Mc roller grease

General help and support for your Lindeman through 2010 John Deere crawler
Seth
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Mc roller grease

Post by Seth » Mon Oct 30, 2017 6:01 pm

I have been reading over some of the posts about 3 roller grease. My rollers seem to be in ok shape and I want to keep them that way. So I believe I need a low pressure grease gun that fits the button head fittings and I need to use a heavy grease, not corn head grease? Were do you guys get your grease guns with the correct fittings at? I have been looking around my area and haven't seen anything other than regular high pressure guns. Thanks

fundytides
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Re: Mc roller grease

Post by fundytides » Mon Oct 30, 2017 6:33 pm

I use John Deere corn head grease in my 40 crawler. I got the adapter for the grease gun from Fastenal part#0426007 $22.00 in Canada
have 40c 4 roller crawler, 1927 Ford T Touring car, 1931 Ford A Roadster, 1951 Standard Vanguard Saloon. Never a dull moment!

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Stan Disbrow
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Re: Mc roller grease

Post by Stan Disbrow » Mon Oct 30, 2017 7:15 pm

There's No Such Thing As A Cheap Crawler!

Useta Have: '58 JD 420c 5-roller w/62 inside blade
Useta Have: '78 JD350C w/6310 outside blade
Useta Have: '68 JD350, '51 Terratrac GT-25
Have: 1950 M, 2005 x495, 2008 5103 (now known as 5045D)

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Lavoy
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Re: Mc roller grease

Post by Lavoy » Mon Oct 30, 2017 8:24 pm

For Lindeman, MC and 3 roller 40 you want a good heavy grease. Corn head grease in a 3 roller crawler will last about an hour if that. Most of it will run out on a hot day anyhow.
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Stan Disbrow
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Re: Mc roller grease

Post by Stan Disbrow » Tue Oct 31, 2017 6:34 am

Hi,

Oh. Yes. I forgot that the earlier rollers hadn't any seals. I don't think there is anything about that in the link I posted. Just talk about the later rollers, light grease and heavy oils, and the guns used with those.

On the earlier rollers I would suggest using at least a number 3 grease. That means shopping at industrial lubricant suppliers and not any tractor places or auto parts stores. I don't ever see anything thicker than number 2 at those places. And, when looking try to find a grease containing fiber material, like the old Kendall S-831. The fibers in the grease will keep it in place longer than a non-fiber grease.

The kind of stuff that was used back in the day were usually made from coal tar, sodium soap, and asbestos fibers. Thick and stickier than glue. But, of course, long gone due to the fact that stuff scared everyone off due to possible health risks. I still have some around from back when and it requires a kerosene bath to get it off of my hands.....

Stan

Edit: I read thru the linked thread. There is one post regarding the Lindeman and MC rollers needing a thick grease. And, it is buried in the middle of the rest of the discussion regarding the later stuff. I will add some of this into that thread.
There's No Such Thing As A Cheap Crawler!

Useta Have: '58 JD 420c 5-roller w/62 inside blade
Useta Have: '78 JD350C w/6310 outside blade
Useta Have: '68 JD350, '51 Terratrac GT-25
Have: 1950 M, 2005 x495, 2008 5103 (now known as 5045D)

Seth
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Re: Mc roller grease

Post by Seth » Tue Oct 31, 2017 10:53 am

Thanks for the info , my rollers and I thank you.

Seth
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Re: Mc roller grease

Post by Seth » Tue Oct 31, 2017 1:12 pm

Do the mc idlers have seals in them? Should I use the same #3 grease on the idlers as I would the rollers?

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Lavoy
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Re: Mc roller grease

Post by Lavoy » Wed Nov 01, 2017 8:28 am

No seals, same as the rollers.
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Re: Mc roller grease

Post by Seth » Wed Nov 01, 2017 11:31 am

Thanks for the help, now... Got any ideas were I can get # 3 grease? Stuff is hard to find. There is an industrial lubricant place down the road, going to stop in after work.

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Stan Disbrow
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Re: Mc roller grease

Post by Stan Disbrow » Wed Nov 01, 2017 1:06 pm

Hi,

That would be a good place to begin.

A quick search shows that Mobil has NLGI-3 in their Mobilux brand, and Chevron has it as well in their Dura-Lith brand. Both are Lithium soap thickened greases. Most greases are Lithium these days. Used to be you'd see Aluminum, Barium, Calcium, Sodium and even Bentone metallic soap thickeners, but everything except Lithium seems to have gone away starting in the mid 1980s. Also, it was common to see 00, 0, 1, 2, 3 + 4 out there (the list goes from 000 to 6). But, now it seems that 0 to 3 is about it.

