The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Steering box lube?

Getting ready to do a little maintenance and adjustment on the steering box of my GMC100 and was wondering what people used as a lubricant. Maybe 80W-140 gear oil?

Thanks

Alex

John Deere Corn Head Grease

That might be a bit thin for a steering box. Most guys here seem to use either Penrite steering gear lube or John Deere Cornhead grease.

They were made to use 90W But most of them will leak, then you either rebuild it or go to heavy grease.

I rebuilt my 41-46 steering box and used Penrite in it. It leaked out in a week. I rebuilt again and put Cornhead grease in it. It's still in there!! One tube, like a tube caulking comes in, will do about three steering boxes as a cost of less than $5.00 and you can buy it at any John Deere dealer.

Maybe a little off the topic, but has anyone ever replaced the pitman shaft seal. Mine is a 1940 box. Can these be replaced from the outside, or must the box be taken completely apart? Not even sure where to get a seal.
FWIW...I use straight STP in steering boxes.

I replaced mine with the box still in the truck. Just worked it out carefully with a small screwdriver. Took the old seal to the flaps and had them match it up to a National seal.Had them go a few thou tighter on the ID to make up for shaft wear.

The seals are easy to get, GM used it for many, many years. Just ask for manual steering box seal for a 60's or 70's GM gear box.

To get the old one out, drill a small hole in it and run a small screw in it to use as a pulling point. They will come right out.

On the other hand, pulling the whole gear box out for a overhaul is the best way. A good cleaning, adjustment, and new grease will work wonders for the old truck. Its a fun project thats not to tough, but makes a world of difference.

Joe

One more thing, check out this manual, its pretty straight forward on steering gears.

http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com/booklets/5220mts01.htm

Thanks for all the good info! I see NAPA online actually lists a seal for my 40.

Model A 600W gear lube in mine. What used to leak don't anymore.

I just finished a rebuild in my '53 3100 and used the JD Corn Head grease....very nice stuff and cheap!

Well being naturally curious and usually looking at things with an open mind I did a tiny bit of research on that Gear Oil. But it left me with my mouth open and I have absolutely no idea what they are talking about.

Gear Oil, 600 XP 460, Size 1 Gal, Size/Net Weight 240, Viscosity Index 100 cS, ISO Viscosity Grade 460 cSt, Viscosity 30.6 cSt SUS @ 100 F, Flash Point 392 F, Pour Point 16 F, Extra High Performance, Outstanding Extreme Pressure Capabilities, Load Carrying Properties, For Industrial Spur, Helical and Bevel Enclosed Gears, Flender BA 7300, AGMA 9005-E02, DIN 51517 Part 3, ISO 12925-1 Type, Textron Power Transmission Grade E7, Mueller Weingarten DT 55 005 CLP 460

And where in the world do the idea that a 600w gear oil was called for in a rear end or transmission? Just because the 60 or 80-year-old gear oil that one finds in the gearboxes is as thick as molasses doesn’t mean that’s the way it was when they first filled them. This gear oil is meant for enclosed gears in heavy equipment and not to lubricate ball and needle bearings like we find in transmissions and differentials. S.A.E. 90 gear oil was specified for most of the transmissions, rear end and steering boxes back in the day. Today we have multigrade oils such as 85 or 90w-140, which is perfectly adequate as a replacement of the early straight weight gear oils. Heavier is not always better and can lead to cavitation and actually starve the bearings of lubrication. There is no way this heavy of a lubricant is going to be able to lubricate a shaft in a bushing, there just simply isn’t enough clearance to allow it to flow.

For my steering boxes I still think I’ll stick with “Penrite Steering Box Lube” or S.A.E. 90w-140 in a pinch. And the later for my transmissions, and differentials, they’ve never failed me yet.
And if you have a problem with the lubricant leaking past your seals in your transmission, differential or steering box then you have worn bushings, bearings, seals or improper preload adjustment on the bearings.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

I just rebuilt my steering box in my 1951 suburban.I used 85-140 lube for steering gear boxes.It has been together almost a week now and no leaks.I have to agree with Denny's statement above,thanks for the posts,it helped me.

Thanks,Tim

GM steering gear box grease part number 1051052 is what you're looking for. Dealer stock on this item was depleted to zero in 2006 but some restorers and street rodders probably still have some.

Shell Oil makes an identical replacement called Shell Alvania EP 1 Grease MC 2041SIPA. I used some in the Vega steering box in my highboy deuce roadster and it really is exactly like the OEM GM grease.

I hope this helps.

90WT gear lub, same for tranny,rearend.old school here.

John Deere corn head grease. It a self leveling grease, which is what the original was....