Grease recommendations?

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Cle Elum John
440 crawler
440 crawler
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Joined: Thu Oct 19, 2017 5:23 pm
Location: Cle Elum, Wa

Grease recommendations?

Post by Cle Elum John » Thu Jun 20, 2019 9:15 pm

I am doing a steering clutch and brake rebuild on a 450. Part of the problem was a lot of the mechanisms had dried grease in them and didn't operate very well. Particularly the vertical throw out bearing shaft. There are no grease fittings on anything. Is there some high tech super synthetic grease which will keep those shafts working free for the next 20 years or so. Something that doesn't dry out and will stay put? Cheap is best, but expensive is ok if it really works.

Any knowledge or opinions appreciated.
John
Reporting from the Peoples Republic of Washington State.

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Lavoy
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Re: Grease recommendations?

Post by Lavoy » Fri Jun 21, 2019 8:59 am

Anti-seize works well.
Lavoy
Parts and restoration for antique and late model John Deere crawlers.
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Stan Disbrow
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Re: Grease recommendations?

Post by Stan Disbrow » Sat Jun 22, 2019 4:44 am

Hi,

There used to be greases based on metal soaps other than the current only-thing-you-can-find Lithium. These from hi-tech lubricant-only refineries such as Kendall. I mean the Kendall up in Bradford, PA not the Chinese-owned name-brand you see on the shelves today.

Soaps such as Barium, Calcium, Aluminum and Sodium. And, the best for these applications was S-825. The S and the 8 spelled out Sodium soap and the 2 spelled out the NGLI weight. I think the 5 spelled out the Kendall oil well the base stock came from. S-825 was a fiber reinforced product and it stayed where it was put. Being a Sodium Soap, it doesn't dry up. Great stuff.

Good luck finding any today. Ebay has some tins of the old Kendall greases show up in the section for old oil cans and bottles. Many times there is product in them. Many times you can read the ink stamp on the can and so know what is in it. I managed to score a can or two as I still use such stuff.

Growing up in the family dealership and service shop, we carried all the Kendall products and used them heavily. The old Kendall refinery is nowadays known as Brad-Penn, but a look at their website shows they are into racing and hot rod lubricants and don't make what the place used to by way of heavy equipment lubricants.

So, the Graphite based anti-seize is probably your best bet. But, now y'all have some things to eyeball eBay for. ;)

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)

Cle Elum John
440 crawler
440 crawler
Posts: 139
Joined: Thu Oct 19, 2017 5:23 pm
Location: Cle Elum, Wa

Re: Grease recommendations?

Post by Cle Elum John » Sun Jun 23, 2019 1:53 pm

Anti-seize it will be. I looked for the S-825 and did not find anything current. There is a can on ebay and they want almost $20.
Reporting from the Peoples Republic of Washington State.

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