In a gear contact as simulated on a roller test machine, the instantaneous coefficient of friction follows the concept of transition from boundary to hydrodynamic lubrication. The coefficient has been found to increase with increasing load and to decrease with increasing sum velocity, sliding velocity, and oil viscosity as each of these quantities is varied individually. The viscosity was determined by the temperature of the oil entering contact and the viscosity-temperature characteristics of the lubricant. The results have been combined in a formula which closely represents the data. When this formula is used in gear scoring calculations, the same type of U-shaped load-speed curve is obtained as has been found on several gear test rigs.