OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Repairs and Maintenance Questions On Ride On Mowers Questions on Rover Ride On Mower Servicing Rover Gear Box: What Grease to Use?

My old rover colt 5 is significantly quicker then it used to be so I thought I had better open up the gear box before it inevitably goes bang. Ideally I would fill it with something like a 90 weight gear oil but I dont think the seals have what it takes to hold the oil in. So which grease should I be filling it with? The only grease I have on hand is marine wheel bearing grease but it feels thinner then the existing grease that is in it. On the other hand the existing grease may have simply hardened over time.

Hello TLR

Tecumseh Peerless used 'bentonite' grease.
There are equivalents sold here:-

https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=18754

Hope this helps.
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Jack

That's a Foote Model 35 gearbox, BTW.

Yep, that old grease has gone off right enough. A semi-fluid grease is what's required - I'd recommend Penrite Semi Fluid Grease, which is NLGI 00 EP grade, and can be purchased in 450g tubes.

A more comprehensive rundown on this topic is here: https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/78852/

Thanks guys, links have been bookmarked. I see one memeber went for a mix of grease and 90 weight oil and only wept a little. I was quite pleased with the minimal wear on the gears and clutch dog. She may have some life in her yet...

Hello TLR & Glo Mod Gadge

Thanks Gadge for that identification of the box as a Foote.
I went for the closest - the Peerless. Both were used
extensively on many makes in AUS.

I have a technical question(s) ...
My link recommended a high temp bearing grease.
That grease does not appear to be semi-fluid. Is that right?

It appears to me that these old boxes, when disassembled,
show a lube that has 'gone off' - lost viscosity. I wonder
whether they originally used a semi-fluid grease at all?

I wonder whether the semi-fluid should be recommended for the
Peerless boxes and diffs as well?

My second question goes to self-mixed semi-fluid lubes, as TLR
reported. It may be these may not perform at higher temps, or may
'go off' sooner than industry products.

My third question goes to maintenance. It appears that
TLR 'caught' his box at a good time - when the components
are still in good order. These are 'sealed' boxes - and it
appears that issues are only addressed at failure. I wonder
whether there should be more regular maintenance on these boxes,
given their old age and the lack of spares?

It would be nice to get some clarification on this.

-----------------------
Jack

Castrol HTB is a non-melting type, so it's not 'fluid' - it's rated as NLGI #2 - the same as most general purpose automotive chassis greases.
Yes they did - the original grease was rated NLGI #0.
Dunno offhand; will have to check on the OEM grease specs to answer this one. Watch this space...
Yer, its a gamble really, when correctly formulated products are available.

I should mention here, that greases are made up of a base oil, a thickening agent [either bentonite clay or an organometallic 'soap' compound], and an additive pack - which provides EP, water resistance and other desired properties. Modern grease technology is way in advance of what was available even 20 or so years ago, when these gearboxes were first designed.

The NLGI number is a rating of the 'fluidity' of the grease; lower is more fluid. Viscosity is not the correct term to use, as not all greases have 'flowability'.
Absolutely. I completely agree with the title of the thread I linked above - Rover Colt Gearboxes Service It NOW
Hopefully this post has cleared the waters a bit!

Hello Glo Mod Gadge

I'm sure members appreciate the technical guidance available at ODK
is of the highest order.

I now understand the distinction between fluidity and flowability (I think).
We now have a good recommendation for the Foote: Penrite Semi-Fluid.

Out of this we now have your recommendation to maintain these old
gearboxes. The link that you gave is an important one.

I have one final question:
The Foote 35 box is assembled in halves.
I'm guessing this means one side is filled with lube?
I understand it is possible to overfill boxes.

----------------------
Jack

Well, the Foote document in the other thread says 6-8oz, i.e. 170-225g, of grease is the amount to use.
So roughly half of a 450g cartridge, or a bit less. Dunno if this would fit in one gearbox half - it may be necessary to pack both.

Preventative maintenance is key

I found this at local auto store. Hoping it should suffice "Semi fluid extreme pressure grease"

Yep, that's the stuff.

Going by the specs, it's exactly the same as their Semi Fluid Grease, just packaged for the automotive rather than industrial market.

Hi All,
Just wondering about assembly of the gearbox. Do you need to use a Liquid Gasket, for example Permatex 81160 High-Temp Red RTV Silicone Gasket when assembling the two halves back together?

Thanks.

Hi Chris

I do not think that was done at the factory, but it
seems like a good idea to me.

----------------------------
Jack

Me Too, Thanks Jack.

G'day folks,
Just a belated followup on this bit; I've finally found the time to do a bit of research on the Peerless grease [not real easy to find detailed tech info, on this proprietary product], and it would seem that the OEM stuff still uses a Bentonite clay thickener. And it's about the only 'semi fluid grease' currently on the market, which still does so.

Now, the main reason for using Bentonite [as against one of the organometallic soap compound alternatives] in a grease formulation, is/was to confer water resistance properties on the grease. It also makes the grease 'non-melting', FWIW.

However, unlike Peerless, the rest of the lubricant industry has moved on, and can easily match the Water Resistance properties of the older Bentonite based greases with alternative formulations.

A comprehensive tech rundown on this topic from Penrite is at https://www.penriteoil.com.au/assets/pdf/tech/Nov2015/Greases.pdf , FYI.

So in conclusion, the Lithium based Penrite Semi Fluid Grease, can be considered a very suitable lube for these units.