Technical Steering Gear Lube Pourable 00 Grease 600W Oil

I've been searching for years for a pourable grease to fill manual steering gears, since the Chevy grease was discontinued years ago. Since I got a 1928 chevy, I also need it for the transmission and rear axle. Can't find Corn Head grease around here, since there are no corn fields. I even asked for it when Tractor Supply opened a store in town a couple years ago.

Anyways, spending more time googling I found a thing called EP00 grease, which NAPA can order for me, for twelve bucks a quart. More googling found some at Tractor Supply, five bucks a quart. I bought the one quart they stock, and the guy said he'd order me a couple more quarts. It seems to be what I needed, although I don't know how the specs compare to "real" steering gear lube, or the old 600W oil that the old car manuals specified for the gearboxes and suspension fittings.

https://www.smittysinc.net/images/products/files/2_Super_S_00_Grease.pdf

I don't know if this will help anyone, but it would have helped me to know this a while ago

 

Snapper lawn mower dealers have it. The old tire and plate drives use it. Oregon chain saw parts also sells a 00 grease. $5 is a good price. The Snapper stuff is $15.

 

I am a great believer in John Deere corn head grease. Very easy for me to find in Iowa and Wisconsin. I just paid $3.67 a tube for some last week to put in the gearbox of my Bush Hog mower before cutting some hay/weeds. It cured the problem of the bottom seal leak which I consistently had with 90-140 wt. You probably don't have many John Deere lawn and garden dealerships out by you where all yards are painted rocks rather than grass, but they might have it or be able to order.

I am also going to be using it in the rebuild of my Jeep CJ-3B steering gear box (Ross).

Good luck

 

Mac's Auto parts has 600w oil (Part #: 16-16020-1) on the shelves and on line for $7.95 per quart.
I was told by an old racer that he would refill his steering boxes full of grease out of a grease gun. Keeps the gears
permanently lubricated. I pumped mine full of grease and so far so good. Plus unlike oil the grease is unlikely to ever leak past the seals.

 

Forgot to mention.......with the John Deere corn head grease, you will need to put it in a full size grease gun and pump and pump and pump to get it in wherever you are going. Which I had a high tech battery powered one !

 

Normal gun grease isn't pourable, and it will cause problems in recirculating ball steering gears, since the grease all moves away from the ball nut, and it runs dry.

 

I used a Penrite product that Restoration Supply company sells. Doesn't leak!

 

https://www.lubriplate.com/Products/Multi-Purpose-Greases/MAG-00-and-MAG-1.html

 

Corn head grease is like catsup, it's a solid until there is movement and then it becomes a liquid. There is a name for this type of material, but I can't remember what it's called. I have been using it in my Willys CJ3A front hubs and in the steering box for years. Also use it in my tractor driven post hole digger and brush hog gear boxes. It works great in steering boxes as it becomes solid after the movement stops, so it doesn't leak!

 

You can buy corn head grease online here http://www.greenpartstore.com/John-Deere-Special-Purpose-Corn-Head-Gun-Grease-AN102562.html

 

When I was rebuilding the steering box on the ranch wagon and it was apart I packet it with wheel bearing grease,right or wrong it's worked flawless for the last 4 years.

I do not recommend adding wheel bearing grease if any 600 wt oil is still in the steering box,pr any other oil for that matter.

Mixing a liquid & a thicker grease would create a problem of separation and the gears could mesh without lubrication. HRP

 

Grease comes in 9 different consistencies, from #000 (semi fluid) to #6 (block). The difference in consistency is all due to the thickener used. Grease is about 70 - 90% oil, the rest being a soap type thickened and additives. So that Smittys grease is actually a fairly light viscosity oil (22cSt @ 40C is equal to about a 10W engine oil, it is the lithium soap thickener that gives it the thicker consistency. The VI of 40 means the viscosity of the oil will change greatly with the temperature of the oil, so on a hot day it will really thin out. The data sheet says it has good anti wear properties, but doesn't list any Timken OK Load or 4-Ball Weld Load data. Not sure I'd be using this in the trans and/or axle.

