Speed Shovelhead,
1984 Home Built Custom Evo 100" Bagger
Location: Knoxville, Tennessee
Has thanked: 2801 times
Been thanked: 2158 times

Re: Penrite semi fluid lube

#8

Post by RooDog »

Just for fun.fellas. We do know that gear lube weight/viscosity ratings are measured on a different scale that API Automotive engine oils.

https://www.engineersedge.com/gears/gea ... eneral.htm
animal12
Member
Posts: 130
Joined: Fri Nov 11, 2016 10:32 pm
Bikes: 1945 Servi-car
Location: north calif
Has thanked: 65 times
Been thanked: 28 times

Re: Penrite semi fluid lube

#9

Post by animal12 »

Some gear oils also have contents that can harm any brass parts in the gearbox , & may be harmful to bronze too.
animal
RooDog
Senior Member
Posts: 5327
Joined: Tue Oct 31, 2017 1:00 pm
Bikes: 1950 Panhead, Resto-Mod
1968 90", 5 Speed Shovelhead,
1984 Home Built Custom Evo 100" Bagger
Location: Knoxville, Tennessee
Has thanked: 2801 times
Been thanked: 2158 times

Re: Penrite semi fluid lube

#10

Post by RooDog »

pan50head
Member
Posts: 77
Joined: Wed Mar 21, 2007 5:48 pm
Bikes: 1950 FL
Location: Seattle
Has thanked: 4 times
Been thanked: 14 times

Re: Penrite semi fluid lube

#11

Post by pan50head »

I fully agree that Harley paid a lot of money to engineer their products so why would I, not an engineer, question the wisdom of HD. However, when the transmissions for flatheads, etc. were engineered, were there oils available that might have been better in a Harley transmission than 50 wt engine oil? If no such oils were available, maybe that is why the engineers recommended 50 wt engine oil. If other oils were available, that says that 50 wt engine oil is the thing to use. What about using the current Formula+ Harley transmission oil (not Syn3)? Could Formula+ be a Harley-engineered upgrade from 50wt oil?
RooDog
Senior Member
Posts: 5327
Joined: Tue Oct 31, 2017 1:00 pm
Bikes: 1950 Panhead, Resto-Mod
1968 90", 5 Speed Shovelhead,
1984 Home Built Custom Evo 100" Bagger
Location: Knoxville, Tennessee
Has thanked: 2801 times
Been thanked: 2158 times

Re: Penrite semi fluid lube

#12

Post by RooDog »

pan50head wrote: Tue Jun 28, 2022 4:13 pm I fully agree that Harley paid a lot of money to engineer their products so why would I, not an engineer, question the wisdom of HD. However, when the transmissions for flatheads, etc. were engineered, were there oils available that might have been better in a Harley transmission than 50 wt engine oil? If no such oils were available, maybe that is why the engineers recommended 50 wt engine oil. If other oils were available, that says that 50 wt engine oil is the thing to use. What about using the current Formula+ Harley transmission oil (not Syn3)? Could Formula+ be a Harley-engineered upgrade from 50wt oil?
Understand this: The modern 5 & six speed transmissions are fully rollerized and contain no "yellow metal" parts. The pre-1985, 4-speed trannies do. so what may be suitable for a modern tranny may be death to a vintage, pre-1985, tranny. Be aware of the modern lube one intends to use....
....RooDog....
nan00k
Member
Posts: 176
Joined: Tue Mar 24, 2015 9:40 am
Bikes: '65 FL Sold and regretted in the same day
Vincent Comet
WL
Triumph Morgo Project
Has thanked: 26 times
Been thanked: 10 times

Re: Penrite semi fluid lube

#13

Post by nan00k »

semi thread hi jack warning.
As an aside, Burman gearbox on my Vinnie is recommended to use semi fluid grease and to top up with 'egg cup' of engine oil.
My understanding of the top end oils such as Mobil 1 was not to use them in motors of older HD's as it could lead to rollers sliding.
In the Triumphs the word was to steer clear of g'box oils (modern ?) that contained sulpher as that ate into the alloys that contained copper. Please correct me if i'm wrong.
And..., getting my WL on the road this season, I know the capacity is 3/4 of a pint (not UK pint which is larger, hic !) but how do you monitor the level, or is that where the 'self adjusting' leaky seal comes in and you just add a squirt every xx hundred miles?.
ixtee
Member
Posts: 120
Joined: Fri Sep 12, 2008 8:47 pm
Bikes: WL 1950,FLSTC 1997, BMW r50 1955 with r80/7 engine
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 14 times

Re: Penrite semi fluid lube

#14

Post by ixtee »

Screenshot_20220701-125951_SamsungInternet_copy_432x960.jpg
Screenshot_20220701-125951_SamsungInternet_copy_432x960.jpg (128.59 KiB) Viewed 593 times
ixtee
Member
Posts: 120
Joined: Fri Sep 12, 2008 8:47 pm
Bikes: WL 1950,FLSTC 1997, BMW r50 1955 with r80/7 engine
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 14 times

Re: Penrite semi fluid lube

#15

Post by ixtee »

Check out #45
Post Reply

Return to “Flathead and Servi-Car”