I'm getting ready to install my steering box in the 55' and I was going to top off the gear oil when I read that Chevy recommeneded that gear oil not be used and that it be replaced with grease as needed. My question is, is lithium grease compatible with gear oil? will they mix fine in the steering box or should I use something else. thanks and Happy New Year. Charlie
I would not try that...although I'd be interested in seeing what happens when you try it! If you can find some NLGI #0 grease, that would be best. Lately I've been using CV joint grease, it takes about two little tubes to fill a steering gear full enough for my comfort.
i used white lithium grease on pinion and case bearings when setting up ring and pinions many many times and then filled with whatever gear oil was recommended for that specific application.
I seen that episode of mayberry also. Barney bought a lemon 53 ford. My old 1940,s crawler the final drives where leaking. the 90 weight leaked even when it was sitting. I added toilet paper and slowed it down. Then a year later I pumped then full of gun grease. they don't leak any longer and no problems. however its a slow turning rig with great big gears & ball bearings. if the steering sector in question has needle bearings I don't know.
I got to replace a steering gear in an old chevy truck that had been lubed with normal (#2) grease. The ball mechanism and gears were toast, because the grease could not flow into the places it needed to be. The proper grease is soft enough that it will flow, but it's not like oil that will flow right out the crappy seals they used back then. If you live in the crop belt, you can get "corn head grease". It doesn't seem to exist where I live.
You want a #00 or #0 grease, its self leveling ( flows back to a level position once moved). John Deere corn head grease is cheap and easy to get, go to any John Deere dealer and purchase it. Its $3 or $4 a tube, made for slow rpm gear boxes. If you use regular gun grease, it will just get pushed out of the gears and bearings and stay, it will not flow back into it self, the gears will run dry after a while, just a Squirrel mentioned above, I have seen it myself. If you use gun grease, mix 50/50 with gear oil to make a semi fluid thin grease or heavy oil, how ever you want to say it. White Motor assembly grease will turn to oil after some use, and if your seals are weak, it will leak out. Heavy oil will leak as well, but will take much long to do so. Corn head grease is the cheapest and easiest to get, one tube will fill most normal boxes. I scoop it into a plastic bag, cut the corner off, and squeeze it in like a pastry chef. Its much faster then using a grease gun. https://www.deere.com/en_US/parts/batteries_and_fluids/maintenance_fluids/grease/grease.page Joe
My old [in age too] friend really did that with his 56 vett, previous owner(s) put a zerk in the box so he greased it good........
Back to topic...I run my Crosley around local towns taking the dog to different parks for walking and or socializing sometimes 30-4o miles to a car show.....I think many times I have not been run over because of the dog...I try to use the back roads as much as possible and although I can do the speed limit 90% of the time its not good enough some times on main roads so I usually pull over, stick my arm out the window and wave people to pass...Be surprised how many people do not know what that means...Really, they sit there stupid while I'm almost driving across some one's lawn or scraping guard rails...Those that do understand come on by and toot the horn thank you...Some days its all give and take, some days you take it, but if you got the tolerance just give em' the rope and eventually down the road they hang themselves and then ya get to laugh....
The Jalopy Journal
