Clay based grease replacement

[crazyal]

I'm rebuilding the transaxle on a MTD riding mower. The grease that's in it is a clay base #0 grease that I can't get locally. I should be able to get a polyurea #0 grease from a tractor dealer. I'm not sure if I can get JD corn head grease, never looked. I assume that it's a polyurea grease.

 

[farmgirl19]

I'd have to go look again, but I think I was reading that the JD corn head grease is too think to do much good, for such as this. I'd be looking at a true polyurea.

Edit; Looks like there is a "Special Corn Head Grease" that has been thickened with the polyurea, but I still think it would be too soft for this usage. JMO.

 

[k0ua]

You should be able to get it from any of the Mower shops. I easily got some when I rebuilt my MTD 3 times.:thumbdown:.. The bentonite grease is high temp, wont melt, and wont wash out or mix with moisture in any way. I got tired of rebuilding that stupid 1x1 speed transmission, well of course I was trying to mow 7 acres with it, and abusing the heck out of it,.. hmm. I wonder why it did not last:ashamed: when it galled and locked up, it would about throw you off of the mower.. I am not sure if lesser grease's would withstand the high temp's that build up in those ill designed transmissions.. I wondered about trying to seal it and put in 80w90 in it. I just gave up after a while and got a tractor.

 

[crazyal]

The problem is that MTD designed the transaxle with a budget in mind. The shaft for the two ring gears has bushings with no seals. On the outside of one of the unsealed shaft there the rotor for the brake. As the bushing behind the brake rotor wears grease leaks out onto the rotor. As it does (besides the loss of brakes) the level of grease in the transmission drops. I can order (nobody has it anywhere around here) the MTD grease (Shell Darina) but it's very expensive. At $22 plus shipping for 8oz and I've read that it could take from 16 to 32 ozs that could be $100 worth of grease. I've replaced both bushings to see if it stops grease from leaking out and put a couple of ounces of NLGI 2 grease to top off what leaked out and to thicken it up just a little. I'm also thinking of putting an o-ring between the rotor and the bushing to see if that helps.

I would really like to clean out everything that's in there and put in a grease I can easily get and add a zerk so as it leaks out I can pump a little back in. The "local" JD dealer is about 3 hours away so JD corn head isn't easy to get locally but I did find places to buy it on line for less than $3.50 a 14oz tube.

 

[farmgirl19]

I recently switched to Lucas Red and Tacky #2, after doing some question asking. It hasn't even leaked from the grease gun in the Texas heat. Might be worth using in there. $5.99/tube and usually available locally. If there are any aircraft shops near you, Lubirplate has an aircraft formula that would have staying power, as well, but will be pricey.

 

[crazyal]

One of the local auotparts stores sell the red and tacky but I'm not sure that going from a NLGI 0 to 2 would be a good idea. My searches on the internet found posts by people who switched and paid the price when the transaxle failed.

 

[farmgirl19]

Maybe, but I think the Red and Tacky would be better than the corn head. :2cents: If I was really wanting it to last, I'd look for the aircraft Lubriplate.

Best I can try to help. Sorry.

 

[crazyal]

I welcome the input. I think I'm either going to use the JD corn head grease for about $7 for 28 ounces or Peerless bentonite grease for $22.

 

[k0ua]

The addition of a zerk sounds like a good idea. I wish I had thought of that.

 

[tracter]

Google mixing Clay based and Lithium based greases , you will find they are incompatible and will make each other revert to a runny mess and leak out of pretty much anything
Try it in a dish and watch what happens over a few days