manual steering gear box - oil or grease? (1 Viewer)

[twgreene]

I have a March/1975 FJ-40 with the original manual steering gear box. it began to leak so i had it "rebuilt" in a shop in Phoenix - they returned it to me filled with grease instead of oil, but rather than drive from Flagstaff all the way back to Phoenix, i installed it. Even tho it feels better, I don't think the worm gear is within factory tolerance so I decided to purchase another box on-line, and specified it be filled with oil, to which the seller, Buyautoparts.com, agreed. It arrived filled with grease, but I was assured the worm gear was checked for factory tolerance. If i keep it, is there an easy way to flush out the grease? Is grease as good as or better than oil? Or, should I return it to the seller and try to get one that is set up for oil or filled with oil?

The factory gear box came with oil and i've read that when it begins to leak, packing it with grease is a good, but temporary fix.

Thanks for your thoughts,

twgreene

 

[Casey E]

@65swb45 will know he rebuilds them I believe.

 

[brian]

the grease will keep everything that needs lubed, lubed and not leak everywhere.....i've had grease in mine for years.

 

[twgreene]

thanks for the quick reply guys - guess I'll use it with grease. Very impressive background Brian.

 

[65swb45]

I have rebuilt several hundred steering boxes over the last 30 years.

I have never packed one in grease. Occasionally I get one back that leaks, but that’s an acceptable risk. IMO, shops that ‘rebuild’ them and pack them in grease are just ‘spray and pray’ operations.

Thanks for tagging me on this Casey.

 

[twgreene]

I have rebuilt several hundred steering boxes over the last 30 years.

I have never packed one in grease. Occasionally I get one back that leaks, but that’s an acceptable risk. IMO, shops that ‘rebuild’ them and pack them in grease are just ‘spray and pray’ operations.

Thanks for tagging me on this Casey.

Thank you very much for your reply - I really did suspect that oil was better than grease - why did Toyota use it in the first place if it was not?! Now, i have to figure out what to do with the one on the car and the one on my dinning room table, both with grease.

 

[DSRTRDR]

when I got my truck, there were endless discussions on MUD whether to use oil or grease - oil tends to leak, and leak more consistently - grease will still provide the necessary lube, but is much less likely to leak - and there is only so much you can do about those seals . . .

I found my manual steering box filled with grease when I purchased the 40, I read all those threads on MUD while rebuilding it, decided to fill with grease again - ran it like that for some 10 years, including at least 10 trips to wheel in Moab, and numerous trails in Arizona over the years - I have no reason to suspect that grease is a problem on a continuing basis

YMMV

and since I converted to power steering, my old steering column spare is available . . . rebuilt, plus I have another rebuild kit on a shelf somewhere . . .

 

[65swb45]

when I got my truck, there were endless discussions on MUD whether to use oil or grease - oil tends to leak, and leak more consistently - grease will still provide the necessary lube, but is much less likely to leak - and there is only so much you can do about those seals . . .

I found my manual steering box filled with grease when I purchased the 40, I read all those threads on MUD while rebuilding it, decided to fill with grease again - ran it like that for some 10 years, including at least 10 trips to wheel in Moab, and numerous trails in Arizona over the years - I have no reason to suspect that grease is a problem on a continuing basis

YMMV

and since I converted to power steering, my old steering column spare is available . . . rebuilt, plus I have another rebuilt kit on a shelf somewhere . . .

I am interested in the old steering boxes Claudia.

 

[DSRTRDR]

coming through Arizona anytime soon ? make me an offer - that steering column originally came from Tim Hill, we rebuilt it, but then didn't need to use it, as I went to power steering

 

[65swb45]

coming through Arizona anytime soon ? make me an offer - that steering column originally came from Tim Hill, we rebuilt it, but then didn't need to use it, as I went to power steering

Not sure when I’m going, but I have a first cousin who lives in the mountains north of Phoenix who could probably pick them up for me and store them for a while if need be.

I keep toying with the idea of making one last drive to TX to see @Texican, @Fireman, @66fj40x2, @wngrog, @Clutchee and all the rest of the old gang. If I do, that’s usually in March.

 

[65swb45]

Back to tech, I do not think Toyota’s decision to require gear oil instead of grease was an arbitrary one. Gear oil is definitely a superior choice for lubricating the the tooth-to-tooth interface of the worm gear and sector shaft. Inadequate lubrication is the second most common cause of failure of steering box components.

Insufficient maintenance/ adjustment is the first.

 

[Vandal FJ]

coming through Arizona anytime soon ? make me an offer - that steering column originally came from Tim Hill, we rebuilt it, but then didn't need to use it, as I went to power steering

What year is the steering column, is it the one out of your 1972?

 

[65swb45]

 

[wngrog]

100% not going to argue with Mark about what is better here but I would just about stake my farm in the fact that the boxes you have that are both rebuilt and full of grease will be fine forever. These things generate some heat and being next to the header and most heat shields are long gone it may get a bit warm but nothing that should break down good grease.
The first hint of a leak, I start pushing grease into them. Eventually all the 90wt gets out and the grease is there to stay.

 

[Mace]

I ran grease in bug boxes for years. Never even thought twice about it.

 

[wngrog]

Rover boxes are grease

 

[matzell]

FWIW My new Borgeson manual box is filled with grease from them. No oil. I do agree that oil is a better lube.

 

[DSRTRDR]

What year is the steering column, is it the one out of your 1972?

yes, one-piece steering column with box

 

[Vandal FJ]

yes, one-piece steering column with box

Well crap. Hoping I could find a newer column.

 

[germaneighter]

This is an older post but I just recently went through my '77 manual steering box, cleaning and inspecting every piece, including the (68) reciprocating ball bearings. Maybe Toyota used gear lube instead of grease due to the reciprocating balls travelling through the worm gear, rack block, and ball return "tubes". My gut feel is that grease would not make this trip sufficiently to keep everything lubricated adequately in the ball path. I couldn't find a good diagram of the Toyota box so I've included a pic of a Saginaw box that is very similar. (The bearings on the worm gear are adjustable with a threaded ring instead of the shims Toyota uses but otherwise it's the same.) I don't think the Toyota design is all it could be for keeping gear lube from leaking. No seal under adjustment lock nut coupled with metal pre-load shims under the worm gear cover plate. I used a very small amount of Indian Head sealer on the sector shaft cover gasket and intend to put a seal-type washer under adjuster lock nut but thought sealer on the shims would throw off the pre-load. I'll probably run gear lube and see how it does. If it leaks I'll probably cram it full of grease.