Pack the U-Joint?

[Kevin - Illinois]

Les Andrews book says that once the u-joint and tranny are connected to the drive shaft you should apply 6 to 8 pumps of grease into the rear bearing retainer cap grease fitting. Has anyone packed the u-joint housing with grease or should I follow the 6 to 8 pump method. Gosh it just doesn't seem like enough...

[Peter J]

Kevin,
Tom W had a pic. on one of the strings showing one of his u-joints stuffed with grease like a turkey. I just put mine together and did just what he showed. They called it "long grain" grease or something like that.
Pete

[RHD]

I would never pack a universal housing joint like Les. Andrews suggests. Plenty of grease when installing, and a few pumps every 500 to 1000 miles. Use the tacky gease as Peter J. suggested. It is far better.

[Kevin - Illinois]

Wow! I love this forum! Thanks for the help with this. I don't really care to take the thing apart again this fall to replace a worn u-joint! I didn't think that a few pumps was the answer...

[smithj5]

There might be a little bit more to it than one thinks. The speedometer drive gears aswell as the bearings in the upper drive shaft need lubrication also. Some remove at least (1) bolt from the spedometer drive case and apply grease to what appears to be the u-joint fitting until some shows at the speedometer case. Just a thought.

[Earle]

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Recall the effective method mentioned here previously: Remove one of the bolts holding the speedometer gear cover in place (on the universal housing). Then pump grease into the grease fitting on the housing until it starts to come out of the bolt hole. Replace the bolt.

This insures that the universal gets a good dose and that the volume is so full that the universal can't sling it off and go dry.

One thing, though. The universal housing is then so full of grease that some wants to escape during the first few miles of driving. With my roadster, the grease oozes out of the attachment fitting of the speedo cable and the clearance where the cable enters the fitting. So, you have to check the area after driving and wipe away the grease until it stops doing it.

I just do this once a year (approx. every 500 miles) during winter lay-up and servicing. Maybe "over-kill", but cheap insurance.

You gotta keep that universal happy - or it will make you very unhappy!

[Kevin - Illinois]

While I have it apart I'm packing the grease in the housing, putting it together and then pumping it while watching the speedometer hole. Thank you everyone!

[sidevalve]

I use John Deere corn head grease and pack it til it comes out of speedo gear bolt. All from info I picked up here on the ford barn.

[RonC]

Ford specifies in the services bulletins for the AA trucks to pre pack the joint with 8 ounces of grease.

Ford specified to use “universal joint” grease which was 600w oil thicken up with sodium tallow soap. Ford also stated that the universal grease was not as thick as wheel bearing grease.

The specification I found for Universal Grease in the November 1932 Ford Service Bulletin has a ASTM Worked Penetration of 310-330 which equates to NGLI 1 “tomato paste” grease. The multi purpose grease used in wheel bearings is thicker, NLGI grade 2 grease.

Here's a chart of grease grades: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NLGI_Grade

A lot of people use the John Deere "Cornhead Grease" for the universal joint which is an NLGI grade is 0.

Here's a link for buying cornhead grease: http://www.greenpartstore.com/John-D...-AN102562.html

[Tom Wesenberg]

Here is how I like to pack them full of Mystik JT-6 High Temp grease with the tranny on the bench. When it's installed I remove one speedometer drive bolt and pack my original tool kit grease gun full of Mystik grease and keep pumping it into the housing. I had to repack my gun 12 times to fill the cavity. Some will come out, but it will be lubed for a long time. Mystik JT-6 High Temp is a very sticky grease and I use it for wheel bearings, tie rods, and all the places that need grease. Since it's a translucent red, if it turns brown or black you know it's time to clean and replace the grease.

[Kevin - Illinois]

That is awesome Tom! You put me to shame, now I gotta take it apart again LOL!

[Tom Wesenberg]

BTW, when I packed my U-joint with the speedometer bolt removed I also happened to have the top off the tranny. This was good because I wanted to see if any grease made it's way to the tranny. Just as it came out the speedometer bolt hole it was just starting to come through the rear bearing in the tranny case. Perfect, not too much and not too little.

[bogdonj]

Just put my Transmission back in and packed the u joint almost to the extent Tom Did with corn head grease but couldn't get all of it to stay on the u joint because gravity took over (tranny was already installed in car). Packed it 10000 time better than it previous had

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

I plan to fill the u-joint bell area 1/3 to 1/2 full of 600 weight oil, then the joint can dip, soak, and sling to it's hearts content.
Any thoughts on this or has someone tried this?
Bill W.

[Logan]

Originally Posted by BILL WILLIAMSON

I plan to fill the u-joint bell area 1/3 to 1/2 full of 600 weight oil, then the joint can dip, soak, and sling to it's hearts content.
Any thoughts on this or has someone tried this?
Bill W.

Wouldn't the oil move forwards and backwards when going up/down hill? creating a shortage of oil. 600 weight oil is pretty thick, but not thick enough to not move around. Then you have a puddle of oil at the bottom of your torque tube instead of the u-joint.

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

Originally Posted by Logan

Wouldn't the oil move forwards and backwards when going up/down hill? creating a shortage of oil. 600 weight oil is pretty thick, but not thick enough to not move around. Then you have a puddle of oil at the bottom of your torque tube instead of the u-joint.

Logan,
Well!------I don't know! The top of the "puddle" would be below the outlet into the torque tube and the tube has a seal in the front. I don't think "VERMIN" could climb a hill steep enough to cause oil transfer. Doing this couldn't harm anything. I just feel that the oil would do a better job of creeping into the sleeve type u joint cup & cross. I don't see how grease could work it's way into this critical area because of centrifugal force just throwing it to the outside of the area.
Our club's biggest booster of grease packing just recently wore out & broke his u-joint!!
Originally, I think they depended on some escaping oil from the rear trans. bearing to lube the joint somewhat. Bill W.

[Patrick L.]

When pumping the u-joint cavity full of grease you just have to be careful not to also fill the transmission with grease.. I guess removing a speedo housing screw helps, but, removing the whole speedo drive may be better.. If the transmission uses original type bearings then transmission oil will end up mixing with the u-joint grease.. I now mix grease with a 600W/heavy type oil and keep it in its own grease gun.. Some day I may try a 1200-1500 wgt oil to see what that looks like..

[Patrick L.]

I guess to help answer Bills latest post, if the transmission has had shielded bearings installed then transmission oil can't leak into the u-joint housing and 'loosen-up' the grease..