I also see #3 out there in Silcone based, but that is going a bit too far for the application. It costs a lot more. Lithium will do just fine.

If they don't carry, or can get a #3, ask them what they have that is the stiffest and give that a try. Especially if they have one with short fibers added. Fiber really stiffens up a #2, and the idea is to keep the grease in as best you can.

Stan
There's No Such Thing As A Cheap Crawler!

Useta Have: '58 JD 420c 5-roller w/62 inside blade
Useta Have: '78 JD350C w/6310 outside blade
Useta Have: '68 JD350, '51 Terratrac GT-25
Have: 1950 M, 2005 x495, 2008 5103 (now known as 5045D)

Seth
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430 crawler
Posts: 62
Joined: Mon Oct 23, 2017 9:32 am

Re: Mc roller grease

Post by Seth » Wed Nov 01, 2017 2:07 pm

No luck at the industrial lube place, lady I spoke to said she didn't think they carried it. They deal with the gas industry, so I am sure they got it. I just don't have haliburton on my shirt so I am not worth the effort. Oh well, I will keep looking, thanks for the reply.

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Lavoy
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Re: Mc roller grease

Post by Lavoy » Thu Nov 02, 2017 8:57 am

Lucas has a Red N Tacky that is some sticky stuff and should be easy to find.
Lavoy
Parts and restoration for antique and late model John Deere crawlers.
Owner and moderator www.jdcrawlers.com

Seth
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Re: Mc roller grease

Post by Seth » Thu Nov 02, 2017 9:16 am

Thanks Lavoy, I can find the red and tacky all over the place witch is good, but why is #3 grease so hard to find? I can get it all over the world, but not so much here, did the EPA out law it or something? I am waiting on a reply from Exxon mobile concerning a distributor in my area

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Stan Disbrow
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Re: Mc roller grease

Post by Stan Disbrow » Thu Nov 02, 2017 1:18 pm

Hi,

Used to be most things were not made with seals. New grease went in, and old grease and dirt came out around the edges. Think old car and truck ball joints and tie rod ends for example. At some point seals were added that rather blow up like a balloon. Even later, those went away in favor of hard seals that made the things sealed for life. Note, that is the life of the item. Not your life!

So, used to be a need for many weights, which one used depended on the clearance where the old grease and dirt came out of.

The next item is a tradeoff of lubricity v wear due to the forces involved. That meant different additives by way of various metallic soaps. So, there were at least six weights of six different formulas, all spelled out in six pages of lubricant manufacturer application notes.

As time went on, the number of weights decreased and they managed to drop to one metallic soap and add up about three different additives for standard, heavy and extreme service. Now, we have one weight (#2) and one soap (lithium).

Note that the # symbol tain't a Hashtag, it isnt Pound, it is Number! :P

Now you come along and upset the apple cart! You want to go back and use something that ought to have been shipped to China, melted down, and remade into goods you buy in Wal Mart. No wonder no one wants to talk to you about fiber reinforced, sodium soap, #3 grease!

Well, ya ain't alone. There is a entire community of us here! :)

The Modern Way is to scrap the old, and buy new. But, who sells a new small crawler? No one. Smallest I see is a 450 with some high letter at the Yellow Deere Dealer. That is huge by comparison. Not only in size but in price tag.

So, we keep on keeping on. I didn't know about the Lucas offering. Try that. Sounds like it ought to work. Keep an eye on how fast it wanders out. Worst case, you get to pump some in in fewer than eight operating hours. If it falls right out, I will do some deeper digging on the industrial lubricant sites.

Stan
There's No Such Thing As A Cheap Crawler!

Useta Have: '58 JD 420c 5-roller w/62 inside blade
Useta Have: '78 JD350C w/6310 outside blade
Useta Have: '68 JD350, '51 Terratrac GT-25
Have: 1950 M, 2005 x495, 2008 5103 (now known as 5045D)

Seth
430 crawler
430 crawler
Posts: 62
Joined: Mon Oct 23, 2017 9:32 am

Re: Mc roller grease

Post by Seth » Thu Nov 02, 2017 5:38 pm

My boss is trying to contact our grease supplier at work, all the dude does is grease so hopefully I have an in. But the red and tacky Lavoy was talking about is cheap and I can get it at the local Lowe's. So if I gotta load the rollers every few hrs, so be it. Just seems that if a guy needs #3 grease in today's world , he otta be able to find it. I can buy anything else on the internet, but I can't buy grease that has been used for a hundred or so years.

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