When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
It's all big money these days! I still can't get over what regular oil and gear lube goes for these days.
But yes, agree that an NP205 can run on just about anything in that 75 to 90 weight range. My personal go-to gear oil these days has been the slightly thinner-when-cold 75w/90, for most normal duty applications.
Lets me use the same stuff in some manual transmissions, transfer cases and the usual front & rear differentials. Makes it pretty easy...
If it's a heavy-duty work truck that's often loaded up full and used hard, or something that's going racing in the desert, or mud-bogging with bigger tires, I'd typically recommend the bigger cushion of a thicker lube such as the 85w/140.
But that last one is pretty thick and not needed or recommended for very many vehicles that just see normal light-duty use.
Take a look on the front side of the xfer case for a silver/blue tag. NP-205 yes 80/90 gear oil or the lighter suggestion. I like 80/90 it works in the xfer case and front and rear diff on all my trucks. NP-203 30 wt motor oil.
Awesome i found the tag thanks. here it is.Also, what does the "3" mean before the 205??? Also. when i look at a picture of a np205. everything is opposite? like for instance sitting under the truck looking towards the engine bay behind the transfercase the rear driveshaft is on the passenger side(to your right). pictures online show it on the left side of the rear of the transfercase.
Awesome i found the tag thanks. here it is.Also, what does the "3" mean before the 205??? Also. when i look at a picture of a np205. everything is opposite? like for instance sitting under the truck looking towards the engine bay behind the transfercase the rear driveshaft is on the passenger side(to your right). pictures online show it on the left side of the rear of the transfercase.
NP205's were made for right and left side differential front axles. Square body GM's were right side.
No idea on the #3. Here are some pics I have of a FORD 203/205 visual difference and a 205 with a C-6 and 435 4 spd.
205 on left, 203 on right.
203 on left, 205 on right.
NP-435 4 spd and NP-205 xfer case.
C-6 and NP-205
I'm quite sure the NP205 transfer case has had automatic transmission fluid, 30 weight motor oil, and yes even gear lube as factory approved lubricants over the years. If you were going to be running 90% street, I wouldn't hesitate to use ATF. If you were doing a lot of low speed, high torque, or racing application, I wouldn't hesitate to use a 85W-140 as suggested by 1TonBasecamp. I just rebuilt a NP205 for my 78 Bronco and will be running Valvoline SynPower 75W-90 in it because it will be seeing a fair amount of off-road use.
I think it must be really difficult to get NP205 lubrication "wrong", and getting it more "correct" really depends on your specific application.
You forgot Neutral....
And even though you could be correct, I thought the "range" was just the Low and High part of a transfer case. At least that's how I think of it, but that doesn't mean that's what the engineers thought about it.
