Mowing Mower gear lube
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JOHNTHOMAS
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I'm no Lubrication Engineer like many on TBN but I believe you'll be fine with the 80/90. I used 80-140 on my F3080 deck,
I believe the gears are bathed in oil and I believe the important factor is the gears stay lubricated and don't run dry and I believe about any lubricant will work as long as it is keeping the gears lubricated.
I hope my beliefs are right and that my equipment will continue to operate for many more years with the lubrication that I have been using and plan to continue using.
Now you and I will hear from the Lubrication Engineers as to the error or correctness of my beliefs.
I believe the gears are bathed in oil and I believe the important factor is the gears stay lubricated and don't run dry and I believe about any lubricant will work as long as it is keeping the gears lubricated.
I hope my beliefs are right and that my equipment will continue to operate for many more years with the lubrication that I have been using and plan to continue using.
Now you and I will hear from the Lubrication Engineers as to the error or correctness of my beliefs.
fredhargis
Gold Member
It's very hard to find single weight gear oils any more (at least at the places I frequent)....on my MMM the manual also called for 90 weight, I went with 80-90 gear oil. As I recall, the front axle also was spec'd for 90 weight and I used 80-90 there as well. Did your gear box have the drain plug cleverly position right over the drive belt? I had to remove my belt just to avoid getting it soaked with the oil I was draining :confused2:.
Yep, the drain plug is directly above the belt. How much would it have cost to put a short right-angle adapter at the drain to direct the used oil to an area where it could be collected without a mess. Think I might just buy some of those oil soaking pads, and let it drain on the pad.
Based on feedback from you pros, I will drain and refill with Valvoline 80-90W.
Based on feedback from you pros, I will drain and refill with Valvoline 80-90W.
JOHNTHOMAS
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I sort of curved a piece of thin coated paper (cereal box or anything like it) and pushed it up under the edge of the drain and then let it drain on to paper towels with a dip pushed down in the middle and kept replacing them as they got saturated. I kept the top bolt on to keep it from draining to fast and then as it slowed, I removed the top bolt. If I did this often I'd find a little short piece of pipe threaded to the size of the bolt and install it to drain past the belts.
I was thinking about bending/flaring a short piece of brake line, assuming I could find a flare nut fitting that would screw into the drain. In fact, there might even be a metric bleed screw that would fit, then you could just attach a short piece of tubing and direct the flow to where you could catch it, just like bleeding your brakes.
fredhargis
Gold Member
I thought about that, but I'm willing to bet that finding something in metric to fit the drain hole is going to be tough. If you know different, or figure something out I'd like to know how so I can do it....what a pain taking that belt off.
Soundguy
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napa sells 90.. but IMHO.. i'd use 80w90 or 85/140 in super hot areas.
soundguy
soundguy
Soundguy
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napa has a valvoline 75w90 that should work as well..
soundguy
soundguy
Sure but are they looking for.Napa does not sell the best items here.
Soundguy
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just sayin..
fredhargis
Gold Member
That temperature drop is with the amsoil lube?
Boeing
Platinum Member
A little confused here....
My tractor had an old "FORD" built 5' deck with it when I bought it. Seems to run OK, when I keep it out of rocks:ashamed:
The seller says he pumps a half tube of GREASE "every now and then" I've checked the plug/quantity and it's about 2" down.
I, too, thought 90 wt. was the preferred lube....but GREASE????
Also, I see one poster using 140 wt. That sounds close to my GREASE?
Soundman suggested a 75 wt.
Do we go thick or thin?
BTW, the front shaft seal (from the PTO) is leaking badly, maybe that's why he was using GREASE....
My tractor had an old "FORD" built 5' deck with it when I bought it. Seems to run OK, when I keep it out of rocks:ashamed:
The seller says he pumps a half tube of GREASE "every now and then" I've checked the plug/quantity and it's about 2" down.
I, too, thought 90 wt. was the preferred lube....but GREASE????
Also, I see one poster using 140 wt. That sounds close to my GREASE?
Soundman suggested a 75 wt.
Do we go thick or thin?
BTW, the front shaft seal (from the PTO) is leaking badly, maybe that's why he was using GREASE....
Boeing said:A little confused here....
My tractor had an old "FORD" built 5' deck with it when I bought it. Seems to run OK, when I keep it out of rocks:ashamed:
The seller says he pumps a half tube of GREASE "every now and then" I've checked the plug/quantity and it's about 2" down.
I, too, thought 90 wt. was the preferred lube....but GREASE????
Also, I see one poster using 140 wt. That sounds close to my GREASE?
Soundman suggested a 75 wt.
Do we go thick or thin?
BTW, the front shaft seal (from the PTO) is leaking badly, maybe that's why he was using GREASE....
It's not uncommon around here for guys to shoot their gearbox full of grease once it starts leaking rather than replace the seal. The problem with that is when they use a non-slumping grease that gets flung off the gears and stays clinging to the walls of the gearbox. You need a grease that's thin enough that it will 'slump' back down and contact the moving gears, but not so thin it leaks out the seal.
Yes...Do not know if any synthetic woudl do that but it dropped. Even the front diff dropped about 6 deg using there gear fluid...
JOHNTHOMAS
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I'm the feller that uses the 80/140 and it doesn't appear in any way to be like grease. It runs as thin as the 80/90 or seems like it to me. I bought it at Advance Auto in order to purchase enough stuff to get the like $30 off $60 purchase. It is Mystic brand, I think. It was just a bit more expensive. Again, in my opinion, as long as the gears are lubricated and not getting dry, it's OK. An employee at the Kubota dealer told me one customer pumps grease in with the gear oil in his tiller chain section. On my tiller, the chain is totally immersed in the lubrication product.A little confused here....
My tractor had an old "FORD" built 5' deck with it when I bought it. Seems to run OK, when I keep it out of rocks:ashamed:
The seller says he pumps a half tube of GREASE "every now and then" I've checked the plug/quantity and it's about 2" down.
I, too, thought 90 wt. was the preferred lube....but GREASE????
Also, I see one poster using 140 wt. That sounds close to my GREASE?
Soundman suggested a 75 wt.
Do we go thick or thin?
BTW, the front shaft seal (from the PTO) is leaking badly, maybe that's why he was using GREASE....
Soundguy
Old Timer
- Joined
- Mar 11, 2002
- Messages
- 52,424
- Location
- Central florida
- Tractor
- RK 55HC,ym1700, NH7610S, Ford 8N, 2N, NAA, 660, 850 x2, 541, 950, 941D, 951, 2000, 3000, 4000, 4600, 5000, 740, IH 'C' 'H', CUB, John Deere 'B', allis 'G', case VAC
lets sort it out
My tractor had an old "FORD" built 5' deck with it when I bought it. Seems to run OK, when I keep it out of rocks:ashamed:
The seller says he pumps a half tube of GREASE "every now and then" I've checked the plug/quantity and it's about 2" down.
I, too, thought 90 wt. was the preferred lube....but GREASE????
Also, I see one poster using 140 wt. That sounds close to my GREASE?
Soundman suggested a 75 wt.
Do we go thick or thin?
BTW, the front shaft seal (from the PTO) is leaking badly, maybe that's why he was using GREASE....
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
