Would corn head grease be a good lube choice for a right angle gear box? It is more or less sealed, but has to be packed during assembly. It is on a 16hp Wards/Gilson garden tractor. It runs continuously at engine speed, 1:1 ratio. It has went 40+ years, like to get another 40. Tractor was bought new by my grandpa.
- Thread starter Sprint 6
- Start date
Andy Martin
Well-known Member
I think that's pretty fast for cornhead grease, might use a lot of power. I'd put 90 wt gear grease in it.
Janicholson
Well-known Member
If the seals are good (or new) I would use 30wt synthetic engine oil. Honda uses it in transmissions. If a bit leaky I would use 90wt gear oil, or 50% corn head, and 50% 90wt. I think corn head is too thick alone. Jim
Mike Aylward
Well-known Member
I rebuilt the gearbox on my John Deere 425 lawn mower and used corn head grease instead of gear oil. It's been running for at least five years with no problems. Mike
Steve@Advance
Well-known Member
A lot depends on the construction of the gear box. If it is packed with grease from the factory, it probably is not designed to hold liquid oil.
Does it have lip type seals on the shafts? Are the mating surfaces machined and gasketed? Are there threaded plugs for adding oil? If so, it should hold oil, something like 90w or 140w.
But if the shafts don't have seals, or the seals are more for keeping dirt out than oil in, it won't hold oil. If the housing is not machined where the cover bolts on, or the cases bolt together, probably won't hold oil. In this case, corn head might work. It would be more likely to lube the gears than gun grease that tends to sling and migrate away from where it's needed most. It's your call, if you will be the one using it, and are willing to experiment, might give it a try, just keep an eye on it, see how it does as for leaking or overheating.
Does it have lip type seals on the shafts? Are the mating surfaces machined and gasketed? Are there threaded plugs for adding oil? If so, it should hold oil, something like 90w or 140w.
But if the shafts don't have seals, or the seals are more for keeping dirt out than oil in, it won't hold oil. If the housing is not machined where the cover bolts on, or the cases bolt together, probably won't hold oil. In this case, corn head might work. It would be more likely to lube the gears than gun grease that tends to sling and migrate away from where it's needed most. It's your call, if you will be the one using it, and are willing to experiment, might give it a try, just keep an eye on it, see how it does as for leaking or overheating.
Thanks for the input. It does have lip seals and machined/gasketed surfaces, but it does not have a fill plug or vent to be able to put gear oil in it. It was originally packed with some type of grease, hard to tell what it was after 40 years. If it had a fill plug, I would rather run oil.
tomstractorsandtoys
Well-known Member
John Deere sells a pourable grease called multi-lube. It was for use on older machines with a grease bank that had a hand pump such as corn pickers,combine heads and was optional on baler knotters,grain drills and cor planters. Tom
Blackhole49
Well-known Member
- Location
- White Lake MI
The right angle on my 2572 Landpride finish mower (5 years old at the time) started leaking gear oil and failed 15 years ago (before I owned it). When we replaced it, we filled 00 grease from the Kubota dealer (similar to corn head grease). Back then the unit was cutting +-20 acres of grass a week. For the last 6 years, it has been cutting 1 acre a week. Still no problems. Also, the angle drive PTO on my Farmal A was leaking at the output shaft seal when I fixed it up this spring. I filled it with corn head grease and cut 2 acres of grass a week with it all summer with no issues or leaks.
M-MAN
Well-known Member
- Location
- Bostic, NC
With no plug it was built with a non pourable grease. I would use regular cornhead grease from Deere. It is a good EP grease.
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