What lube should I use?

snappydon

snappydon

Senior Member
After a 2 year hiatus I'm back on my '37 1-1/2 ton project.


I've got all the old tacky/sticky lube out of the 4 speed transmission and rear differential.


But what should I put back in ?


I keep reading about 600w grease/oil, 00 grease etc but can't seem to find the definitive answer.


This truck is all original, won't be cruising down the hwy. Just puttering around at local cruises and a parade now and then.


Want to prevent as many leaks as possible.


I know with farm equipment we frequently used 00 grease for gear cases and boxes that were prone to leak past the seals when sitting instead of 85-140 gear oil etc.


Would 00 be acceptable in the transmission or differential?
 
I use Sta-lube gl4 140wt in the diff and trans down here in S Florida. Third Generation parts has 600 wt . He's on here but coffee has worked on my brain yet .
 
a trans is not a lowspeed gear case so wouldnt use OO my personal chice would be start with 85w140 and see how it shifts modern oils are just so much better than when it was built
 
The 4 speed crash box transmission was used through 1952 and noone was using 600 oil by that time. Just get 140W from you local auto parts store.

Tip for easier, if potentially messier, filling of the transmission. Take the shifter off, taking care to not drop the little pin down into the transmission, and pour the gear oil directly in until it runs out the side plug. Much easier than fighting an oil suction gun filled with 140W.
 
I just went to NAPA yesterday, Sta Lube 85-140w GL-4 was $44.00 a gallon with a store account . Yikes!
 
so its cheaper than a rebuild caused by using the wrong lubricant wait till you change the oil in a heavy truck there's 10 gallons in the diffs and 5 in the trans whats more these days they spec and only warrant synthetics
 
38 coupe said:
The 4 speed crash box transmission was used through 1952 and noone was using 600 oil by that time. Just get 140W from you local auto parts store.

Tip for easier, if potentially messier, filling of the transmission. Take the shifter off, taking care to not drop the little pin down into the transmission, and pour the gear oil directly in until it runs out the side plug. Much easier than fighting an oil suction gun filled with 140W.
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Good call on that little pin. Make sure you see it. It's about 1/4" in diameter, quite short in length and sits in a hole through the fine threads of the shift tower. If it falls into the gear box you will need to fish it out at the drain plug if you are lucky and it hasn't fallen into the intersection of two gears. All that said, I still fill the trans this way myself.
 
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