What oil for a 205?

[txbartman]

Is it gear lube (80W-90) like a 465 or ATF like my old 208?

And, what should I use to hold the needle bearings in place during reassembly? Can I use a small amount of wheel bearing grease?

 

[TX Mudder]

Gear oil. I use the 85-140.

I haven't rebuilt one so I'm not sre what needle bearing you are talking about, but it would be a safe bet that yes heavy greade like WB grease will work great.
-- Mike

 

[4DiggerDan]

I've never rebuilt a 205 either. But I have been into a 203. My tranny guy showed me a trick to that. He'd stick various sizes of heater hose inside the needle bearings, then when he'd slide the shaft in, the hose would come out the other side.

 

[fortcollinsram]

I use 80w-90 in my 205 but I have been told that GM and Dodge used ATF to reduce parasitic power losses in the 205. I would stick with gear oil since it is a GEAR driven case...As for the needle bearings, when I rebuilt mine, I used vasaline, but a small amount of bearing grease would work as well..

Chris

 

[txbartman]

Can't do that trick on a 205. The needle bearings in question are inside a shaft. There is no "other side". It is where one gear shaft slides inside the other and they become one shaft. I used a thin coating of WB grease. The needle bearings stuck nicely to it. Then slid it down over the other shaft as if I were playing operation (don't touch the sides!) and it worked fine. Spins freely. Shouldn't be any issues at all.

 

[Leadfoot]

Gear Lube not ATF (although some came from the factory with ATF).

To hold the needle bearings in place you can use a light wheel bearing grease. Use just enough to hold them in place. The grease will provide protection at initial startup and dissolve once the fluid gets warm. Also when installing the caged roller bearings, "wet" them with gear lube (or I like using the Limited slip additive in a tube as it seems to "stick" to the gears better). This will help prevent "dry" starts until the fluid can be pumped/splashed up to some of them.