TexRiv_63 Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 I've been working on lubrication of my 32 which was stored for a long time. The steering box shows signs of some old fluid leakage which has hardened on the outside. I removed the grease fitting from the filler pipe and found - grease! It looks like someone filled it with chassis grease instead of gear oil. I assumed this was a bad thing and cleaned out as much as I could from the end of the filler and tried to pour some 600W in but it would not take it. I have not yet removed the drain plug but if my assumptions are correct and it is full of grease, any suggestions on how to flush it out? I don't want to disassemble anything, just get the grease out and the fluid in. Also, what weight gear oil was originally used? Thanks for any help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F&J Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 An owners manual will tell what lube.My 32 Nash steering was almost impossible to steer. I finally took the box apart to find the stickiest grease I have ever seen. I had to scrape it out and it was as thick as fiberglass resin that was just about ready to set up!I doubt there is a drain. You may be able to remove the side cover IF there is enough room....I would try a solvent to soften the grease, and work the steering back and forth up on stands. if you can get the grease to soften, maybe loosen the side cover a little to drain some out and repeat again, quite a few times.Also, I found one kingpin slightly stiff. I took the grease fittings out and used motor oil while working the steering. All the little things I did made a world of difference.I had to disconnect the tierod and side drag link to test each kingpin to find out what was stiff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen_Dyneto Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 Most greases "channel", that is to say the first pass of a gear pushes the grease out of the way, and it stays there so the second pass doesn't benefit from much lubrication. That's why most all early steering gear boxes used gear oil instead of grease. Unfortunately, when many of these began to leak (often into the headlight switch), subsequent owners just substituted grease and this is often the reason restorers have the problems they do. Packard for quite a few years recommended gear oil for king pins and universal joints - same reasoning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SMB Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 Use a heat gun, paint stripper type or hair dryer and heat the gear box until the grease becomes liquid and you can pour it out. I just finished doing this to mine it worked great. Mine may not have been grease but it certainly was thick enough to be grease. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidAU Posted March 15, 2009 Share Posted March 15, 2009 Straight STP is a good replacement for steering box oil. It has a high viscosity so it will not leak out like oil and has very high lubrication factor which makes the steering very easy.David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen_Dyneto Posted March 15, 2009 Share Posted March 15, 2009 I guess STP would work fine, but so does gear oil if that is what was originally called for. If it leaks, you normally just have to repack the stuffing box at the bottom between the lubricant and the headlight switch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexRiv_63 Posted March 16, 2009 Author Share Posted March 16, 2009 Thanks for all the advice. The box on my Pierce leaks like a sieve so I've used Lubriplate 1500W gear lube which at least slows the leak down substantially. Once I get the grease out I'll try some 600W and if it leaks badly switch to the 1500. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chevy3800 Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 What we used to do for leaking boxes is pump grease into them then top them off with gear lube. Doesn't fix the wear and tear on the box causing the leak but it does keep the oil from leaking out of the box and at the same time helps lubricate the gears and components. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest imported_washburn Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 You might consider the following:Gear Box LubeAuto Restorer, April 2004, page 8Gm Steering box lube (sold by Zip Products at 800+962-9632 under part number SC-601) with excellent results.I have also used modern CV joint lube, which is available from any auto parts store. The GM Steering box lube and CV joint lube both have the consistency of light grease, making them less prone to leak past questionable seals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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