Miata Mailing List: February 1994, Message #79
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   From: martin7368@aol.com
Subject: Red Line Gear Lube
   Date: Sat, 5 Feb 1994 20:51:04 -0500

Steven Ling writes:

>>The specific Redline products that I used were recommended for the Miata by
the 
Redline factory rep in Martinez, CA (510) 228-7576. The NS means "no slip"
and is 
used in the trans to help the synchronizers work faster. Using NS in the LS
diff would
not be recommended unless you want to drag one tire around corners.
(Apparently 
some racers like to use this.) The diff oil is a little lighter than the
Mazda
recommendation, but that's what Redline said to use.

              Qty        Redline       Owners Manual
            ---------  -------------  ---------------
   trans     2.1 qts    75W90NS GL-5   75W90 GL-4/GL-5
   LS diff   0.7 qts    75W90 GL-5     80W/90             <<

I'm surprised they recommend the NS for the trany. I looked in the Pegasus
Auto Racing Supplies Catalog and here is what they say about the two
products:

75W90 Gear Oil   Red Line gear oils will reduce gearbox temperature by 10 to
70 degrees F. They protect gears under much higher loads than any petroleum
product. 75W90 is recommended for most differentials and gearboxes for
greatest durability and component life. Can be used in all hypoid
differentials including limited-slip and posi-traction models. Exceeds GL-5
and GL-6 protection ratings.

75W90 Non-slip Gear Oil  Very similar to above 75W90 gear oil but with a
special formulation to help insure more effective lock up of limited-slip and
posi-traction differentials. Exceeds GL-5 and GL-6 protection ratings. This
oil may cause increased noise and therefore is only recommended for racing
applications.

I had assumed that this text came from Red Line so I have opted for the 75W90
GL-5 in my transmission. Have you noticed any increase in noise? Another
popular Red Line product for the transmission is the MTL. However this only
comes with a 75W/80W GL-4 rating so I steered clear due to warranty concerns.
Has anyone tried the MTL? I noticed a definite improvement with the 75W90 but
it still does not shift as smooth as my former CRXsi. But in those days I had
to clean the SU carbs and wrestle with the top on an old B to enjoy top down
motoring!

Martin Goodale