As most of you have AT's I haven't seen much discussion on the best oil to put in a 5spd manual trans. Anyone have any input? Factory manual states ATF. When it's cold I have a slight grind shifting from 1st to 2nd unless I double clutch or shift very slowly & "feel" it into gear. Is OK once it warms up.

I have a whine in my drive train ~70-80mph under slightly heavy load, going up hill etc. Is OK on flat ground. I originally thought this was the 5spd gearbox. But after reading some of the posts on here maybe the transfer case? Does this sound like a transfer case noise?

 

Manual states ATF in manual gear box and Gear oil in the Tcase. The "Best" oil is going to cost a lot. $13+ a quart.. You don't really need that.

 

I don't mind spending the money if I find something that makes the syncro's work better and cures the whine. I only put about 5K miles on it a year so it will stay in there a long time.

 

Your syncros are shot, bottom line, they won't improve and a rebuild is in your future. There is no ATF that will fix or hide the noise, so stay with the basic fluids and start a saving account for your rebuild.
As for the t/case, try the Lucas 85W/140 gear oil, this will slow down the t/case wear and help with some of the noise, also works well for both difs.

 

Redline MTL.
Land Rover issued a TSB stating to quit using ATF and switch to manual transmission fluid in the R380.

 

Mike, thanks for the wisdom. Guess I'll buy a gallon or two of the Lucas oil & do all the swivels, diffs etc.

Antichrist, that confirms a hand written note I found in amongst all the service records I got with the D1 when I bought it. I'll try the Redline. Do you use it? Did you notice any improvement of any sort?

 

Redline is very very good oil/lubricants. They sell it at most speed shops.

 

Yes, I've been using it for a number of years, as soon as I found out about the TSB. After the change shifting seemed more definite and smoother.

Be careful with Lucas. I couldn't find all the specs for it on Lucas's web site, but Land Rover specs MIL-L-2105, MIL-L-2105B, MIL-L-2105C or MIL-L-2105D for the transfer box, which are equivalent to various grades of GL4. GL5 has additives, including sulphur that will attack bronze/brass parts. Lucas says their gear oil has sulphur so I'm guessing it's GL5.
I don't know for a fact that the LT230 has any brass or bronze in it, but since they spec the GL4 grade I'm guessing it does.
The only GL4 I've been able to find any more is Sta-Lube made by CRC.
From what I've read on various automotive forums a lot of dealers use the wrong lube (no matter the car), probably because GL4 is so hard to find, and most people don't know the difference.
GL5 is definitely fine in the diff however.

 

http://www.redlineoil.com/

 

I forgot to mention, the Redline MTL (good for the R380 but not the LT230) is GL4, but their heavier 75/90 and 75/140 (right weights for the LT230) are GL5