Gear Box Oil

Eddie · Jul 11, 2003

What kind of oil do I use in the gear box on my RS1400 Tiller?
It's low and it doesn't smell like 90wt rear end lube.

Thanks

JohnMiller3 · Jul 11, 2003

/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
<font color="blue">...it doesn't smell like 90wt rear end lube...</font>

Hi!

What does that smell like? /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

How are you "measuring" the gearbox level?

Eddie · Jul 11, 2003

It really doesn't have a smell. I know 90wt gear oil has a very distinct smell.
It has a screw in dipstick that will not touch the oil. I stick a screwdriver down into it and it has only a half inch of oil in it.

JohnMiller3 · Jul 11, 2003

Most of those implement gearboxes, you should be safe with regular 80w90 or 85w90 gearbox oil... even 85w140 should work, but that's normally for extreme heat conditions (bush hogging etc.)

By the way Eddie, I was just busting your chops on the smell... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

(now a "burnt" smell... that's different!) /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Eddie · Jul 11, 2003

Thanks, I have some gear oil that I'll top it off with.
Over the years working on cars, trucks and tractors one gets to know that smell.

No burnt smell. In fact it looks very good and the gear box is very quiet.

Thanks again.

kubotasaurus · Jul 11, 2003

... and there I was waiting for John to ask how long the screwdriver was ...

You know, you may joke about how oil smells, but there's some old workshop hazing tricks they used to play when I was younger. One of the guys that worked with me would have fun with his new techs. He would first line up 3 or 4 open containers of different types of oil and tell the techs they were going to get a test. The oil weight and manufacturer would be written on the side of the container

He would then dip his middle finger into one, shake the drips of oil off and then lift his hand to his face and put his whole finger in his mouth and suck on it for a second. Only thing is he would be sucking his index finger, not his middle finger. His middle finger, all oiled up, would be tucked in his fist. He would then smack his lips and say "Yes, that must be Pennzoil 10W40 - you can taste the sulfur" or some such thing. He would usually do it for one more and then start the techs off.

He would have the techs come up and try this on a few different oils after that. We always used to laugh that there was a line for the john that afternoon. Funny how it works though - no-one ever told the new hires about that trick ... I guess even funnier was how the techs would swear they could taste the sulfur or whatever!

Couldn't get away with it today though - probably be sued.