So I want to grease the manual gearbox on Vixen. I think a high quality chassis/bearing grease will be fine. But will it be acceptable to drill a hole in the fill plug and tap it for a zerk fitting? Acceptable or not, that's what I'm gonna do. LOL
Greasing A Manual Gearbox
- Thread starter RustyRatRod
- Start date
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In the old days we would remove the filler plug and stick the hole grease gun in it and fill it up. A fill up would probably be good for another 50K miles. If you start pressuring the box you are risking pushing the grease out the bottom seal. IMO.
Kendog 170
Let the boy go !
If seals are good and you can drain out the old , just refill with 80w90.
In my repair world when we work on a rotary mower gear box that is subjected to a lot of crap wrapping around the shafts and tearing the seals, the oil does not last at all. We do just that Rusty. We change the seals and put the grease gun in the hole (typically 3/8” or 1/2” NPT) and pump till it’s full. Leave a little room for expansion and cap.
Way more heat and revolutions than a steering box. I’m sure you will be fine.
Easier to heat the grease up till flowable and pour it in with a funnel I bet. Just don’t burn the grease.
In my repair world when we work on a rotary mower gear box that is subjected to a lot of crap wrapping around the shafts and tearing the seals, the oil does not last at all. We do just that Rusty. We change the seals and put the grease gun in the hole (typically 3/8” or 1/2” NPT) and pump till it’s full. Leave a little room for expansion and cap.
Way more heat and revolutions than a steering box. I’m sure you will be fine.
Easier to heat the grease up till flowable and pour it in with a funnel I bet. Just don’t burn the grease.
Don't laugh. In the 70's working for a Dodge dealer we had lots of new cars with manual steering.
We found not many had much grease in them from the factory. A district rep told us to fill them with STP.
Did it make it easier steering ? It sure felt like it. Customers were happy. But a old box most will run out of the lower seal.
Seems that they all leak. I have white Luberplate grease in my 63 box.
We found not many had much grease in them from the factory. A district rep told us to fill them with STP.
Did it make it easier steering ? It sure felt like it. Customers were happy. But a old box most will run out of the lower seal.
Seems that they all leak. I have white Luberplate grease in my 63 box.
Oh no, I'm not gonna put that much in it. I wondered about just sticking the end of the grease gun it there. I'll try that first, since it's so easy to get to. Thanks.
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cudamark
Well-Known Member
Yup, oils drip out the seals. If I have a steering gear that need lube, I pull the top off and pack the box with Moly wheel bearing grease. Re-install the top and adjust. I agree that a grease gun will probably pop seals out.
The recommended gearbox grease in my 48 Willys is 50/50 gear oil and wheel bearing grease.
CudaJason
Member
I’d recommend John Deere corn head grease. We’ve been using that in early ford steering boxes for years. It flows very easily but won’t pass through the seals easily.
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