Why isn’t all lubricant oil the same in function?
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Because they operate under different conditions and have different requirements. The engine oil in your car has to work in relatively high temperatures and supports the crankshaft allowing it to ride on a thin layer of oil to prevent metal to metal contact. It also has to deal with the byproducts of combustion that sneaks past the piston rings and keep the engine clean. Since it goes into an engine and some will likely get burnt; the byproducts of it’s combustion can’t clog catalytic converters. Gear oil, on the other hand, works in the differentials and manual transmissions. It’s designed to be in the car for 30k+ miles at much lower temperatures and doesn’t get burnt inside the engine so it can have additives in there to deal with the extreme pressure it will likely see between the gears of a car. It also might need friction modifiers required by limited slip differentials and special parts of the transmission that require friction to work. Grease is designed to displace water and keep it from coming in as well as stay in place for years unlike oils.
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