It's time to start filling up with some lube on the AV8. I just need to know what to use. Please share your knowledge. Regular old Ford parts. 32 rearend 39 Trans 32 Steering Paul
I've heard that you should use the 600wt lube the restoration guys sell for the early rear and stearing box and 80/90 gear lube for the late tranny.
600w is Model A only, and they dropped it for the same gears in 1932...it is not 600 weight but something thicker than normal 140...also, if running it in aa A, it is apparently still available...but many dealers are selling unknown sticky substances labeled 600. What you want to start with is regular Ford recs, these are from 1946 and Ford applied those all the way back to '32 retroactively...'32's of course used same rear gears as A Rear end, summer 140, winter 90 trans summer 90, winter 80 Steering 90 Probably a modern 80/90 would be fine all around...steering may need tube from bottom, '34-36 part to keep it full. Anyone have experience with synthetics?? U-joint is NOT supposed to get normal grease ('32 and up specs...), though that's what everyone uses...it gets something a bit lighter that I can't really identify: cylinder oil soda soap grease Some of these specs were for heavier stuff in early years...'32's got something in the 200 range, I believe...but Ford charts applied these later specs to earlier cars.
I use STP & grease mixture in leaky steering boxes. Otherwise, I use 140 mineral. Watch the modern gear oils - most have EP additives which are corrosive to the "yellow" metals in older manual transmissions. I've run synthetics for long trips (1000s of miles), but usually change back when I'm done... I think NAPA carries, or can get, the GL-1(?) rated oil required for the tranny (non EP)
I've seen lengthy discussions on the issues with brass...I believe the outcome was that this is only a problem at very high temperatures like 300 degrees or so...anyway, after reading/listening to hours of gabble, I was satisfied that the stuff was OK. Steering: Ford went to a tube affixed to the lower plate that went up the center of steering shaft to above the fluid level about 1934 or so...this will fit earlier boxes. It needs to be thinwall tubing IF you are using original lightswitch setup.
Thanks guys. Lot's of info and thoughts here. For the steering I'm going to use a block of plate at the bottom and not the orig ligthswitch setup. I've seen the tube you are talking about Bruce. Paul
Been running 140wt gear oil from Tractor shops in my 39 tranny for 5 years. Change it once a year or before a big trip cleanliness is everything. Touch wood never killed the box even after plenty of 1/4 trips. It seems to cushion the shifts better than 90. Rich
NAPA sells Sta-Lube Hypoid SAE 85W90 Gear Oil which is API/GL-4, it does not contain the extra EP additives that attack the syncro rings and bushings. This is what we should be using in our old std transmissions. HemiDeuce.
Paul, It's about time you get some fluids in that jalopy, you only have a few months till you gotta get it over to duel it out on the dirt. Showdown style Looks like its coming together nicely, keep up the good work we'll be waiting!
Fluids soon taken care of. . . . . . . listen for a roar down the road. Might be me comin' to race ya. Hope to have the heap on the road next summer. How about me sorting out some bugs in 08 and come over for some racing in 09?? What if I shipped my car to the east - cost and we did a mutual pilgrimage to Bonneville and So-Cal. A caravan of roadsters headin' west Paul
Sounds like a plan to me, I'm marking the calender!! I've been thinking of doing that for some time now, got to make it happen
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