Front and Rear Diff fluid change

[KP Texan]

This situation Toyota has with the transfer case oil is completely fubared...

Village Toyota no longer sells it because it's considered hazardous to ship, so they told me to call my local dealer. Called them, and they first told me it was $90 a quart but they couldn't get it for me. They said they had in bulk though for service, and the only way to get it would be service. Then, I spoke with service dept. and was quoted $110 for a t-case oil change. I started to question them on the type of oil and they told me is was bulk 75W-90. I told them the manual calls out straight 75 weight, and they said that they've been servicing Toyota T-cases for over 12 years that way and have yet to have a problem. They ultimately said "just go to your local parts store and get 75W-90".

 

[2016 4Runner SR5]

This situation Toyota has with the transfer case oil is completely fubared...

Village Toyota no longer sells it because it's considered hazardous to ship, so they told me to call my local dealer. Called them, and they first told me it was $90 a quart but they couldn't get it for me. They said they had in bulk though for service, and the only way to get it would be service. Then, I spoke with service dept. and was quoted $110 for a t-case oil change. I started to question them on the type of oil and they told me is was bulk 75W-90. I told them the manual calls out straight 75 weight, and they said that they've been servicing Toyota T-cases for over 12 years that way and have yet to have a problem. They ultimately said "just go to your local parts store and get 75W-90".

Lots of people use 75-90, I personally will not do that. This is what I will likely be using in the transfer case.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QPCL7Z...olid=3QQ5Q8P4H7GJ6&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

 

[cutty01]

This situation Toyota has with the transfer case oil is completely fubared...

Village Toyota no longer sells it because it's considered hazardous to ship, so they told me to call my local dealer. Called them, and they first told me it was $90 a quart but they couldn't get it for me. They said they had in bulk though for service, and the only way to get it would be service. Then, I spoke with service dept. and was quoted $110 for a t-case oil change. I started to question them on the type of oil and they told me is was bulk 75W-90. I told them the manual calls out straight 75 weight, and they said that they've been servicing Toyota T-cases for over 12 years that way and have yet to have a problem. They ultimately said "just go to your local parts store and get 75W-90".

I just received 2 liters of Toyota OEM 75W and the drain/filler plug gaskets for front/rear diff and t-case. Ordered it from McGeorge Toyota online and paid $140 plus shipping. For the front and rear diff I'm going to use Mobile1 75W-90 which I bought locally.

I looked at Ravenol too as posted by '2016 4Runner SR5' above. From the reviews I read, it seemed like a legit replacement option, but I erred on the side of caution and bought the real deal. One thing is for certain, it's a hella lot less expensive. But there again buying the OEM stuff it's less expensive than replacing a t-case.

I called my local Toyota dealer here in Cali and they don't stock the 75W either. The service department says they use 75W oil in the t-case but it was a brand I hadn't heard of before. I going to do the fluid change of all three myself, this long holiday weekend. Wish me luck.

 

[KP Texan]

Lots of people use 75-90, I personally will not do that. This is what I will likely be using in the transfer case.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QPCL7Z...olid=3QQ5Q8P4H7GJ6&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

Yes, I think I'll probably end up using Ravenol too. No way I'm going with 75W90 since the viscosity would be much different than recommended, among other things. Another viable alternative may be Royal Purple Synchromax since the viscosity is pretty darn close and RP cross references it to Toyota 08885-81080.

 

[Tuco S.]

This situation Toyota has with the transfer case oil is completely fubared...

Village Toyota no longer sells it because it's considered hazardous to ship, so they told me to call my local dealer. Called them, and they first told me it was $90 a quart but they couldn't get it for me. They said they had in bulk though for service, and the only way to get it would be service. Then, I spoke with service dept. and was quoted $110 for a t-case oil change. I started to question them on the type of oil and they told me is was bulk 75W-90. I told them the manual calls out straight 75 weight, and they said that they've been servicing Toyota T-cases for over 12 years that way and have yet to have a problem. They ultimately said "just go to your local parts store and get 75W-90".

There are plenty of options for the transfer case oil besides OEM and Ravenol MTF-3. Any quality full synthetic SAE 75W GL-4 oil should work just fine. I have 3 bottles of VW/Audi gear oil (G052171A2) left over from my TDI days, so those will be used first. Fuchs Titan Sintofluid FE 75W is identical to Ravenol MTF-3 and the VW/Audi gear oil I listed. They also come in 1L bottles instead of 1 quart bottles, so you only need 1 bottle per fluid change.

