Manual steering box OIL or GREASE ?

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stroker402

stroker402

1968 dart GTS convertible
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went to check the fluid level on my 65 Formula S manual steering gear box and found it was filled with grease not 90 weight oil.
What is recomended for lube ? forgot to mention this car sat for 20 years . I've never seen gear lube turn to thick grease.
 
Years go rumor was to fill gearbox with 90wt lube to make it turn for hipo use. What happened was the seals were not compatable with 90wt and the seals eventually failed
 
All I've seen have grease.Turning on the way back machine "1970's " the Dodge dealer where I worked if any complaints with the manual steer cars the service manager had us add STP to the box with a turkey baster.It did make them steer easier.Now those were new cars with fresh seals.If you add it to a 50 year old box I'm sure it will leak out the sector shaft seal.
 
Darter6 said:
All I've seen have grease.Turning on the way back machine "1970's " the Dodge dealer where I worked if any complaints with the manual steer cars the service manager had us add STP to the box with a turkey baster.It did make them steer easier.Now those were new cars with fresh seals.If you add it to a 50 year old box I'm sure it will leak out the sector shaft seal.
Click to expand...
I was thinking of adding some 90wt to top it off . maybe not a good idea then.
 
stroker402 said:
went to check the fluid level on my 65 Formula S manual steering gear box and found it was filled with grease not 90 weight oil.
What is recomended for lube ? forgot to mention this car sat for 20 years . I've never seen gear lube turn to thick grease.
Click to expand...
(68 Dodge) shop manual says use MOPAR steering box grease. Apparently, they must have sold it at one time. It said if you can't find it to use a quality grade bearing grease. Surprisingly it said, do not use gear oil. It says to pack it in the top of the teeth on the spline and that's it. I guess you could warm up the grease so it is pourable .
 
I took mine apart years ago and it was full of stinky bearing grease. no fluidity at all. I dont see why you would want a fluid lube in there.
 
stroker402 said:
went to check the fluid level on my 65 Formula S manual steering gear box and found it was filled with grease not 90 weight oil.
What is recomended for lube ? forgot to mention this car sat for 20 years . I've never seen gear lube turn to thick grease.
Click to expand...
Mine was leaking and I filled it with grease 2 years ago and it's been fine
 
I've been rebuilding these for many years. The best grease I've found is the Hi Temp Valvoline bearing grease. It is red in color. Part number 616.
 
I recall I used Moly wheel bearing grease. Probably best to use a fine grease like that, rather than cheaper grades. Another thought is a bike shop bearing grease, sold in qt cans, since bike fanatics demand the best. Given the proximity of the exhaust in many cars, the high-temp suggestion sounds smart, but most all auto bearing grease today is for disk brakes (hub gets hotter).
 
It was called "pourable grease".
Heated enough to make it flow then poured into the box.
Any free flowing lube will leak out.
 
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