7 tooth steering box lube

Maclab58

Maclab58

Well-known member
I know Henry called for 600W oil in the steering box, I just finished taking mine apart, cleaning and caking for wear. Is grease not a better option?
 
Maclab58,
I don't believe regular grease is recommended in steering boxes as it tends to wear off and not provide the lub needed. 600 weight is probably the right lub, however if the gaskets and seals are not perfect, the oil will slowly leak out. Don't ask me how I know this. There is a product called John Deere Corn Head grease, that is really a combination of grease and gear oil. It is designed to slowly flow so the gears get lubed well, but thick so it doesn't tend to leak out unless the seals or gaskets are really bad. I have a couple tubes of it I was planning to use on my car's steering box, but I resealed the lower box and 600 weight gear oil then worked OK without leakage. If I ever develop a leak, I plan to use the corn head grease. Corn head grease can be found at any John Deere store or probably on line - it comes in a tube like regular chassis grease.
Rusty Nelson
 
Grease ? No ! If you're asking because your box has a grease fitting on it, that fitting isn't for grease. As a youngster we kept a grease gun filled with heavy oil just for that purpose.

600W is what is called for which is anywhere from 140-250 weight. If you'd like to keep leakage to a minimum you might try an oil in the 1000-1200 weight which is kinda made for old steering boxes. Some of the restoration supply companies sell it.
 
I use to use grease in the 7 tooth steering in my september 29 and I never saw that it caused any real problem. When I overhauled it I installed new sector bushings ,worm bearings and gaskets. I used slick 50 grease as an assembly lube and topped it off with 600w from Brattons and have run it several more years. This is the original steering that came in the car as far as I know. I've had it since 1960. It now after all the years and one overhaul has nearly two inches free rotational slack at the wheel. I've got a new sector from Snyders and a new steering shaft with worm installed . When I get around to rebuilding it I may try the corn head grease that Rusty mentioned, it sounds like a good choice. The heavier grease used in a grease gun seemed to tighten the old steering up better than licquid gear oil, for a while anyway. If the parts aren't worn too badly, Either type will work and has lasted a long time for me .
 
In a MAFCA book "Tiny Tips for your Model A" (page 107) Herman Reheis reports using Ford p/n C3AZ19578-A, Steering Gear Grease for over 30 years...expected to last the life of the vehicle. I just got this book recently and wonder if anyone has experience with the Ford steering gear grease...
 
Restoration Supply Co. in Escondido, CA sells their Pennrite Steering Box Lube which is great for curing small steering box leaks. I use that in my Town Sedan and in my Roadster with great results.
 
I use the corn head grease and always will. But not all DEERE dealers have it . You have to find a DEERE agricultural dealer.
 
I suspect Penrite steering box lub is very close in composition to John Deere corn head grease - a combination of grease and gear oil. It appears they both come in grease type tubes. It doesn't seem to be available many places. Just my thoughts.
Rusty Nelson
 
Luckily I am only 3 blocks from a JD dealership. No problem getting it here in the middle of corn country. Rod
 
I've had the Deere Cornhead grease in mine since I overhauled it last February. It now has over 8000 miles now and have noticed no change in the steering at all. I have noticed that the grease will flow enough to have to be wiped off the sector shaft occasionally.

Before I put it in I put a couple of gears in a container along with the grease and kinda 'played' with them to watch the interaction. I liked what I saw. It seemed that the minute the grease was moved it liquified.

Nothing highly scientific here but I like the stuff and it seems to be doing the job quite nicely.
 
wrndln said:
600 weight is probably the right lub,
Click to expand...

wrndln said:
There is a product called John Deere Corn Head grease, that is really a combination of grease and gear oil.
Click to expand...

Just a couple of corrections to the above:

600W gear oil is not "600 weight." The "W" in the old Ford-recommended 600W gear oil does not mean "weight" (nor does it refer to "winter" as in the modern usage of "W" in lubricant terminology. Exxon-Mobil, AFAIK the only remaining maker of 600W gear oil, specifies it as approximately equivalent in viscosity to SAE 140 gear oil. In general terms, it's a heavy adhesive gear oil.

JD Corn Head Grease is NOT a mixture of grease and gear oil. Grease and gear oil do not mix.

JD specifies their Corn Head Grease as NLGI Grade 0 grease. In other words, it's simply much softer than regular chassis grease, which is usually NLGI Grade 2 grease.
 
I called the local John Deere dealer and drove out and picked up 2 tubes of Corn Head grease. At $4 a tube it's a bargain. Plan to assemble tomorrow thanks for the help.
 
Just one more comment about 600w oil. The local A expert in our club
suggested STP oil treatment for xmission, differential, and steering
sector. works great for me.
 
Just one more comment about 600w oil. the local club expert on a maintenance
suggested I used straight STP oil treatment in steering box, transmission and
differential. they work great for me. anyone else use it ?
 
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