If you're going to put a 75W-90 in your transfer case, at least find one that meets both the GL-4 and GL-5 specs (like Motul Gear 300 75W-90). I would avoid any oil that only meets GL-5 for the sake of the yellow metals.

 

[Ghostrider]

You'll want a pump any way you go. I don't think there's enough room to tilt even the bottle with the little spout lids.

These screw right into the screw lid bottles like the Mobil 1 75w-90 but you could just puncture a hole in the can and stick the straw down through, holding it down while you pump.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BQW5LK/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Yeah - I found the cheap Harbor Freight pump for a few bucks works fine with gear oil. And then you toss it to avoid cleaning it

 

[2012sr5]

Edited to add shopping list!

Drained and refilled the oil in both axles and the transfer case a couple days ago. I'm at 116k miles (I've put 44k on in the 25 months I've owned my 4Runner), and this is the second time I've changed the oil in both axles and the first time I've changed the transfer case oil.

Amazon Prime shopping list:
(5) liters of Ravenol 75W-85 for front/rear diffs
(2) liters of Ravenol 75W for transfer case
(1) Rexka gasket kit for diffs and transfer case

The only thing I wish I had when I did the job was a pump to refill the front axle. I had to make do with a funnel and a piece of hose threaded through the engine compartment from above. The transfer case and rear axle were easy to refill with the short hose that comes out of the Ravenol bottles.

 

[flybooey]

Blauparts website has 15% off until 7/8/19 and the bottles are 2-3 dollars cheaper compared to Amazon anyway. Free shipping over 100$ as well.
code: Fireworks

 

[CutthroatSlam]

This situation Toyota has with the transfer case oil is completely fubared...

Village Toyota no longer sells it because it's considered hazardous to ship, so they told me to call my local dealer. Called them, and they first told me it was $90 a quart but they couldn't get it for me. They said they had in bulk though for service, and the only way to get it would be service. Then, I spoke with service dept. and was quoted $110 for a t-case oil change. I started to question them on the type of oil and they told me is was bulk 75W-90. I told them the manual calls out straight 75 weight, and they said that they've been servicing Toyota T-cases for over 12 years that way and have yet to have a problem. They ultimately said "just go to your local parts store and get 75W-90".

And there you go, the Toyota OEM Oil OCD crowd has been getting the wool pulled over their eyes for years.

 

[CutthroatSlam]

There are plenty of options for the transfer case oil besides OEM and Ravenol MTF-3. Any quality full synthetic SAE 75W GL-4 oil should work just fine. I have 3 bottles of VW/Audi gear oil (G052171A2) left over from my TDI days, so those will be used first. Fuchs Titan Sintofluid FE 75W is identical to Ravenol MTF-3 and the VW/Audi gear oil I listed. They also come in 1L bottles instead of 1 quart bottles, so you only need 1 bottle per fluid change.

If you're going to put a 75W-90 in your transfer case, at least find one that meets both the GL-4 and GL-5 specs (like Motul Gear 300 75W-90). I would avoid any oil that only meets GL-5 for the sake of the yellow metals.

Mobil 1 Delvac Synthetic 75w90. Our 2014 has 185K happy miles on it.
Unusual Activity Detected - Free Shipping on Orders Over $99 at Summit Racing

 

[2016 4Runner SR5]

The transfer case in the later 5th gen is not the same as the 4th gen and models prior. Do a little homework, do some reading. Quite a few posts of guys having shifting issues and noisy cases after using 75-90 in the transfer case. Not to mention any gear oil with limited slip additive WILL eat up any soft parts inside the case, you can bank on that. Stop being cheap, spend the $100 every 50K miles, and buy what belongs in it. Otherwise don't ***** when you blow up a $2000 transfer case and you're stuck paying for it. Those are really your only 2 options.

 

[EddieV4runnin]

I think I’m gonna do Ravenol in the transfer case and Amsoil in the diffs

 

[Tuco S.]

Mobil 1 Delvac Synthetic 75w90. Our 2014 has 185K happy miles on it.
Unusual Activity Detected - Free Shipping on Orders Over $99 at Summit Racing

Solid choice for the front and rear diffs.