HEre are a couple of more robust 00 greases with much higher viscosity base oils w/ higher VI, you might want to try one of these. Use google to find a local distributor.

https://cglapps.chevron.com/msdspds/PDSDetailPage.aspx?docDataId=323781&docFormat=PDF

http://pds.mobil.com/USA-English/Lubes/PDS/GLXXENGRSMOMobilgrease_XHP_220.aspx

http://msdspds.castrol.com/bpglis/F...avy Duty Lithium EP 00 (5513).pdf?openelement

 

That's called "non-Newtonian".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-Newtonian_fluid

 

http://www.macsautoparts.com/ford_m...ntial-rear-end-extra-heavyweight-1-quart.html

 

Doing a little googling on this subject, it seems that the 600W oil mentioned is a steam cylinder oil, an oil compounded with animal fat, that animal fat provides some reduction in friction for heavy sliding loads, so this is an oil commonly used in worm gear applications.

See this data sheet from Mobil here: http://pds.mobil.com/Egypt-English/Lubes/PDS/GLEGENINDMOMobil_600W_Super_Cylinder_Oil.aspx

The 600W adds some confusion here, note that that is not a reference to the viscosity of the oil. The viscosity is the equivalent of a 460 grade industrial gear oil (460 cSt at 40C). This is roughly equivalent to an SAE grade 140 automotive gear oil. However, I probably would not use a modern GL-5 gear oil in that old trans or rear axle, as the heavy EP compounds can be aggressive against yellow metals which may be inside. So I would use a GL-4 spec, 140 grade gear oil as the best modern replacement oil for those old components.

I need to do some more looking around, but so far this is the only one I found:
https://cglapps.chevron.com/msdspds/PDSDetailPage.aspx?docDataId=383433&docFormat=PDF

 

Non-Newtonian fluids. Educational and creepy all at the same time!

 

Here is a good grease chart.
http://lubromation.com/pdf/CONSISTENCYGRADES.pdf

Those with gun grease in the gear box will find if you pull it apart, metal on metal contact. The grease is pushed aside and stays there. It must flow back on itself. Mine was all pushed up the column tube and the gears were dry.

This looks like a very good choice for gear boxes,
http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/super-s-cotton-picker-spindle-grease-00

Joe

 

Thanks for the research!

Although I'm not really looking for the best grease I can get. I'm looking for something that will meet 1928 specs to replace 600W in an old car that will drive not very far, at relatively low speeds. And something that will work in 1950s era steering gearboxes, again it doesn't have to last a lifetime, just enough to keep an old car on the road with occasional driving.

yup, that's the stuff I got!

 

I believe it's considered s Newtonian fluid

 

Beat me to it!

 

I always mixed 90w and grease to get what I needed was this not good?


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Not really. I know lot's of guys have done it, and many will say how they never had any problems with it. But technically, grease is a combination of base oil mixed with a soap thickener. When you mix oil in with it, the thickened never really absorbs the oil, and chemical reactions between the 90w and the grease can cause the thickener to dissipate and you can end up with a soupy mess.

 

corn head grease is not available around here either, yet I have 4 tubes in the garage. this is the age of the internet.

 

From one of my old posts on steering boxes in general and leaky seals in particular:
"I like to use extreme pressure (EP) grease with a NLGI rating of 00. It pours like thick honey and is very suited for the application, and is easily retained by the seals. Mobil Mobilux, Shell Alvania, and Chevron Delo lines all have an EP 00 product. And by the way, the JD Corn head grease is a NLGI 00 grease."

 

I think last time was just 90w. Makes me wonder if there is even anything in there


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I have used stp in some boxes

 

I added some Lucas oil stabilizer to my junkyard Vega box. I haven't noticed any leaks and it still works good.

Gary

 

That sounds like a good idea (both).

Lucas is amazing. My trans on my work car is acting funny and probly going and that not cool cause the body needs to be lifted up over the sub frame to put in a new one and I am not set up to do that. I put a bottle of the transmission stuff from Lucas in there. Hoping it buys me some time


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STP is basically just a long chain polymer called a Viscosity Modifier mixed in a base oil. It has no lubricating properties.

Lucas Oil Stabilizer is similar to STP, but it adds some tackifiers to cause it to cling to surfaces. If it fully mixes with the oil that may help prevent leaks. But it adds no lubrication properties.

I'll have to look around, but I've seen tests that show both STP and Lucas to actually decrease the lubricity and the load carrying capacity of the oil they are added to.