Corn Head grease in mower gearbox....STILL leaking???

kyles974 · Aug 28, 2013

Have a Woods RM550 finish mower I got with tractor. It sat for a good year and when I went to use it the bottom seal was bad.
Took it apart this last winter...not being able to replace the seal (lack of tools and experience)
I decided to fill it with corn head grease.

Well...after two mowings (1 acre) there is not much grease left. ...well inside that is.... ut my new belt and deck has grease all over it.

Guess I need to replace the seal after all??? (After the grease warms up...it leaks)

crazyal · Aug 28, 2013

You may find the shaft has rusted and that's why your seal failed. If so you can get a product called a speedi-sleeve. It's a thin stainless steel sleeve that slides over the shaft that gives the seal a new surface to seal against.

kyles974 · Aug 28, 2013

crazyal said:
You may find the shaft has rusted and that's why your seal failed. If so you can get a product called a speedi-sleeve. It's a thin stainless steel sleeve that slides over the shaft that gives the seal a new surface to seal against.

I will look into this...thank you!

Xfaxman · Aug 30, 2013

kyles974 said:
Have a Woods RM550 finish mower I got with tractor. It sat for a good year and when I went to use it the bottom seal was bad.
Took it apart this last winter...not being able to replace the seal (lack of tools and experience)
I decided to fill it with corn head grease.

Well...after two mowings (1 acre) there is not much grease left. ...well inside that is.... ut my new belt and deck has grease all over it.

Guess I need to replace the seal after all??? (After the grease warms up...it leaks)

How full? Any room for expansion?

Does the gearbox have a vent?

brin · Aug 30, 2013

Xfaxman said:
How full? Any room for expansion?

Does the gearbox have a vent?

I agree...How much corn head grease did you squirt into the gear box...? As an example , I put 6 tubes of corn
head grease into my generator gear box..and what leaked out maybe was the gear oil that was still in the bottom of your gear box...all the gear oil did not ever come out but once you put some corn head grease in there it forced the gear oil out...So I am suggesting you have what's left of your old gear oil all over your deck - not the corn head grease...I can't be sure since I can't see it ...so examine what is on your deck and be real sure it is not some of your old gear oil...Good luck.

cointoss · Sep 10, 2013

I have the same mower and encountered the same problem with it leaking. I replaced the seal 3 different times and still had the same problem so I just gave up and pumped in about three cartridges of axle grease. Now, no more leaking on the concrete in the barn and it seems to run cool with no weird noise.
With out question it was not the proper fix, but it has been with grease for about 6 years and I mow a lot with it.

kyles974 · Nov 15, 2013

Xfaxman said:
How full? Any room for expansion?

Does the gearbox have a vent?

brin said:
I agree...How much corn head grease did you squirt into the gear box...? As an example , I put 6 tubes of corn
head grease into my generator gear box..and what leaked out maybe was the gear oil that was still in the bottom of your gear box...all the gear oil did not ever come out but once you put some corn head grease in there it forced the gear oil out...So I am suggesting you have what's left of your old gear oil all over your deck - not the corn head grease...I can't be sure since I can't see it ...so examine what is on your deck and be real sure it is not some of your old gear oil...Good luck.

Sorry...I just now getting to fixing this and haven't been here. (Been using the lawn mower)
(Waiting on fix for one of my winter project)

I think it was 5 tubes of corn head greease....just iver the gears. So that would leave a good inch or two of room.
Yes...it dies have a vent and the vent is clear.

Yes...some of the old oil that was in there did first drain. But this is the corn head grease that is leaking out once it warms up.

Im going to take the gearbox off one if these up coming days and see what I can find out.

As for the speedi sleeve....this wouldn't do any good if the seal is shot...right?

...

Soundguy · Nov 16, 2013

replace the seal.. check the bearing.

might go back in with an 00ep grease then, check vent again.

geezer32095 · Nov 21, 2013

OK I'll bite what is corn head grease?? I didn't kno corn had heads let alone needed greasing..

brin · Nov 21, 2013

geezer32095 said:
OK I'll bite what is corn head grease?? I didn't kno corn had heads let alone needed greasing..

Corn Head grease is sold by John Deere on line or through the dealers...it was designed to work in the gear boxes of their combines I think or some of their other equipment...I have used it in a gear box of mine that had a leak using gear oil...and now I have no leak and all is well.