Lubrication rear axle and gear box .

[Guest Taco]

The rear axle and the gear box of my 1928 master six has dirty (very thick and black)oil in it.

I want to refill the hole lot with new oil, but.........

the Reference Book says: <span style="font-style: italic">use steamcilinder oil</span>.

In these days you can get steam oil, but is that still usefull for my old car?

I prefer newer oil, it's much better i think.

My questions:

<span style="font-weight: bold">-what sort of oil do i need?

-just refill, or clean as good as possible?(maybe refill (thin oil), then drive for some x miles and then again new oil??)

-what have you done, and didn't work at all?</span>

Taco.

[jbbuick22]

Taco,

Try steamenginelube.com

JB

22-6-55 Sport Touring

[Brian_Heil]

Steam cylinder oil is an animal fat based oil that was/is used by steam engines/vehicles because the steam disolves it and carries in through the steam engine to lubricate it. It has poor lubrication characteristics when compared to today's petroleum based lubes. You do not want to use steam cylinder oil in your Buick.

[Guest Taco]

Whats the best manner to clean the gearbox from the old oil, without taking everything apart?

Is there some 'cleaning oil' for using it for a while?

Taco.

[jbbuick22]

Taco,

Try the Mobil Oil web site they list a 600w petroleum

based oil,or any Model T or A parts suppliers most sell a

600w oil.

JB

[Mark Shaw]

I have used Texaco Thuban & Shell Dentax SAE 250 lubes in my cars for both transmission and rear end lube.

[Guest BJM]

Taco,

I don't recommend using any solvent to totally clean the insides. I did that once as a new mechanic and was roundly scolded by the senior mechanic. He said the solvent would never throughly come out and would create a thin film that would not allow the new lube to work properly, ruining contact parts.

Get it out best you can, use some rags to soak it up if possible. Add the new lube in and if the car is driveable, use it that way for awhile (one season) then change out again. After 2-3 seasons of driving the content will be mostly new oil.

[Guest Taco]

Thanks a lot for the answers.

BJM: that was alternatively my solution: put in new oil and ride for a while. Then again put in new oil. Not using a solvent.

Thks again.

Taco.

[Guest Taco]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Mark Shaw</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I have used Texaco Thuban & Shell Dentax SAE 250 lubes in my cars for both transmission and rear end lube. </div></div>

Is SAE 250 not very, very thick oil?

I asked here, and the man said try a gearlube GL-5, 80W-90.

That oil costs 12 $ for 1 liter.

Some other gearlubes do cost more than 30 $ each liter.

Taco.

[Guest brh]

No expert just thinking out loud, but the thicker you can get the better off you are going to be for oil seaping out and dripping all over. If its too thick (like grease) it will back away from the gears and not lube at all. Too thin and ya get leaks. I need to check into the thicker stuff to solve a problem with leaking gearboxes, thanks for the info guys!!!