>Dick, I think the main advantage of the whale oil along with many animal oils >is >the organic acids that react with the metal surface and form an oxice layer >that is far more resistant to adhesive wear. > > You sure about this one D^2? What are the internal components of a transmission made of? Not all metals and alloys will form stable oxide films. In many cases, (iron comes to mind) you would have metal dissolution long before a barrier oxide. Al will form a barrier film, and it would not surprise me if many transmission components are made of Al, but I'm skeptical that the conditions you suggest would cause Al's natural oxide film to thicken and/or increase in hardness. I have seen references to using oxide layers on Al for this purpose, but these are normally generated anodically, which is a much more controlled process than pouring in transmission fluid. You may be right, but if you could embellish a bit, that would be great. James