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Hey

I have a 46 3/4 ton PU with a four speed transmission. This thing has what looks to me like a grease zerk sticking out of the top of it. I sort of wonder what it is for. Can it be that I am meant to pump the transmission full of grease??? If not then how much? Or is it meant to be a way to put some other fluid into the tranny? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Rich

Ritchie,

I don't remember seeing a grease zerk on mine, so I can't tell you for sure what that is.

However, I can tell you there's a plug (or should be)on the passenger side of the transmission that you would use to put fluid/gear-lube into the transmission.

Hope that helps some.

You've got me curious now, I guess I'm gonna have to pull up the floor this weekend and see if I can figure out what you're talking about.

Rich, The trans fill plug is where Eric said. The grease zerk you are talking about would originally have had a small plug in there instead. Its used to fill the torque tube bell with initial lube after an overhaul etc. I've seen a few of the trans with the plug replaced with a zerk though.

All the best

Bob

Just to add to this Rich, You fill the bell with about 300mm of trans oil not grease. I think that the grease would just get thrown to the outside of the bell and provide little if any lube to the uni-joint, especially once it gets a bit old and hardens. A semi-fluid grease might be ok though.

Cheers

Bob

Ritchie:

I assume that you've got the old "Coffee Grinder" style transmission (pre synchromesh).

On the top face of the tranny (just underneath the cab's floorboards, near where the shifter comes out) there is a little breather valve that sticks up and looks like a zerk.

I wouldn't shoot anything into that.

Hey

Thanks for the help guys. I guess I will just do like several of you suggested and just fill it with the proper tranny fluid. Now Mozzie-what was that about the torque tube bell? I had mine rebuilt after I took it apart and found it to be beyond me. I didn't fill it with anything after I re-installed it. How should I have filled it and what should I do now that it is all together and the cab is back in place?

Rich

Filling the bell with about 300mm of gear oil gives the uni-joint initial lubrication. The bell slides over the torque tube and covers the uni-joint area. How long has it been since you put it back together? This area receives lube from the gearbox, so I'd be inclined to check the oil level in the gearbox first to make sure that it hasn't gone down too far As far as adding oil to the bell area, assuming the gearbox level is ok. Take off the grease zerk, there is a couple of ways of filling it. There is room to put a really small funnel in place to get the oil in there I use a spear filler, the spear goes into the oil container and you squeeze on the handle and the oil is sucked out of the container through a one way valve along a length of hose into the funnel. Not a very good explanation sorry. A picture is worth more than a thousand words!! When I go on a road trip, in my spares container I also take an old plunger soap container, the type that you press down on to get the liquid soap out. On the spout end I have a length of clear hose. The type thats on a vacuum gauge. You can then put the hose into the filler hole without a funnel and pump the oil in from there. Haven't had to use it on the road yet.

Hope this is of some help.
All the best

Bob

Just another point Rich, if the gearbox oil level is down, it may be that you have enough oil in that uni-joint area.

Cheers mate

Bob

Thanks eveyone

Rich

I cut the tip off the container of gear lube and then push on a short piece of 1/4" vinyl tubing. Then all you have to do is place the other end of the tubing into the transmission, turn the container sideways and squeeze on the container to push the fluid in. HLW