Re: Steering Grease

Posted by Glen Weilbaker on July 28, 1998 at 08:11:11

In Reply to: Re: Steering Grease
posted by Bob Bidonde on July 28, 1998 at 06:57:53

: Perhaps proof that 600 and similar oils are not such good lubricants is the severe gear and bushing wear found on steering gears removed from most unrestored Model A's.
Bob,
I'm sticking in a couple-a-cents here, even with the superior lubricants in use today, many mechanical systems are shot due to lack of maintenance and abuse applied by their operators, which was probably learnedfrom the operators of the unrestored A's.
I think DJ hit the nail on the head, because of the wiping action of the gears grease is not as good as oil. Oil can reflow back onto the friction surfaces where as grease is simply wiped to the side leaving the surfaces dry.
In the article from the Restorer, the grease is from a later era, I think the sixties. The steering boxes then, in fact the v-8 models after the A's has a wheel gear on the sector that follows the worm shaft therefore eliminating the wiping action found in the A, these can use grease. The article is sort of vague as to if it was use in the A by the guy investigating the formula.
If the oil quickly leaks out of the box, it usually means it's too worn for sound driving.
You are right about the synthetic grease, it is great. But because of the reasons stated I'm not too sure it would be the way to go for the box(my opinion). Maybe a mixture of synthetic grease and oil to make a flowable, slickable goo would be the ticket.
GW

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