Power lok differential

I know this is an older thread, but what is the best fluid to put in one of these?

Second, I’m looking for one of those tags that say use limited slip.
I mentioned this before about power lok gear oil in your build thread Mickey. I used the Castrol brand posi traction gear oil purchased at O'Reilly's. This stopped the popping sound in a turn. I tried a few different additives that didn't work so finally changed the oil and put Castrol limited slip. You got a short memory.
 

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I mentioned this before about power lok gear oil in your build thread Mickey. I used the Castrol brand posi traction gear oil purchased at O'Reilly's. This stopped the popping sound in a turn. I tried a few different additives that didn't work so finally changed the oil and put Castrol limited slip. You got a short memory.

Yeah Mike. I have 2 bottles of additives in each diff and lots of figure "8's: to get the noises to stop.

Don't be hard on Mickey, his memory is the 2nd shortest thing he's got!
:D
 
Yeah Mike. I have 2 bottles of additives in each diff and lots of figure "8's: to get the noises to stop.

Don't be hard on Mickey, his memory is the 2nd shortest thing he's got!
:D
Those additives are more expensive than a full quart of Castrol purchased at O'Reilly's. To pore in the additives you have to draw out equal amount otherwise there is no room for the additives. Unless the differential was low on oil. I used a hypodermic syringe to draw out the oil to make room for the additives.
The additives on the left to me were snake oil - waste of money.
 

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Those additives are more expensive than a full quart of Castrol purchased at O'Reilly's. To pore in the additives you have to draw out equal amount otherwise there is no room for the additives. Unless the differential was low on oil. I used a hypodermic syringe to draw out the oil to make room for the additives.
The additives on the left to me were snake oil - waste of money.
Which is why I recommended the GM additive. Ford sells an additive as well.
 
Is the additive really necessary if you buy the gear oil that’s stated as being safe for limited slip differentials?

I am pretty sure I started with a LS oil. I was getting the clicking/popping noise on turns like @muleskinner was. I went to a differential shop near me and got a little bottle of green stuff additive, maybe 2oz. Smelled nasty. Wound up using 2 bottles and lots of figure "8" to make the Powr Lok quiet. Was told that regular gear oil was too slippery for the clutch pack.

That was a long time ago. maybe oils are better today?
 
I had the same exact experience with my '78 Wagoneer with the Quadra-trac, including the figure 8's. The manual calls it slip-stick condition. I don't recall adding an additive, I just changed the fluid with the expensive dealer stuff. It worked good after that until I sold it a couple of years later.
 
I had the same exact experience with my '78 Wagoneer with the Quadra-trac, including the figure 8's. The manual calls it slip-stick condition. I don't recall adding an additive, I just changed the fluid with the expensive dealer stuff. It worked good after that until I sold it a couple of years later.

For sure I bought an off the shelf oil from Pep Boys.
 
@muleskinner your picture does not show GL5 on the front but all the ones at O'Reilys now say GL5. Is there a difference or is yours just older?
Castrol Conventional Gear Oil 80W-90 1 Quart  Primary Image


Or this at Amazon https://www.amazon.com/CASTROL-INC-...cphy=9028023&hvtargid=pla-2281435176698&psc=1
 
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I saw the difference in the bottle but it is GL 5. The one on Amazon is $16 plus were as O'Reilly's was only $12.98. You can use and buy whatever you want but I would not use any of the additives + pure Snake Oil. You will like the Power Lok.
 

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I saw the difference in the bottle but it is GL 5. The one on Amazon is $16 plus were as O'Reilly's was only $12.98. You can use and buy whatever you want but I would not use any of the additives + pure Snake Oil. You will like the Power Lok.
The limited slip additives aren’t snake oil, they were made to be added to regular gear oil that didn’t have the additives included.
 
The limited slip additives aren’t snake oil, they were made to be added to regular gear oil that didn’t have the additives included.
Yes no reason to add the special gear oil additives when the limited slip oil is cheaper. Plus with the Power Lok in the Front D25 only takes 1 quart . So why not put the right limited slip oil in the differential - like drain it and squirt in the right oil in the first place. And do the figure 8's about 10 times to immerse the friction modifier oil into the clutch packs.
 
I believe the principal difference between GL-4 and GL-5 is the inclusion of friction modifiers for limited slip differentials in GL-5. Early formulations of GL-5 with these additives were supposedly corrosive to brass and bronze. Most now are "yellow metal safe" and work just fine. I believe the whole corrosion issue to be massively over done. I've never seen any damage.
 
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