Steering Box Question?

[dlotraf33]

This is probably a dumb question, but on manual steering boxes such as those from 40's what does one put in the box for lube? The box I have appears to just have some very old, (Original), grease. I don't have any shop manuals that even have manual steering in them.

Thanks
Charlie

[Itoldyouso]

I read once that early Ford boxes used something like 600 wt oil, but try to find that stuff anywhere. So I just fill the 56 Ford pickup boxes I have with 85-140 wt rear end lube. It might not be the right stuff, but it has been in my 27 for over 20 years and seems to be lubing it ok.

I considered putting a grease gun in there and filling it with grease, but haven't seen the need to do that yet.

Don

[dlotraf33]

I read once that early Ford boxes used something like 600 wt oil, but try to find that stuff anywhere. So I just fill the 56 Ford pickup boxes I have with 85-140 wt rear end lube. It might not be the right stuff, but it has been in my 27 for over 20 years and seems to be lubing it ok.

I considered putting a grease gun in there and filling it with grease, but haven't seen the need to do that yet.

Don

Thanks Don, Yes I suppose 600wt + 70 years = thick sticky paste........
After I posted this I found something where some guys are using a mix of gear oil and grease, and some use cv joint grease. But I had no idea what was originally in there or what would be best to use. I think I'll grease all the parts when I assemble and fill with gear oil.

[Bob Parmenter]

There's not much mystery to 600w, and equivalent oils are still available (steam cylinder oils), though you usually have to go through a re-packager to get quantities less than 5 gallon. That being said, Pop's 85/140 gear oil is similar in viscosity, though the additive composition is different. Multi-purpose gear oil that carries an 85/140 grade typically has sulphur-phosphorous (stinky stuff) that can attack some yellow metals (e.g. certain brass).

Greases are lube oils with thickener added (lithium, calcium, sodium etc......soap compounds), typically 10% thickener, 90%oil and additives. Main reason to use a grease is if the sealing of the compartment is weak. If you've got good seals the grease doesn't do anything better than oil because it's the oil in grease that does the lubricating, not the thickener.

You'll go nuts (a shorter trip for some than others ) reading people's beliefs online about what's "correct" (lots of home brew concoctions), especially when they don't (won't?) comprehend the above info.

[Itoldyouso]

While I was redoing my 27 I decided to try to fill the box with the 600 wt stuff and went to NAPA. I figured they would be a better shot than AutoZone type stores. They looked at me like I was from Mars and said they had never heard of the 600 wt stuff, so maybe as Bob said it has to come from a specialty house.........maybe some that deal with heavy equipment?

Don

[Bob Parmenter]

Just a couple points then, first, the w behind the 600 originally meant "whale oil" (as an additive). Before it's use was banned whale oil was used in the presence of water (steam) as it would emulsify with the water and continue to lubricate. Using the word "weight" with lubricants drives people who know lubrication batty because there is no such reference in the world of tribology (as regards viscosity). It's one of those common usage things that has persisted, but is really meaningless. Not a shot at Pops, just reference.

Almost any of the Model A parts vendors will have repackaged 600w as hard core Model A restorer guys tend to resist change.

[wingman9]

Bob, how would synthetic rearend lube (75-120) work? It wouldn't attack any brass or rubber parts.

[Bob Parmenter]

Wing, I wouldn't expect any of the lubes mentioned to bother elastomeric seals. As for the brass, it's a function of how agressive the EP additive is. Most of them out there probably wouldn't be a problem, but that's not a universal endorsement. As for viscosity, it should work fine if the seals are good.

[roadster32]

I use grease in all my steering boxes. the guy that supplys me with recon vega boxes told me to use grease and they are better.