New to me vehicles get all fresh fluids. Generally Amsoil for differentials and transfer cases. Shell Rotella or Ford Motorcraft in the proper viscosity based upon application.
Well the new to me Tundra threw me a little bit of a monkey wrench as Amsoil says they have no suggested oil for Toyota’s transfer case.
So naturally I head over to the manual.


Wowzers $80+ a quart on Amazon!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Supposedly in 2014 Toyota switched the Tundras to a Borg Warner transfer case and 75w-90gear oil is no longer a suggested possibility for these transfers cases.
Lots of folks say screw it and use the 75w-90 and send it. Folks don’t seem to have any failure issues but lots of comments about the TC not functioning as smoothly as when it is filled with Toyota’s specific stuff.
I decided to stick with what is prescribed here people had on occasion found it for $65 a quart.

So I swung by the Toyota dealer as I needed a vaccum union to build a breather for my rear differential.
So I went not looking forward to shelling out close $160 plus for 2 quarts of oil.

Asked for the vacuum Union first and at $10 that was easy. I then asked for the transfer case oil and he said easy, but that stuff is expensive and I said I know best I could find online was $81 be about hit the floor and said ours is only $32. I then about hit the floor with delight.
He goes back and grabs a couple quarts of 75w-85 differential oil. I said that is not what the transfer case calls for and he says he has not heard of anything else. I asked him to check what his computer suggests and gave him my VIN to help lock it in.
Sure enough 75w TC oil is something different. None in stock and $87 a quart!!!!!!
He was a touch baffled as he has never even heard of this stuff. Goes and asks service they say yup that is what is called for but they never use it and just use the 75w-85.

In my reading I came across the question directly to the lead engineer at Borg Warner and he says he has no skin in the game and not to use anything but the Toyota stuff.
Folks posted their virgin analysis from BlackStone in regard to the different fluids and all the other fluids were substantially different in composition than Toyota’s.

Figure I do TCs every 50k so it is not a huge deal and an easy job to keep it running smooth. So I bit the bullet and said order it up.
Fella did me a solid and sold it to me at wholesale for $67 a quart!

The oil used in the Manual transmission was different than the previously used Gen 2 I found on my 17 Tacoma pro Gen 3

A lot of 4x4 Tundra owners are running Ravenol 75w MTF-3. Next time just use that and save some money. It even has the Toyota spec code on the front of the bottle.

https://www.amazon.com/Ravenol...s%2Caps%2C181&sr=8-2

quote:

Originally posted by PowerSurge:
A lot of 4x4 Tundra owners are running Ravenol 75w MTF-3. Next time just use that and save some money. It even has the Toyota spec code on the front of the bottle.

https://www.amazon.com/Ravenol...s%2Caps%2C181&sr=8-2

Pow

Why do you need to build a breather for the rear differential?

Because he'll be fording rivers at fords in the rivers in his Toyota. Submerging a hot differential in cool water could cause it to suck water into the differential through the differential breather vent.

The owner's manual for my F350 specifically warns to change the differential fluid any time the axle has been submerged.

quote:

Originally posted by PowerSurge:
A lot of 4x4 Tundra owners are running Ravenol 75w MTF-3. Next time just use that and save some money. It even has the Toyota spec code on the front of the bottle.

https://www.amazon.com/Ravenol...s%2Caps%2C181&sr=8-2

While folks use it the BlackStone analysis still showed a substantial difference in a composition between it and the Toyota oil. Also it was one that was specifically referenced in having a much less smooth operation of the transfer case and a couple noted the transfer case would not fully engage the 4wd until the wheels were turned.

quote:

Originally posted by AH.74:
Why do you need to build a breather for the rear differential?

Because water in your differential is a bad thing.
On the Tundras the breather is nothing more than a little cap on the top of the differential. I’ll submerge that every time I hit the trails as we have a lot of water crossings here.
I’ll run a hose from the differential up behind the taillight with a little filter on it.

https://www.tundras.com/thread...l-breather-mod.5253/

Even my Expedition had a breather tube run way up into the body from the factory.

