Water in Gear Box-Part II

   / Water in Gear Box-Part II #11  
N80 said:
That was what my farmer friend said....but he was not real interested in my gear box problems. And when filled to the proper level the pinion gear top edge is just a little above the oil level so I do bet that a lot of air gets stirred into that oil. The word 'emulsion' comes to mind.

mayo is whipped up oil, with egg....crisco turns to a solid. Seems to me there would be enough condensation in the inside air to provide moisture, I'm not sure I'd worry about it if the oil was achieving the effect of lubrication and temp. reduction from reduction in friction.
 
   / Water in Gear Box-Part II #12  
i have almost the same mower jd lx5 which was purchased new from jd in 05. when i got it i asked about changing the oil in the gear box, jd dealer said they don't use oil in the gear box. they fill them up w/ corn head grease, but they said some 90 wt would work. which i'm assuming was the real thick grease we used to use for lubing the corn choppers moving parts on the pick up, although we didn't call it that.
 
   / Water in Gear Box-Part II
  • Thread Starter
#13  
I've thought about corn head grease but if the problem is moisture I'm not sure there would be any benefit; and I don't have any leaks.

The gear box does not run hot. Warm, but not hot. And when I inspected the gears they look great. Mesh nicely. No slop. No sign of excessive wear. No metal in gear oil. (Maybe a little water is a good thing!).

Dieselpower mentioned waterproof gear oil. What does it do? I mean, if the problem is water, then it is still in there isn't it?. But, if I can get a name and it isn't terribly expensive then I'll give it a try next time I change the oil.

(I think I'm just going to stop looking in there. Ignorance is bliss!)
 
   / Water in Gear Box-Part II #14  
Next time it's milky, use a turkey baster or equivalent to get a sample. Put it in a jar and see if it settles out over night. If you want to really KNOW - get a oil analysis done on the sample.

jb
 
   / Water in Gear Box-Part II #15  
Are you using EP rated gear oil? If not, try it. EP (for Extreme Pressure) helps anti-foaming. Here's some other info I found:

Extreme Pressure Gear Lubricants
These lubricants are commonly referred to as EP gear oils. EP gear oils are petroleum based or synthetic blend based oils that contain special multi-purpose additive systems. The additive systems contain rust and oxidation inhibitors, EP additives, demulsifiers, antifoam agents, and in some cases solid lubricants that are collodially suspended, such as molybdenum disulfide, borates or graphite. The EP additive system, which includes sulfur-phosphorous, borates and sulfur-phosphorous-boron chemistries, provides a chemically protective film that protects against welding, scuffing and scoring of the gears during boundary lubrication conditions, which can occur at start-up, stopping and high shock loads. The EP lubricant grades correspond to ISO viscosity grades 68 to 1,500. EP gear oils perform well over a wide range of gear drive sizes and speeds in a temperature range of -15oC to 121oC .

Remember, air suspended in the oil will not support the pressures very well, compared to oil without air bubbles. In other words, if your oil foams, your gear teeth will wear out much faster. Good luck.......
 
   / Water in Gear Box-Part II #16  
   / Water in Gear Box-Part II #17  
N80 said:
I've thought about corn head grease but if the problem is moisture I'm not sure there would be any benefit; and I don't have any leaks.

The gear box does not run hot. Warm, but not hot. And when I inspected the gears they look great. Mesh nicely. No slop. No sign of excessive wear. No metal in gear oil. (Maybe a little water is a good thing!).

Dieselpower mentioned waterproof gear oil. What does it do? I mean, if the problem is water, then it is still in there isn't it?. But, if I can get a name and it isn't terribly expensive then I'll give it a try next time I change the oil.

(I think I'm just going to stop looking in there. Ignorance is bliss!)

I was in the same boat with my Woods mower. I saw that coffee-with-cream looking oil and just knew sitting outside had filled it with water. So, I took it apart, cleaned it, even made a gasket for the top cover whereas the factory used silicone. Plus, it is now kept inside.

The oil still looks like coffee with cream.

I decided that it must like it's oil that color and if it doesn't, it can inform me by breaking down. So far, it hasn't, and that's been at least three years.

Thread hijack:
Speaking of 'stop looking', that reminded me of something ---- I once worked at a place that was in the business of fighting forest fires with old WWII bombers and other airplanes used as air tankers. One day the owner of the company and another guy went to ferry home an AT45 Twin Beech bombardier trainer. In flight home, he copilot told the owner, "Bill! Every time I look out at the right wing, the screws holding the _______ (I can't remember what it was now) on are unscrewed further than the last time I looked at them!"

To which Bill replied, "Then quit looking at them."
 
   / Water in Gear Box-Part II
  • Thread Starter
#18  
Before mowing this weekend, I checked the gear box again (couldn't help myself). It had been sitting for about 2 weeks. The oil was pretty much back to normal. So I think what I'm seeing (at least now) is just emulsified air. So i am going to quit looking now.

I'll look into EP gear oil, but, this is a used, small, light duty mower with no appreciable wear on the gears so I think it is probably fine as is.
 
 
 
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