Brush hog gearbox...oil or grease?

[mbohuntr]

My howse was dry when I bought it used around ten years ago. Tried gear oil, and apparently the seals were gone. Been running grease in it every since. I haven't checked the wear factor, but I don't use it that much each year. :thumbsup:

 

[DanD78]

John Deere corn head grease works great. It is meant to run in gears.

Dan

 

[JeremyL]

Here is a picture of the gear box fluid that I siphoned out. Looks like melted ice cream. The dark, oil-colored sludge was in the bucket from my last Kubota oil change.

This look like anything legit?

I drained out a quart of the stuff and put in a new quart of 80W-90. I could not get all of the old, cream-colored stuff out, so some is mixed in with the new, oil colored gear lube. Anything I should watch out for now?

 

[JohninCT]

Here is a picture of the gear box fluid that I siphoned out. Looks like melted ice cream.

Water/moisture contamination. Make sure that the filler plug is secure. If you wash the mower off with hose or pressure washer be careful not to hit the shaft seal or gearbox breather which could get water in there. Next time you change the oil, if you find something like this you can flush the gearbox out with diesel fuel or kerosene.

 

[Soundguy]

many times the filler plug has a breather cap.. so over years of use and heat cycles, condensation can make it in.

yep.. that milkshake was water emulsion for sure..

soundguy

 

[Rocketcaver]

Yep, that's what mine looked like too.

 

[renter damaged uhoh]

The gear box on my Gravley lawnmower cutting deck is speced to hold grease filled 1/2 way. I too would think gear oil would be better. However grease once warmed up by friction flows back.

 

[Soundguy]

I bet the grease your box specs is a 0 or 00# grease.. and not a 2 or 4# gun or pail grease.

quite a bit of difference in stiffness and flow characteristics there.

soundguy

 

[Equipment Junkey]

My neighbor has an interesting theory on geabox's. He drains out the gear oil and stuffs the box full of grease. Say's that if a piece of wire wraps and cuts the seal the grease won't leak out. Is he nuts or is this an 'ole farmer trick of the trade? Or..... am i getting invited snipe hunting w/crocus sacks next !
RD

Trick is to use simifluid grease, and totaly tare down gear box pack bearings as you would any other. add grease to shaft & gears during reasimble. no need to pack it full. I have 5 gearboxes that sence new they have been runing for 16 years with no problems

 

[Soundguy]

i normally wait till the seals leak.. but yeah.. a nlgi 0# or 00# ep grease would be the ticket.

soundguy