Mowing Mower gear lube

[JOHNTHOMAS]

lets sort it out




grease.. many times a mower or other implement gets a weepy or leaky input or output shaft seal. for whatever reason ( can't find a seal / don't feel like doing the work ), some people will pump the gearboxes full of grease to keep them from leaking. Now.. doing this, you usually use a #0 or #00 EP grease.. JD cornheader gearboxes are boxes made to run in a light grease. i have a howse HD mower that specs heavy oil or light grease.

Now.. the #0 and #00 greases are uncommon to find on regular store shelves, so some people get lazy and pump them full of #2 gun grease. this isn't real ideal as the grease is thick, and forms a cavity and extrudes out of the gears and does not easilly slump back nto the sump like a #0 or #00 grease will. some add the #2 grease and a lil gear oil int here to mix it up into a souply mess.. that works.. a lil better.. etc.

75w90 is a common replacement for applications needing 80w90 you have to look at both numbers.. not just the first number. those are pretty much standard gear regular duty gear oils. 85/140 gear oils are for use in heavier applications.. etc. Again.. not uncommmon to see hd gear boxes needing 140wt gear oil. And no.. 140wt gear oil is NOTHING like grease. 85/140 gear oil comes in a jug.. is thinner than honey.. and will pour just fine..

#0 and #00 ep greases are a bit stiff, more like a pudding.. though will slump and fill voids.. though generally don't leak like a gear oil world.

if your seal is leaking bad, the best answer is to repalce it, and in many cases, the bearing, as a bad bearing will cause a seal to go out.

if you choose not to fix it, then get some #00 ep grease and fill it.

snapper lawnmower dealers carry #00 ep grease... you can get it from other sources too:

770-123 - SNAPPER/7061017 - Stens Part 770-123 - 00 GREASE. Replaces OEM: SNAPPER, 7061017, SNAPPER, 61017, SNAPPER, 11050 Specs: 1 quart bottle , Size, Used in transmissions, gear boxes, and disc drives that specifically call for a grease of this co

Grease

soundguy

Thanks for the expert explanation.:thumbsup: I knew an expert would show up with a sound explanation which I much prefer to "I do it because my Grand Dad or Great Uncle said to always do it this way".
I know lubrication fluids (oil, Hyd fluid, greases,etc) have changed so radically (Improved) over the years that many of the old ways are no longer valid methods of operation. I also know some people would rather do it 3 times more than they should just to make sure. It's their money so it's OK with me as long as they don't insist I do it their way or try and scare others into their ways which have no basis in fact, only in past actions or some body said.
Insecurity is almost a disease. (Yes, I'm a Counselor).