assembling gearbox - U-joint ?

headonz

headonz

Senior Member
Should I fill the u-joint caverty with grease or just smear everything with grease and then bolt on the cap.There seems no clear path from the grease nipple to joints.How does it stay lubricated ?
 
Fill the cavity with grease - and I do mean fill. Hand fulls of the stuff mashed in there. The joint gets lube from the fact that there will be grease all round the universal joint, including inside the "U shaped trunnions. As the joint turns, grease from the middle of the cavity wants to be slung outwards. There is so much of it in there that some of it finds its way to where it is needed.
I fill it as much as I can, then top it off with the grease gun after it is together. You can't really pump too much in there unless you put a whole tin in and fill the differential as well. Grease will find its way from the grease nipple to the cavity and any extra will head off down the torque tube. I've heard of people taking the speedo turtle off and watching till they see grease, then stop pumping.
 
Thanks Synchro909 ... It did have some grease still attached when I pulled it apart so thats a plus. Gear cluster and second gear and the main shaft were toast so all got replaced along with the bearings.I am going to the fit g/box to the motor and 'try' and fit them back in as a unit.
I am using the tractor with extender front fork to ease it back in which will be fun on my own :)
 
The other side of the coin when it comes to the U. joint when the angle is 0 the engine leans about 3° in the drive line angle is about 3° but when that angle is 0 or very very close to 0 there's nothing moving on the bearings inside the U. joint everything is motionless other than it's spinning like the drive shaft!!!
 
As you may know, the common U joint is not constant velocity. Close when the angles are small. 0 degrees between the engine and drive shaft will make things smoother.
 
I took the easy way out when I put my rear end back in after installing a mitchell overdrive. I bought a Milwaukee electric grease gun, threw in a tube of corn head grease and let it rip! Its handy you can pull the handle out the back of the grease tube until it hits the plunger and there are graduated markings on the handle rod - 1/4 1/2 3/4 and 4/4. I pulled the trigger until I had dispensed about half the tube and called it a day. Easy peasy.
 
Hello Headonz, I envy you driving your Model A for the first time hearing the sound of that new. rebuilt transmission first and second gear leaving a stop sign. It is a wonderful sound that most of the driving public will never hear. Enjoy, Ed
 
Ed in Maine said:
Hello Headonz, I envy you driving your Model A for the first time hearing the sound of that new. rebuilt transmission first and second gear leaving a stop sign. It is a wonderful sound that most of the driving public will never hear. Enjoy, Ed
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It will be great day , nothing worse than not being able to drive my new toy.Another 2 weeks before I get the motor back from the engine builder,just hope they know what they are doing :D


Whats so special about Corn Head oil and what is it anyway ??
 
headonz said:
It will be great day , nothing worse than not being able to drive my new toy.Another 2 weeks before I get the motor back from the engine builder,just hope they know what they are doing :D


Whats so special about Corn Head oil and what is it anyway ??
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You buy cornhead grease from your friendly John Deere dealer. At room temperature when it is not being stirred up by the movement of the mechanicals it is to lubricate, it has the consistency of any other grease and so does not leak out easily. Once warmed up or stirred up, it goes to about the consistency of gear oil so it won't tunnel like grease will.
I use it in the steering box too.
 
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