Not to worry
Mike, not to worry, all is welcome here.
I will say that reading that post gave me a chuckle but I am sure it was intended in good fun for everybody.
While I consider this forum to be rather unique in the universe of car forums, it seems that the "oil" issue always triggers lots of input.
In this case, Redline MTL/MT90 is somewhat accepted by the old guard here as settled law. However, at seemingly predictable intervals, a newcomer posts the question about transmission oil. Us long timers here simply respond "Redline" and consider it done. Then the "still to be converted" offer up sources for GL1 and the free-for-all ensues. On this occasion, RacerX simply 'cut to the chase', all with good intentions. Knowing him and the good people here, I am sure there was no intent to step on anyone's toes.
The comments regarding my credentials did make me smile but are in fact accurate if not incomplete. I have been building X1/9 transmissions for more than 25 years and have built more than any one I have any knowledge of. And I did a lot more than just rebuild these. I did a lot of experimentation and testing. I have also built many of these transmissions for fellow racers in addition to my own race units.
The truth be told, it was my X1/9 transmission business that got me into my Aamco Transmission businesses. I have built specialty transmissions and racing transmissions for everything from vintage Ferraris to ultra-modern Quaife sequential units. Along the way my transmissions have won championships in everything from road racing to NASCAR (yep).
I have been involved in racing for more than a couple of decades and in fact work in that industry now. My passion has been these cars since I got my first X1/9 in 1978. I am here only to share that passion and help other so afflicted.
As to the Redline recommendation. I have tested lots of different oils in X1/9 transmissions and inspected the results (not just how it feels when shifting) and know Redline to be the real deal. During a stint with a NASCAR team, Redline was one of our primary sponsors. That relationship got me access to redline engineers where I learned a lot about their products. That's where my knowledge comes from and why I recommend it.
As you can probably guess, in all of that time I saw a lot of GL1. I have also learned a lot about modern lubricants and I can tell you that GL1 is to modern gear oils as an adding machine is to the newest I-7 pentium PC. GL1 has been around since the 1940s. While it worked fine in its day, lubrication technology has come a long way since. With the modern technology available today I would never consider using it in an X1/9 if there was most anything else available. As I noted, if you don't have Redline available, Castrol 20w50 isn't a bad alternative. I used it for years before I discovered Reline's MTL/MT90.
I hope you finish your car soon so you can get to enjoying driving it.