The Tundras front runs up into the engine bay. Not sure why they did the rear like they did.

^^^ Read the amazon reviews. I run it in my BIL’s Tundra. No problems at all.

That makes sense- I did not think about that, re being submerged. Good to know.

Last time I paid that much for a bottle it had a tax stamp on it. Ouch!

Don't spill any.

quote:

Originally posted by AH.74:
Why do you need to build a breather for the rear differential?

Partly because it can heat up in long / heavy use, building a bit of pressure inside, that could tend to make seals leak.

I thought the $23 a quart fluid for Mopar 8/9-speed FWD transmissions was bad. And try checking/filling one.

quote:

Why do you need to build a breather for the rear differential?

Differentials build up air pressure inside from the gears turning and oil swishing around, so they must be vented. He is probably referring to extending the vent so the opening is high above any water in case of the diff getting submerged. This can happen fording deep streams or launching boats. It needs a one-way check valve to let air out but not anything in.

quote:

Originally posted by blueye:
Don't spill any.

I am trying to figure out the best way to fill it. I have a pump for threaded oil bottles.
This stuff is in old school metal oil cans.

A transfer case only holds about two quarts of fluid, if that, and the fluid is not heavy or viscous, about on par with transmission fluid. Get yourself one of these, or something similar:



Use it to suck the fluid out of the can and then shoot it into the t-case fill hole. It should take about three, maybe four "cycles" per quart can, and has other uses. I use mine all the time to suck out excess brake fluid and coolant.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: egregore,

Honda Moly 77 is $21.85/2.65OZ tube = $1055.40/gallon.

https://www.partzilla.com/prod...ontent=All%20Website

A lower unit (outboard) handpump.

https://www.westmarine.com/buy...1e8d90bd764a85e0ad15

quote:

Originally posted by PowerSurge:
A lot of 4x4 Tundra owners are running Ravenol 75w MTF-3. Next time just use that and save some money. It even has the Toyota spec code on the front of the bottle.

https://www.amazon.com/Ravenol...s%2Caps%2C181&sr=8-2

That’s what I’m using.
The hard shifting of the transfer case I researched was due to using 75/whatever differential oil like what the parts dude tried to sell you.

Note to Black92 - my comment in your other thread about the fuel tank having a reserve was due to me misreading the year of your truck. The 8 gallon reserve after the fuel light comes into play with the 38 gal tank, not the small one.
(If an accident, brush fire, etc. re-routes me on a 200 mile detour, I don’t care now. With the small tank in my 1st gen I certainly did!)

Obtaining Toyota approval for any lubricant is nearly impossible, without Toyota having chosen the oil company who chooses the additive company. Relationships in the Asia-Pacific market for lubricants dominate the decisions, and those relationships are focused on technical excellence and having zero risk of failure. So, incremental changes are most common.

For a lubricant to make claims that it is approved by an OEM is a very big challenge. For a lubricant to make statements that it works as well as the OEM lubricant is less a challenge. Hopefully this German lubricant formulation has been checked with various synchronizer materials in the SSP-180 transmission synchro test rig, and data is available that shows comparable performance to all the referenced OEM parts.

When I make buying decisions, for lubricants, I often think about the technical risk and the path to take if a problem is noted. If it is easy to change, and has a huge financial difference, I might choose aftermarket.

The internet has also changed the flow of information, making is possible to share anecdotes like "works just fine" or "better than ever." These can't be as precise as a SSP-180 test report showing no change in dynamic or static friction over 100,000 shift cycles on Audi B80 brass synchros, though. So, you are taking a technical risk.

In Japan, they require the Automax brand synchro test rig to evaluate the friction of the synchros, and it is very precise.

I think your path of getting the OEM fluid at reduced cost was ideal.

Just an fyi, your parts department will almost always cut the price for you if you ask and when you do brakes you want to get the hardware kit too.