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wrote:
> I was reading a thread on The Dodge Power Wagon Forum about using CORN HEAD
> GREASE in there Steering Boxes. Has anyone used or heard of this grease
> being used in our M37 Boxes ?
>
> Sal
>

wrote:
>
Sal ,. corn head grease is a type of lubricant used in John Deere farm equipment . It has high viscosity and is a good lube for your steering box . You can pick it up at a John Deere dealer , one that deals in AG equipment , NOT a lawn and garden tractor dealer . You could probably find some on line . Bob K

Well how about using STP ? Remember Andy Granatelli ? When I rebuilt my box I put a new seal in the sector shaft end, and then I made a new seal for the top of the box where the steering shaft comes out. I filled up the box with STP and no leaks. That was after I had 90wt in it and it leaked badly out the top.

Sal wrote:wrote:
> I was reading a thread on The Dodge Power Wagon Forum about using CORN HEAD
> GREASE in there Steering Boxes. Has anyone used or heard of this grease
> being used in our M37 Boxes ?
>
> Sal
>

Eeech! - don't open that can O worms again, a steering box is designed and built for liquid lubricants, I run a grease and oil combination in mine but that is moreso that my truck is right hand drive and the box is mounted upside down. Use a good quality lube suited to the application and replace seals as required and all will be good!!

Best Regards - MM

I won't open the worms either.

Grease in any gear box that is designed to run oil is not good. Most who do it say they do so to stop leaks; it is a wise decision to fix the leaks and use the correct lubricant.

Some restoration shops fill them with grease also; all they are doing is telling the world they offer substandard workmanship. The fact that they either refuse too or can't build a steering box to standards where it will hold the proper oil and not leak says a lot about the overall quality of their restorations. I really don't see what all the fuss is about concerning this issue; it isn't hard at all to build one right.

Nothing bets a good rebuild agreed. Yet I would rather see some kind of lube in the box. Weather, time or money might mean a correct re-build may have to wait. Therefore instead of nothing I have used outboard motor lower unit grease in one box that was my daily driver with zero negative effects until I had the time (turned out to be two years and about 60K).

Agreed it will work as mine has for many years but the theory is simple, unless a steering box has been designed specifically for grease it needs oil so the liquid lube can migrate to where it needs to be. Grease in gearboxes is quite normal but these units are usually a constant motion type device and the grease behaves quite differently as with the constant friction the grease softens to an oil (would mush be a better word??)of sorts and flows to keep the assembly lubed and happy. Your wheel bearings are a common example of this hence the reason you use a bearing grease in them, if you pack your wheel bearings with the wrong type of grease you will have a quick faliure, possibly with the outcome of you being able to say - Ya, I had one of those but the dang wheel fell off.
My steering box dosen't have just grease in it, I have re-packed it with a recipe of oil and grease (we call it Groil) that has been used for many years on worm drives in remote equipment installations, it isn't the right thing to have in there but until I install the Saginaw steering box (Thanks again Bryan) it is a necessary evil

Best Regards - MM

My intent wasn't to open any can of worms lol, or to get away with not
replacing a worn seal, but to see if the corn head was a better lubricant
then the old 90 weight that's in there now. Not living in a agricultural
community, I never heard of this stuff before. After watching the John
Deere video on it, It looked good to me ! That's why I'm asking for advice


https://www.greenpartstore.com/John-Dee ... 02562.html

Sal

Sal wrote:My intent wasn't to open any can of worms lol, or to get away with not
replacing a worn seal, but to see if the corn head was a better lubricant
then the old 90 weight that's in there now. Not living in a agricultural
community, I never heard of this stuff before. After watching the John
Deere video on it, It looked good to me ! That's why I'm asking for advice


https://www.greenpartstore.com/John-Dee ... 02562.html

Sal

Don't worry Sal, no-one is upset by the question, Corn head grease is an excellent lubricant for it's intended purpose (hence the term "special purpose" in it's name), You could ask the manufacturer for an applications sheet on it but I suspect it would be unsuitable for steering boxes or any partial rotation worm and sector application as it seems to be designed for a constant rotation system, I could be wrong however so it never hurts to ask the manufacturer and get their opinion on it. The Gemmer box is designed for 90W oil, there are more modern alternatives though that may make it run a shipload smoother plus when you re-build remember your bushings, the seal may not always be the defective component (change the little bugger anyway though) as misalignment caused by shagged out bushings will cause leakage, even on a brand new seal.....

