640 Ford Steering Gear Box Lubricant.What to use ?????

mike1972chev

Well-known Member
Hey,

(I KNOW this has probably been "beat to death" on here,but I want some final opinions on what to do here.)
I recently rebuilt my steering gear box completely.(ALL bushings,bearings and seals.)The right and left sector shafts fit snugly in their bushings.The factory seals were replaced with a narrower seal(but 2 of them per side to increase width)

Well,after re assembly. I added the 90 wt to the top of the fill hole and now I have gear grease "seeping" slightly from both the right and the left sector shaft at the pitman arms. :(

It has been mentioned on here to either pump JD Corn head grease into the box,or use Snapper rear end grease in the gear box.(I think "Sound Guy" suggested the Snapper grease??? #00 I think????)

What should I do here???? Will these MORE solid greases make it into the balls,rack,worm gears of the steering shaft to keep it lubed correctly??? Will it quit leaking??? OR ,should I make it be able to seal up with the 90 wt?????
 
I use Lucas Hub Oil in my 1958 Ford 801. also use the Hub Oil in my Troy Bilt Tiller tine gear box. Well pleased.
 

That is really too bad Mike. Has to be very frustrating. You say it leaks between the seal and shaft? Do you have the right ID? is the shaft real smooth where the seal rides? Maybe it needs a Speedi-sleeve?
 
Either corn head grease or CNH pourable high EP grease is an acceptable lube for vintage Ford steering gear boxes.

No, your seals will not stop seeping on their own.

The problem that you have is it will likely continue to seep until all of the 90W has leaked out, which will likely take years unless you remove the oil before replacing with one of the alternatives above.

Dean.
 
From the seal rubbing in the same spot for years it wears the shaft down. The only thing you can do to make it right is to replace the shafts or sleeve them.
With the cost of that it is just better to use a thicker oil.
The snapper oil is NLGI 00; that is a consistency of about apple sauce
John Deere corn head grease is NLGI 0; that is a consistency of about brown mustard
With the heat of the gears moving it will become more fluid with use.

Either of these would work and should stop your leak. I would not go any more than these two grades in either direction because you may have leaking or not thin enough problems.
Such as
NLGI 000 cooking oil to thin
NLGI 1 tomato paste to thick

For referance regular grease is NLGI 2 peanut butter
 
Mike,
I just used regular #2 red grease. 26 years no problem.
You just need something in there. Most like yours leaked all the oil out years ago through bad seals. Now the box is dry.
With #2, I always have the "right stuff" to top it off with.
HTH
Keith
 
I wonder if I added the Corn head grease, would it "Mix" with what remains of the current 90 wt to make a semi "gooey" lube that would stay in the box????? Should I try a suction gun through the fill hole to evacuate some/most of the current gear grease????

Trying to make this simple. I DO NOT really want to tear apart the gear box again! (Besides the sector shaft seals!) the rest of the box is sealed up and pained nice and I do not want to un bolt it again unless I have too.
 
in 62 ford put out a service bulleting advising switching to a pourable grease.

tey specified an ep nlgi ) .. but I've used 00 ep as well as it's easier to find. I have gotten it at snapper dealers. stens lubricant.

As Dean suggests.. many CNH dealers sell a pourable ep lube.

John's bang on on the slump characteristics of the greases and food comparisons. :)

i redid my 64 4000 with ne seals.. but same sector arm and tried oil. i still got a seep after lots of hot work.. went back in witht he grease.. got too many complaints about the blue paint with an oil slick down the side.

it's a bummer when you rebuild them and the hard parts are worn enough to seep.. but not worn enough to justify the repalcement or $$$$ hard repair.
 
The fill plug on my Jubilee's steering box was replaced with a grease fitting many, many years ago. I just give it a couple pumps whenever I grease the other fittings. Has worked well for over 35 years now...
 
i did the same on man of mine that now have the 00 grease in them. I keep 1 gun loaded witht he thin grease.. and just give them some during maintenance..e tc.

makes it easy.a nd keeps them lubed.
 
If it"s used daily, the lubes will most likely mix eventually. Do not expect this to happen for years if it"s a trailer queen.

Removing as much of the 90W as is possible will certainly help by allowing more of the thicker lube to be added.

Dean
 
You dont need corn head grease,Cup grease is very soft.Many common greases are soft enough to work.I put grease in my JD 40 years ago on the advise of a JD parts man.He said you would need a pit to get the tricycle shaft out.I put grease in my 640 box after it leaked.The are 2 seals on each sector shaft.The 640 box can take on water if the skirt on the steering wheel does not cover the top of the steering box.
 

We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today.

Back
Top