TR2/3/3A Steering box oils - grease ?

[the dude]

What can be used / substitued for refilling steering box after leaking detected ? . Can a lighter oil be filled from steering tube plug ? .

 

[DavidApp]

I have topped the steering box up from the plug in the tube. I used the oil Moss sell which is thicker. Do not remember the grade.

David

 

[TR3driver]

The recommended 90 weight will go in through the upper hole, it just takes time. Fill it up, then wait a bit and put some more in. Repeat until it stays level with the hole.

 

[the dude]

The recommended 90 weight will go in through the upper hole, it just takes time. Fill it up, then wait a bit and put some more in. Repeat until it stays level with the hole.

The " Pennrite stuff " from the '60's is like Vasoline . No matter how long you warm it up . The type you use is ? . Just a gear box oil GL-4 ? .

 

[CJD]

Yes, use oil, not grease.

 

[Leatherman]

I am confused because I have been told by two British car restorers to just use grease in the steering box. Eliminates leaks and lubricates as good as lighter weight stuff. They said they have been using it for years in steering boxes with no problems. I just rebuilt my box and packed it solid with STP universal grease when I closed it up. I can still turn the shaft with two fingers and there is no voids for parts to not get lubed. So what is wrong with using grease when it is packed into the box. I can see trying to put a thick grease in the hole in the tube and it not able to run down and reaching all the parts needing lubrication but if you open the top cover and pack the box solid what harm can come from that?

 

[Geo Hahn]

...Fill it up, then wait a bit and put some more in. Repeat until it stays level with the hole.

I found that it went faster if you jack up the front so you can work the steering side-to-side a bit to help the stuff move down.

 

[CJD]

Geo...where you been??

I've been using oil for years without problems or leaks too. You can use grease if you want...just not the factory recommended lube. My issue with grease is it is an oil dissolved in a soap to give it the paste texture. Eventually the oil comes out of solution and the soap dries out, so the box will be full of the old soap and needs to be cleaned out and re-packed. It is easier to pop the plug and top off the oil. My impression is the old heads would switch to grease to extend breaking down the box to replace the oil seals.

 

[DavidApp]

I thought I had seen where Moss was selling a Semi Fluid grease for steering boxes.

We would use a product called F GOO EP It was a sloppy grease or a stiff oil. Used it in a gearbox that had a reputation for leaks when they used oil. The F GOO EP seemed to fix the problem.

I used oil from TRF.

David

 

[TR3driver]

The " Pennrite stuff " from the '60's is like Vasoline . No matter how long you warm it up . The type you use is ? . Just a gear box oil GL-4 ? .

I use Valvoline Synpower 75W90 (full synthetic GL5 gear oil). In my limited experience, it gives easier steering than grease. Plus, IMO, the main reason they leak is because the brass bushing is worn; which also allows the box to bind under load. Using grease is a band-aid for when you're not willing to fix it right.

I use the same GL5 in the rear end, but don't put it in the transmission. It's too slick for good synchro operation.

 

[DavidApp]

Is there no danger using GL5 gear oil with brass bushings or is that a myth?

David

 

[sp53]

Nice to see you Geo—I remember when I was about 17, and I asked the guy about the oil at my favorite auto parts store. His answer was to pull the top cover and pack it with grease because I did not want it going dry and it leaked anyway. That sounded potentially dangerous and too much work, plus it might take me off the road for who knows how long. So, I would pull the little rubber plug on the column and put in gear oil, I think, probably once a week, but it never really took too much or maybe it was like 40w motor oil. Anyways, that was a while back.

 

[LarryK]

Grease would be fine, if you don't drive at all in winter. Thickens up until warm. Have been using the 90W in all British cars for years with no problem. Leaks just need fixing so you don't loose the oil. Let them go to long you have a mess. Land Rover used 90W in the steering swivel balls and switched to a grease that can be used in all weather. I might try that next time, as I have some left over, might work in my steering box.

 

[TR3driver]

Is there no danger using GL5 gear oil with brass bushings or is that a myth?

David

Depends on which GL5 you're talking about. Some of them (often the cheaper ones) do use an additive that can, over time, break down and damage copper alloys. Actually, some GL4 oils use that same additive, they just don't use as much of it.

But the Synpower doesn't use that additive and so is safe for "yellow metal".

There are others that are safe, that's just the one I've been using for some 35 years. IMO anything that meets the requirements of MT1 probably won't use the additive that breaks down. MT1 (like GL4 and GL5) doesn't say directly which additives to use, but does have a more stringent requirement for long term stability than the GL grades do.

 

[Geo Hahn]

I suspect the reason a lot of manuals & lube charts say you must use GL4 is because they were published before there was a GL5 designation - but I could be wrong about that.

As for John & Steve who noted my reduced presence here - true enough. I sold my TR3A a year ago and although that only halved my TR family the reduction in TR activity (esp maintenance) seems to have been reduced quite a bit more that that. The TR4 is mostly to drive rather than work on though the rear oil seal on the gearbox may be trying to get my attention lately.

 

[TR3driver]

That's probably true, but there have also been many sources that specifically warn against using GL5 with brass or bronze components. I know TRF does (or at least did), ISTR Moss did too.

I suspect the reason a lot of manuals & lube charts say you must use GL4 is because they were published before there was a GL5 designation - but I could be wrong about that.

 

[CJD]

Geo, aren’t you board without the 3 to work on all the time?!?

 

[sp53]

Nice work Frank. I think it is smart to jump around some on the tub; it helps to let other stuff percolate. I find I come back fresher. If I ever do another one, I want to try some more of those seamless patches.

 

[glemon]

I used the Penrite product in my Healey steering box (similar, but not the same as, early TR) it seemed to work well, and stopped a mild leak after I put in new seals. It seems to be getting harder to find here in the States. There has also been quite a bit of discussion of John Deere Corn Head grease as a similar product. I haven't tried it. Similar discussion to this one here: http://www.britishcarforum.com/bcf/showthread.php?93270-Steering-box-oil

 

[billspit]

I used the Penrite product in my Healey steering box (similar, but not the same as, early TR) it seemed to work well, and stopped a mild leak after I put in new seals. It seems to be getting harder to find here in the States. There has also been quite a bit of discussion of John Deere Corn Head grease as a similar product. I haven't tried it. Similar discussion to this one here: http://www.britishcarforum.com/bcf/showthread.php?93270-Steering-box-oil

You beat me to it. I had to replace the grease in my Honda gearbox and tried to find the JD corn head grease. I ended up getting OO grease from Tractor Supply, which appears to be about the same thing. For a TR3 though, I would spring for the genuine stuff.