Best Regards - MM

90 weight gear lube is no more the proper lubricant for the Gemmer steering gear box than grease is. The correct oil is worm gear lube; usually available locally in both ISO 460 and 680 grades from industrial lubricant suppliers. It is heavier than 90 weight gear lube, and of course less prone to leakage because of that. Most people tend to fill the gear box up to level with the filler plug opening; this is also incorrect and will promote leakage simply because it is over full. Leakage will be especially common around the worm shaft at the top end and at the vent fitting in an over filled box. The correct full oil capacity is 12 ounces; this is when the box has been drained completely, or when filling a newly rebuilt box.

The corn head grease is a different sort of animal. It was designed to liquify with movement and turn back into grease with no movement. It really ends up being more of an oil when in use than a grease. It flows more than what most people would consider grease. It is in grease form to make application easier on implements as well as to keep leaking to a minimum. Most of the assemblies that call for it are made of stamped sheet metal on the heads of swathers/combines. They can leak very easily. Kind of like gigantic timing covers. I used to work for john deere and the stuff has a bunch of different uses. Although not the correct lube for these boxes, after my experience with the stuff i would not have a problem putting it in a steering box. We used it in all sorts of applications. Just my 2 cents since ive worked with the stuff

98taco3 wrote:The corn head grease is a different sort of animal. It was designed to liquify with movement and turn back into grease with no movement. It really ends up being more of an oil when in use than a grease. It flows more than what most people would consider grease. It is in grease form to make application easier on implements as well as to keep leaking to a minimum. Most of the assemblies that call for it are made of stamped sheet metal on the heads of swathers/combines. They can leak very easily. Kind of like gigantic timing covers. I used to work for john deere and the stuff has a bunch of different uses. Although not the correct lube for these boxes, after my experience with the stuff i would not have a problem putting it in a steering box. We used it in all sorts of applications. Just my 2 cents since ive worked with the stuff

I've worked significantly with both farm and heavy construction equipment in years passed also, my 2 cents concerning the corn head spec product is this. It is by design blended for use in constant running, fully loaded gear drives of a specific type; I think that may have already been emphasized earlier in the thread. Steering gears are not constant running units, they build practically no heat, if any at all simply because of what they are, their design and use. Heat is one of the necessary components that makes this lubricant thin out. Many factors have to come together in order for the type of grease mentioned to become a somewhat free flowing extremely heavy semi-liquid.. This doesn't happen in a steering gear, as it is not even remotely close to a constant running heavily loaded gear box that would generate significant heat. Really not any similarities at all to the gear units for which it was designed. I'm not telling you not to run it, that call is to each his own. I wouldn't install it in or recommend its use in one of our rebuilt assemblies. If someone chose to use it, I would not honor the warranty on the rebuild. I'm just letting you know it isn't the best choice of lube by a long shot. Some noticable effects will be harder steering especially in the winter, the colder your climate, the more you will feel it. You will also notice a shorter box service life, and some strange wear characteristics at rebuild time. This is due to the lack of lubricant flow that only the proper liquid lubricant can provide.

Like John Deere Dealers and their service technicians specialize in their specific equipment types and potential problems that exist in its functions; we deal in rebuilding trucks and have seen many results of improperly lubed components just as the Deere folks understand issues that exist in their line. I spend a fair amount of time here in an effort to help M Series truck owners enjoy a more trouble free and long service life from their trucks. All can read, consider what or how it may or may not be beneficial to them, and use it or not. Just food for thought.

I apologize if i sounded like i was refuting what you had posted up. I wasn't meaning to step on your toes at all, just putting some more info out there about the stuff.

98taco3 wrote:I apologize if i sounded like i was refuting what you had posted up. I wasn't meaning to step on your toes at all, just putting some more info out there about the stuff.

No problem at all with me, I didn't take it for anything other than you said. We've both had our prior experiences and we just stated those facts accordingly.