Water? in 4wd front gear oil

Ozarker · Jun 24, 2004

( I disagree on a tchnical basis. )

So long as it is just a technical base.

Excuse me while I go get some solvent to make a pot of coffee. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

normde2001 · Jun 24, 2004

"My main concern would not specifically be the lack of lubrication.. but rather the introduction of material that would now be circulatoing in the gears and bearings.. like oh.. mud... That would make a very nice light polishing compound"

That's why I would run it with the wheels off the ground so the gears would be basically idling and not pushing the weight of the tractor.

sirgknight · Jun 24, 2004

I most certainly agree with soundguy...kerosene is a solvent. I use kerosene and diesel fuel for that very purpose rather than gasoline because they are not explosives. It's a whole different ballgame when dealing with engines and motors but with "gears" one could use solvents to remove sludge, grime, water, etc. Just don't overdo it and keep in mind that if you had to change the fluid five or six times you still haven't spent a whole lot of money. And, it may take several changings to get it all out, but out it should go.

JimR · Jun 24, 2004

Use a mixture of 4 parts kerosene to one part oil. That way you will still get some lubrication. I salvaged a ladies Chevy wagon years ago with kerosene. I was working at a Ford dealership when she seized up her wagon on the Mass Turnpike with very little oil in it. The tow truck brought it to my place of work. The service manager asked me if there was anything I could do to quick fix it so she could get back to N.Y. I told him that I would give it my best shot. I pulled the plugs out and squirted light oil into the cylinders to break the motor free. I put 4 quarts of kerosene into the engine with 1 quart of oil. I ran the motor for 20 minutes at around 1500 rpm's. I drained the oil/kerosene mixture and put 5 quarts of oil in it. The oil filter was also changed twice during this procedure. The crap that came out of that motor was jet black and smelled like burnt grease. The motor ran fine without any knocks. She lucked out big time. A few weeks later we got a card in the mail with a big thank you written in it from the lady. Kerosene is in fact a cleaner. I use it to clean cosmoline off of military surplus rifles that have been stored for many years.

Bird · Jun 24, 2004

Jim, back in the days when I was youngster (long, long ago) we've done the same thing to flush out engines that had been run on non-detergent motor oils, although we never ran them more than a few minutes with the 4 to 1 ratio of kerosene and motor oil. I once bought a '37 Plymouth and knew the engine oil looked more like gear lube, but the price was right, and I intended to change the engine anyway. But I flushed that engine out that way, put fresh oil in it and found it had almost no compression left at all. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

JimR · Jun 24, 2004

I know why the oil was so think in your Plymouth. That was the only way to get it to have good compression to run and not smoke. I worked for a Chrysler dealer back in 71-73. I remember a specific 1971 TR-6 that came in on a trade in with very few miles on it. The motor smoked after we changed the oil in it. The boss told me to drain the oil and put in 2 quarts of oil, 2 quarts of 80-90 weight gear lube and 2 cans of Wynns oil treatment. The car purred like a kitten with no smoke. That was until the young lady had the oil changed and brought it back smoking like a pig. The Chrysler dealer put a new motor in it. How about saw dust in the rear end to quiet down the gears?

Soundguy · Jun 25, 2004

( run it with the wheels off the ground so the gears would be basically idling and not pushing the weight of the tractor. )

Even idling.. there is still gearsurface to surface contact.. and constant bearing contact due to preload... if there's sand in there.. it is destroying stuff.

Sludge setting undisturbed on the bottom is a different thing altogether though.. I've seen tractors with pristene gears and 'like-new' bearings.. and have a 1" carmel thick sandly sludgy residue on the bottom of the sump.. but not circulating.

I still think I would opt for a rinse/sprayout.. and then refill with oil.

Just my opinion and my machine.. every one else is free to do what they want to their front drivetrain.

Soundguy

You know what they say about 4wd? It lets you get stuck
-farther- away from home!

Soundguy · Jun 25, 2004

( I salvaged a ladies Chevy wagon years ago with kerosene. )

I did that with a siezed up push mower someone gave me. I filled it up with kero.. let it set.. lightly tapped the piston down using a wood dowel rod. Used some valve lapping compound on my fingers to 'feel' for any ridges... pressure cleaned the motor.. popped the cylinder back in and it fired right off.. ran years more like that..

Soundguy