Hello all,
As the following is regarding transmission oil rather than engine oil, I hope this is the right place for this information!
I was recently fortunate enough to speak to a Castrol engineer and I took the opportunity to ask about the best and most readily available transmission oil for the classic Panda given that the ZC90 oil is becoming increasingly difficult to find, especially in the UK. He informed me of the following:
Always use GL4 oil, never under any circumstances GL5. The recommendation was 80W90 transmission oil (or 75W80 if the need so arises). The oil does not have to be EP (extreme pressure) as the gear teeth inside the classic Panda gearboxes are not at particularly steep angles; on the contrary they are actually fairly gentle. I personally used Castrol EP80W90 GL4 and so far it seems really quite good (despite the lack of an EP specification recommendation). Even with the added complications of the classic Panda gearbox technically being a transaxle, my choice so far fortunately seems very sound.
I hope this can help some people who cannot find the sought after ZC90. The person in question is very trust worthy and has worked for Castrol for many years. Nonetheless I must stress two important factors; primarily that this is only a recommendation and however expert his knowledge of automobile lubricants and oils happens to be, I cannot say his knowledge of classic Panda transmissions is as deep. Second, I asked him these questions with regard to my own model of Panda (1986 1000S) which has the 999cc fire engine; therefore I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information for other engine sizes and classic Panda models. I do however sincerely hope this information is helpful to some fellow Panda enthusiasts!
Regards,
Gary.
