Steering Gear Lube

[hcarr]

Trying to rebuild the steering sector on my farmall super A. I would like to know what type of lubricant I should fill it with. On top of the box is a pipe plug and a grease fitting. The old stuff that came out was a mixture of grease and liquid. The stuff smelled bad but it was prob. in there all 69 years.

 

[denglish]

In a recent thread, it was recommended by janicholson that Mobile-1 synthetic chassis grease is a good replacement. The instructions were to drain rinse and adapt a grease fitting to the fill hole or use a piece of acrylic hose to adapt the grease gun to the threads.

I plan to do this for my SA, I have drained and rinsed with kerosene. Have not yet refilled it, but plan to do it this weekend.

 

[denglish]

By the way, if there was a pipe plug and grease zerk on the top of the steering sector box then someone has already obviously used grease in the past. Originally, there was a square-headed plug up there and the gear box was supposed to be filled with 90 weight, I think.

 

[steve706]

Whenever I buy an offset Farmall, I automatically drain the oil out of the steering and replace it with corn head grease. Stuff is nice and thick and doesn't separate, no leaks and it feels smoother.

 

[Janicholson]

The Mobil synthetic is less affected by heat and cold when compared to lithium grease or other petroleum based chassis grease. Corn Head grease from John Deere is a
")" grade semi-pourable thick oil/thin grease. It will thin when hot. I like the synthetic because it stays pretty much like grease in the temperatures we operate
tractors. Jim

 

[FBH44]

I believe for a Farmall it's gotta be red. And Im so cheap I make my own. Blend up your own like I do, a coat hanger in your drill, a 50-50 mix of red wheel bearing grease and 90 wt. gear oil, in a coffee can, blended to your consistency, whatever you like. Just pour the stuff in. I did that for my "H", it is still there, a real thick slow goo. Red.

 

[Janicholson]

The Mobil 1 is red red red. Jim

 

[D beatty]

I put 140 gear oil in all my tractor steering gears along with Lucas oil stabilizer.

 

[hcarr]

(quoted from post at 12:19:04 07/13/17)
By the way, if there was a pipe plug and grease zerk on the top of the steering sector box then someone has already obviously used grease in the past. Originally, there was a square-headed plug up there and the gear box was supposed to be filled with 90 weight, I think.

I'm sorry it is a square head plug and a grease fitting about 2 inches beside it. Nasty foul smelling crude came out of it.

 

[hcarr]

Thanks Steve, I never heard of it before. I'll see if tractor supply has it.

 

[hcarr]

Doesn't your SA have both the plug and grease fitting?

 

[D beatty]

If you can't find it you can go to a dealer that handles weed eater with straight shaft and get the grease they use in gears in bottom end of
shaft. Echo, Stihl, and others handle it and it also comes cartridges .

 

[gene bender]

90-150 is what you want. The grease fitting is for the bearing in the top of the housing as the worm on the steering shaft will not throw any lube up to that bearing. Pipe plug is for filling the 90-150 and there is a level plug on the side. Replace all the seals and bushings. Check if the key needs replacing as they do get worn but you say it was full of lube to at least is wasnt used dry without any lube.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

If your steering gearbox is getting hot enough to affect the viscosity of its lube, you probably should stop using your old Farmall to run NASCAR races, or you've got a serious problem.

 

[hcarr]

LOL, I should prob. replace that big block Hemi engine with the old C113 first.
Howard

 

[hcarr]

Thanks Gene, I now know why there is both ways to fill it. Do I leave the level plug out until the gear lube starts coming out then use the grease gun to top it off. I suppose I grease the bearing first before assembling it.
Howard

 

[denglish]

My SA only has the three plugs, drain, level-check plug and fill plug. Now I am wondering if there should be a grease zerk after reading Gene's post.

 

[hcarr]

The three on mine is the plug to pour gear oil in it and it is on top of the housing the zerk fitting is next to it closer to the motor. The level is on the side.I guess I was so confused as to why there was a plug and a grease fitting. So
happy Gene cleared it up for us I still want to know how high to fill with gear oil and how much grease to put in.also my larger bearing that goes on the sector shaft is a sealed unit it seems ok but I have the one from the kit that
has the exposed ball bearings.
Howard

 

[Janicholson]

Not a "flame" ha ha the heat from the sun on grade 0 lubricant can and does reduce viscosity enough to let it have an opportunity to leak on the warm end, and get
stiff and increase turning effort on the other winter extreme. Jim

 

[rfridy73]

corn head grease or nlg 0 in all my bush hog gear boxes and etc.works good for me.