 

[CutthroatSlam]

The transfer case in the later 5th gen is not the same as the 4th gen and models prior. Do a little homework, do some reading. Quite a few posts of guys having shifting issues and noisy cases after using 75-90 in the transfer case. Not to mention any gear oil with limited slip additive WILL eat up any soft parts inside the case, you can bank on that. Stop being cheap, spend the $100 every 50K miles, and buy what belongs in it. Otherwise don't ***** when you blow up a $2000 transfer case and you're stuck paying for it. Those are really your only 2 options.

Mobil Delvac 75w90, no Limited Slip additive. Use it in the transfer case with no problems.

 

[TC4Rnr]

Gear oil is very very tough, it doesn't wear out easily at all.

As long as you keep the breather above water, run it till the car dies.

I've changed mine after 100k miles, totally waste of money.

It's not motor oil, it doesn't live through fire and heat like motor oil. It doesn't need to be changed unless it's worn out, and it takes a long long time and abuse to wear it out.

 

[Tuco S.]

Mobil Delvac 75w90, no Limited Slip additive. Use it in the transfer case with no problems.

It wouldn't be in my top 5 for a 2014+ transfer case, but as you said there are no friction modifiers for LSD, so the synchros may be fine.

The Fuchs 75W GL-4 I listed runs about $12.50 per liter. I used that (2.3 liter sump) in a VW TDI 6 speed manual gear box for 80k miles and it was still shifting smoothly when they bought it back. At $12.50 per fill, I'll just swap one out every 30k miles. No need to pay for oem fluid with a short interval like 30k.

 

[2016 4Runner SR5]

Mobil Delvac 75w90, no Limited Slip additive. Use it in the transfer case with no problems.

Cool, just don't recommend it to other people because it's wrong. Great choice for the diffs but it doesn't belong in the transfer case.

 

[Tuco S.]

Just posting specs for a few oils recently discussed.

The Fuchs is one of the better 75W GL-4 oils by comparison, and it is also one of the least expensive. It won't have a robust additive package like the OEM Toyota fluid, but it will be fine for moderate oci's (@ 30k). I strongly suspect Toyota specifies that robust additive pack in the factory fill for those owners who never change the transfer case oil even once. Other than the additives, it's just a normal 75W. I won't be dumping my transfer case factory fill before 60k miles, and even that will most likely be a complete waste of good oil.

Fuchs Titan Sintofluid FE SAE 75W
API GL-4
Density at 15°C = 0.873
Viscosity at 40°C = 40.8
Viscosity at 100°C = 6.7
Viscosity Index = 119
Flash Point = 221°C
Pour Point = -44°C (this appeared disappointing at first, but it compares quite favorably to most other 75W oils).

This one is a bit pricey, but it's what I bought for the front & rear diffs. It also wouldn't be a bad choice for the transfer case, as it explicitly states on the bottle it is safe for all yellow metals and seals:
Motul Gear 300 75W-90
API GL-4 & GL-5
Density at 15°C = 0.897
Viscosity at 40°C = 72.6
Viscosity at 100°C = 15.2
Viscosity Index = 222
Flash Point = 200°C
Pour Point = -60°C (try and beat that!)

Mobil Delvac 1 75W-90
API GL-5 & MT-1 (not recommended for GL-4 applications)
Density at 15°C = 0.860
Viscosity at 40°C = 120
Viscosity at 100°C = 15.9
Viscosity Index = 140
Flash Point = 205°C
Pour Point = -48°C

 

[MaddoxPics]

The transfer case in the later 5th gen is not the same as the 4th gen and models prior. Do a little homework, do some reading. Quite a few posts of guys having shifting issues and noisy cases after using 75-90 in the transfer case. Not to mention any gear oil with limited slip additive WILL eat up any soft parts inside the case, you can bank on that. Stop being cheap, spend the $100 every 50K miles, and buy what belongs in it. Otherwise don't ***** when you blow up a $2000 transfer case and you're stuck paying for it. Those are really your only 2 options.

Plenty of Toyota dealers put 75-90 in difs and transfer cases. Some of them don't even know the straight 75W exist. I know quite a few people who have ran 75W-90 and are approaching 150K with zero issues or malfunctions. I highly doubt it's going to blow anything up.

 

[jplegore]

I have a 5th Generation 4Runner Limited, about to change rear, front and transfer case fluid using Mobile 1 75w90 in all of them, just want to ask and make sure if its okay and safe. Thanks


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