I have a question about the proper way to properly lubricate the enclosed driveshaft on these trucks... I have read to use 90 W same as the transmission, but the driveshaft is set up with grease fittings instead... The question is how much grease to pump in, specially at the joint section? I have used some of the red wheel bearing grease already, but not sure how much I should really put in there.. Thank you.
Surprised to find nothing here... Does everyone just pump WHEEL BEARING grease into the fittings even though the manual says not to? " UNDER NO CONSIDERATION SHOULD ANY LUBRICANT OF THE FIBROUS TYPE OF GREASE BE USED" I can remove the fittings and pump one pound (16 oz) of 160 W oil per 1938 Shop Manual into the space....
I'm using Super S Cotton Picker Spindle Grease 00 weight from Tractor Supply to keep leakage at a minimum, and to ensure that the grease is still low enough viscosity to flow back to the bearings from the bottom of the housing after the truck has set awhile. 00 is a bit thinner than wheel bearing grease. I have no documentation that supports the idea that this is the right stuff, tho, it's just what I use.
Here's a link to the HAMB message board that addresses this question.
Thank you all for your reply and information here... Sounds like the corn head grease would work with a standard grease gun and fittings in place, but the 00 cotton picker spindle grease may be better...I will take a look at both.
No, no, I stand corrected... The torque tube takes the same fluid as the crash box which is a 90 W GL-1 mineral oil...Using Mobilgear 600 XP 150 for the rear end which is also mineral based but (EP)...
I suspect that corn head grease and cotton picker spindle grease are pretty much the same thing. They are both agricultural application grease used in similar applications. I used the one I found first. I only use it in the torque tube, not in the the rear end. I have to say though, that I've only put a few thousand miles on my truck so far, so the juries still out.
As far as I am concerned the only benefit of using the corn head grease is the fact that it comes in a tube and you can load it to a grease gun... The other "correct" way per the manual would require removing the grease fitting and squirting 90 W or 160 W transmission oil into the cavity... I don't know of any device that will allow you to inject oil through a grease fitting...
While this piece of information does not pertain to your year truck, it might be of interest: GM filled the SM420 4-speed transmission at the factory (in at least some years, 1947-1954) through a grease fitting near the top of the transmission assembly.
Also the Shop Manual instructions for refilling that SM420 transmission, was something like: "after draining the transmission oil, fill with new oil to within 1/2" of the fill hole on the upper side of the transmission".
You mean, the grease fitting or square plug (Believe mine has a plug/GKT-134? Non-Synchro Box) on top of the torque ball? if you go by the directions on the manual (If I understand correctly) you would be filling it with oil way past the side fill plug...
