one trick to make it easier to pump by hand ( or pour with a gravity
method )  is heat the gear oil some,
even just by letting the bottle of gear oil sit in a pan of hot water.

I'm gonna get me some Swepco.,
Haven't had luck finding the local distributor , but I will.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Don Hanson" <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Thursday, April 22, 2010 8:37 AM
Subject: OK, Swepco gear oil..

>I just changed-over from MT-90 Redline to Swepco 201 in the gearbox of my
> 5sp manual tranny.  Here are my impressions.
>
>  The two are very different.  The Redline has the consistency of light
> motor oil or maybe even power steering fluid...very 'thin'.  The Swepco is
> more the consistency of molasses. Really "messy" stuff.  When you lift
> your
> fingers out of a puddle of the Swepco you get these little "threads"
> coming
> off...they blow away like cobwebs. Very 'sticky-feeling'...  I was working
> in about 45f temps.  I also have some Valvoline 80w-90w Gear Oil on hand.
> That seems to be right between the two in viscosity.
>   I used one of those inexpensive gear oil pumps that you screw into the
> container and pump by hand, stroke by stroke, right out of the jug.  I
> doubt
> if you would be able to use the "gravity-feed" method unless you had all
> day.  Very tedious to pump it in by hand..took about an hour to transfer.
> Thick, sticky, messy stuff.  It comes only in gallon containers and my
> tranny uses just over a gallon.  I used a little of the Valvoline to make
> up
> the difference after researching that the two would be compatible,
> Pumping
> in the little Valvoline top-up of  'normal' gear oil (about one pint) was
> easy compared to the Swepco..
>   First impression is the Swepco makes my gearbox quieter.  I don't notice
> any shifting difference (again, ~40f operating temps) but I imagine in
> cold
> temps the thicker consistency would be felt.
>  The used (~25K mi) Redline I drained was quite clean and my magnetic
> drain
> plug had few shavings on it.  Good stuff, that Redline..I guess, but my
> gearbox was a little noisy using it...under hard acceleration from a stop,
> usually when turning onto a highway  to match into traffic, I had a
> 'growling' noise from the rear that I didn't much fancy...That is almost
> gone with the Swepco in there...
>  So I am going to keep using the Swepco because it "feels" more 'slippery'
> and "sounds" like it makes things work better back there.  But if I were
> to
> move to Alaska and drive in winter, I would probably go back to the
> Redline..and if I find gear shavings on my next change...again..back to
> the
> Redline.
>
>  Not very scientific, this report..but take it for what it's worth..
>
>  Don Hanson