I am not sure what was used originally in this Bolens differential box. The same differential was used on JD and some other brands 30 plus years ago. It is completely dry and seems like it is full of dry dirt and grit. Note all of debris on the floor which fell out of it. That pic was taken seconds after I opened it. After I clean it up, what king of grease would you recommend? All that is out there today was not available when this was made. But, Please be practical. The JD has grease fittings on it but on this Bolens , they took the cost savings and did not add any. I may add a grease fitting or two. Thanks.
Recomend grease on this snow blower differential bevel gears.
- Thread starter nbpt100
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As low speed and low load that it is, I would imagine you could put just about anything in there and it will outlive all of us.
Whatever you have on hand in other words.
Whatever you have on hand in other words.
No seals on the axle shafts after the bushings?
If seals, John Deere cornhead grease would be a good option. It's kind of an in between gear oil and grease.
Tap the housing and install a grease fitting to give it a few shots now and then.
If seals, John Deere cornhead grease would be a good option. It's kind of an in between gear oil and grease.
Tap the housing and install a grease fitting to give it a few shots now and then.
Lucas Oil 10005 Red 'N' Tacky Grease - 14 Ounce, is what I would use.
Doesn't look like it needs any! 
If there isn't a zerk fitting on the housing, I would drill and install one before reassembly. Pretty much any grease would be better than what's in there.
If there isn't a zerk fitting on the housing, I would drill and install one before reassembly. Pretty much any grease would be better than what's in there.
Wow!
Sticky chain oil would keep it from leaking out, and withstands water.
“00” grease from tractor supply.
The housing and shafts look like they are pitted meaning they won't hold anything close to liquid and grease is your only hope. Adding a grease fitting and cleaning up all the parts might get you through a few more winters if you add grease often like after every use to force out any water that made its way inside. The fun of vintage equipment, Love it!
A soak in something acidic would clean off most of the rust. Dry it well with a hair dryer or heat gun. Try to seal it well with rtv where the metal cover meets the housing and keep it full of marine grease in case water/moisture enters the housing, marine grease will not absorb any moisture to further corrode the bevel gears. Hope you get a few more years of use out of that trusty machine.
Looks like it is not intended to be sealed. Do not put rtv on any part of it. Trying to seal it will only hold water in when it gets in there. Put a zerk in both sides of the housing and use a calcium based #2 grease. Pack it full of grease before reassembly then pump more into it till it comes out the shafts. Most of the time nothing turns in the differential unless you are turning it and even then most of that will not be while pushing as hard as it can.
Do not pack it full of #2 grease. That's far too much at that viscosity & temp. If bothering to add a grease zerk to the housing at all, it's going to need #0 or lighter grease for snowblower operating environments, and sealed as much as possible.
Any heavier grease than that, and you don't want a bath, just to coat the gears with something tacky then no point to a zerk to (over-) fill it. The shafts on the other hand, might be a good place to put zerks and might get away with an NLGI #1 grease.
I wrote "might" because the whole thing needs cleaned up and a closer inspection of what that bushing/collar/whatever (now missing?) was supposed to be, the support for the shafts as they exit the housing.
Was this thing even running or sat in a shed for decades because it didn't? It had to have come with lube from the factory but now, not even a trace of crusty hardened lube. *Something* does not add up.
IIRC MTD uses 00 grease in their RTF (run to failure) auger gear assemblies.
Looks like it was in a flood.
If you don't get that completely clean and smooth, the grease will hold grit and grind the gears away.
Thanks for all of the ideas. It came with some kind of grease in it that dried up and or washed out. Maybe a bit of both. I do not know its history. Some of what you see is rust particles and some is the solid parts from the grease. The solid particles jambed the gears.
The same differential design is used by John Deere, Troy Bilt, and Areins. I know the JD used grease fittings. Maybe others too? There was no gasket, seals or the like. No insert bearings. The bearing journals are in the castings as you see it. If I added any gasket or RTV it would not support the shafts as intended. I am going to clean it up as best I can with a wire wheel and wash it with a degreaser like a Simple Green.
I thought of using a mix of 00 grease with whatever is in my grease gun. Some Brand of bearing grease, EP #2. Nothing exotic.
A White Lith Grease will not dry up so I thought of that. I have used Syn Mobil 1 grease in snow blower auger worm gear boxes with very good results. I have also used #00 grease with good results as well. But that is a little different application and they are well supported with bronze bearings. They both have good low temp properties.
They say too much grease in gear boxes is not good. But there are no ball bearings and no seals to worry about. I don't see it being a problem in this case.
There are no Yellow metals to be concerned with. It is low speed and not tons of pressure like a big car or truck.
Maybe I am over thinking it. I just dont want it to dry out and sieze up like it obvously did.
The same differential design is used by John Deere, Troy Bilt, and Areins. I know the JD used grease fittings. Maybe others too? There was no gasket, seals or the like. No insert bearings. The bearing journals are in the castings as you see it. If I added any gasket or RTV it would not support the shafts as intended. I am going to clean it up as best I can with a wire wheel and wash it with a degreaser like a Simple Green.
I thought of using a mix of 00 grease with whatever is in my grease gun. Some Brand of bearing grease, EP #2. Nothing exotic.
A White Lith Grease will not dry up so I thought of that. I have used Syn Mobil 1 grease in snow blower auger worm gear boxes with very good results. I have also used #00 grease with good results as well. But that is a little different application and they are well supported with bronze bearings. They both have good low temp properties.
They say too much grease in gear boxes is not good. But there are no ball bearings and no seals to worry about. I don't see it being a problem in this case.
There are no Yellow metals to be concerned with. It is low speed and not tons of pressure like a big car or truck.
Maybe I am over thinking it. I just dont want it to dry out and sieze up like it obvously did.
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John deere corn head grease would be my pick.
