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Steering Gear Lube

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JimF
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Steering Gear Lube

Post by JimF » Fri Feb 12, 2016 4:43 pm

I just rebuilt my steering gear. Now what do I put in it? The auto parts store sold me 80/90 weight gear lube. I was thinking it should be more of a grease. What would be the best?
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dreed
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Re: Steering Gear Lube

Post by dreed » Fri Feb 12, 2016 6:41 pm

I cleaned mine up a couple of years ago, and just packed it with grease. I have read on here somewhere that that is not correct.
If I recall correctly the post referred to an oil available through a " restorers catalogue" that had the specific Gammer Steering box oil. Try doing a search in the archives on Gammer oil. With the lack of high speed use, I am not losing any sleep over the grease.
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Re: Steering Gear Lube

Post by jim g » Fri Feb 12, 2016 6:44 pm

On the boats. I think a good wheel bearing grease is best. These steering boxes do not get used as if they were on a car. There is no exposure to heat from the engine bay and the force being put on it are far less the the forces if it was attached to steering rods and wheels.

The plus side to grease is its not going to leak out like lube can.

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Pete DeVito
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Re: Steering Gear Lube

Post by Pete DeVito » Fri Feb 12, 2016 7:53 pm

Lucas .JPG
Lucas Gear Oil
There is a previous thread on this subject in Boat Buzz. I have always used Lucas Gear Oil SAE 85 - 140. Works great and is the right application.
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Re: Steering Gear Lube

Post by charlesquimby » Sat Feb 13, 2016 6:50 am

85-140 and a teaspoon or so of powdered graphite. CQ

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tuobanur
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Re: Steering Gear Lube

Post by tuobanur » Mon Feb 15, 2016 10:50 am

Used a good grade of grease in mind with no problems and no leaks..
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Re: Steering Gear Lube

Post by martinfeletto » Mon Feb 15, 2016 12:32 pm

Penrite Steering Box Lube.

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Re: Steering Gear Lube

Post by joanroy » Mon Feb 15, 2016 4:16 pm

For the Gemmer steering boxes on Ford Model A the recommended lube is 140 SAE industrial gear oil. Supposedly if you use grease instead of oil the gears wear out faster. Lots get changed over to grease because the seals tend to leak.

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Re: Steering Gear Lube

Post by jim g » Mon Feb 15, 2016 4:44 pm

joanroy wrote:For the Gemmer steering boxes on Ford Model A the recommended lube is 140 SAE industrial gear oil. Supposedly if you use grease instead of oil the gears wear out faster.
On a car I agree with the use of oil. But on a boat with the wet environment and it being a wood hull. The grease is a better way to go. Think of how much more the steering wheel gets turned on a car compared to a boat. Plus the forces the steering box gets put on it from the wheels and road will driving. The forces are even greater at slow speeds like in parking lots.

In all conditions you can pretty much turn your wheel in the boat going down the lake with one or two fingers. I know you won't be turning a model A steering wheel with one or two fingers very far.

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