some one on here can help you with the gear question, you go to about say 50mph and see what rpm you are at and you type that in at this site and your tire size and it will tell you your gear's. Someone on here will tell you the site, i don't know it off hand. And the oil thing is most likely the valve seals, they seem to go out on these. Just run highmile oil and some lucus oil treatment and that should slow it down some.