I tried corn head grease!
 

after reading all the posts about corn head grease I finnaly picked up a tube and filled the steering gear, same thread on grease gun took out a cover bolt and pumped until new grease came out hopefully this will stay in!

Re: I tried corn head grease!
 

Keep us posted on your results!

Re: I tried corn head grease!
 

It worked real well for me, saw a very big improvement and haven't leaked anything out of the steering box since. Noticed the better steering right away.

Re: I tried corn head grease!
 

Try it in u joint to. If u joint has not been services in a long time, could take a lot of Cornhead grease.

Re: I tried corn head grease!
 

That if you have the "ring version" U-joint. If yours the later version Dana-Spicer "yoke & cross" style, then enough grease to coat the parts is fine. (These use torrington needle bearings cartridges with seal.)

Note that the same version U-joint is used on modern cars without a spherical cover and frequently without even a coat of paint.

Joe K

Re: I tried corn head grease!
 

http://www.yesterdaystractors.com/cg...oard&th=907455

Seems the farm tractor guys dont think much of it,but what do they know:)

Re: I tried corn head grease!
 

Look at how old that thread is. Who knows what condition those gear boxes were in before the corn head grease got pumped in. My thought is if it leaks what is supposed to be in there, fix it. Otherwise the cornhead grease is a patch.

Re: I tried corn head grease!
 

Re: I tried corn head grease!
 

I just replaced my Universal Joint (because of poor lubrication...my fault completely). After doing a lot of research I used Corn Head Grease. My only complaint is that with so little farm land left in my area no one local carries it. I had to order it on-line and paid more for shipping than the grease. Still it was worth it.

I just wish that Bratton's, or Snyder's, or one of them would carry it.

I hadn't thought of it for a leaky steering box, but it sure seems reasonable to me.

Ken

Re: I tried corn head grease!
 

I agree with lubing all the tie rod and steering balls on the front end. That helps so much in turning if all those moving parts are slick and nice.

Re: I tried corn head grease!
 

Bear in mind that "what is supposed to be in there" is based on 80+ year old lubrication technology and it's not a stretch by any means that something available today could be far and away better than what was available then IMO. Point being that just because something was the recommendation of the day 80 years ago, does not automatically mean it's the best product available today.

Re: I tried corn head grease!
 

Good point Licensed. After all, who would run non detergent oil in there engine - not me. Sorry didn't mean to change the subject...

Re: I tried corn head grease!
 

So you can grease the steering box instead of putting in 600w oil. Is there a zerk??

Re: I tried corn head grease!
 

we put 50 miles on yesterday so far no leaks. I think what I will do is put a few squrits of corn head grease in the steering gear every time I grease the car there is no draw back to over greasing that I can see it will just go up the column. maybe for 4 bucks a tube it would be best to grease everything with corn head grease?

Re: I tried corn head grease!
 

No zerk because it was built to hold oil, not grease. People just shoot grease in the box through the oil fill hole.

People say grease gets pushed out of the binding surfaces in a steering box and doesn't flow back inbetween the metal, so people don't use normal wheel bearing grease. The steering box doesn't get hot like the wheel bearings.

Supposedly cornhead grease still flows because it is a semi liquid grease.

Re: I tried corn head grease!
 

Re: I tried corn head grease!
 

This stuff works so good I put it on my hot wieners. After lots of research Ive learned that John Deere Had this grease specially formulated for leaky gearboxes on their farm equipment. Ive watched a video of this stuff in a large gearbox in action with the top of the gearbox removed so you could witness it. will not push off, separate, and is self leveling. Stopped my gear box leak completely. I have used STP full shot and it leaked real slow and is a PITA to clean off. picked mine up at a local John Deere dealer close by for $ 2.50:D What a surprise, bought 3 tubes... you never know.

Re: I tried corn head grease!
 

Must be fun steering in the cold weather ,as it is with 600w in the transmission ...Talk about double clutching in the winter ��

Re: I tried corn head grease!
 

I wish I could find it for $2.50 a tube. :( Good stuff I'll have to admit. I had experience with it beginning back in 74 on forage harvestors. We took the stalk cutter assembly apart and drilled and tapped for grease fittings. replaced the seals so they wouldn't blow when we pumped grease in. Pumped corn head grease in them 4 times a day, and never lost another cutter assembly after that. If you saw how fast that knife on them rotated back and forth it would make a believer out of you the grease was some pretty good stuff. Sorry to get off Model A steering boxes.

Now my early 29 steering box a 7 tooth has original fittings on it and I've seen others the same way. What did they have on them originally? The original fittings don't have balls and springs on them to keep the grease from squirting back out. But there should be a vent on the top? Yes...no?

Re: I tried corn head grease!
 

The original "zerk" fittings in seven-tooth boxes were not intended for chassis grease. Ford dealerships had a pump that dispensed the 600w style lube into the steering box under pressure. Unfortunately, later owners and uninformed restorers thought the zerk fitting was for pumping in chassis grease - which they did, ruining the sector teeth after a short time because the chassis grease was squeezed out from between the teeth and the worm gear = no lube. Look at any used sector gear's teeth and you'll see wear gouges on their faces from lack of lubrication.
The zerk fitting in the sector housing, however, could be used for greasing the sector shaft, although the 600w (or Ford equivalent in "the Day") should have been able to work its way through the sector bushing grooves to coat the shaft. A little chassis grease pumped in here ONLY couldn't hurt, though. Just don't pump it into the gear box itself or you'll be joining the Hard Steering/Worn Sector Teeth Club in short order.
Marshall

Re: I tried corn head grease!
 

In my steering box I mix corn head with gear lube so it will just pour and it has been in steering box for three years and 20 thousand miles and it works great. John Deere formulated corn head grease to cling to the gears and yet be fluid enough to flow back if it is flung away from the gears. I also use it on my U-joint.

Re: I tried corn head grease!
 

just an update so far no leaks! with 600w it would always drip a little sometimes a lot, car steers fine. very pleased!

Re: I tried corn head grease!
 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Re: I tried corn head grease!
 

On my way to Tractor Supply today to try some in my Roadster...

Re: I tried corn head grease!
 

As far as I know the only place to get corn head grease is at a John Deere tractor dealer it cost me 4.50 a tube. Try it I think you will be happy!

Re: I tried corn head grease!
 

Definitely go to JD to buy this. They had it specially formulated for old leaky gear boxes.

Re: I tried corn head grease!
 

Penrite SemiFluid and Steering Box Lube. As a faithful follower of advice on the FordBarn, I used this to solve my leaky steering box. I too replaced the endplate with the one welded to the snorkel (Snyder's). Drop in perfect fit.
I debated on CornHead Grease and other SemiFluid Greases. It seems the community is split. Penrite makes a semifluid grease (suggested by Tom Endy in another thread) that is less viscous (slightly more runny/fluid) than cornhead grease. It is formulated for steering boxes as well.

I bought both. I have a HumVee planetary gear box and put both in and tested it. Both lowered the coefficient of friction markedly. Both resisted leaking out of the cover as a slowly backed off the cover bolts. I heated the gear box to 40 degrees, 75 degrees, 100 degrees, and 110 degrees in my sand blasting chamber. No difference in leaks until gear box cover was 3/64" separated and that was at 110 degrees. At 100 degrees no leaks until the gap was 4/64".

However, what convinced me was upon inspection at temperature level 100 and 110 degrees the gears were equally covered in lubricant. But, at temperatures below 85 degrees the corn head grease did not flow into the cogs of the gears like the Penrite product did. At 40 degrees the grease separated and the gears ran unlubricated. It took 28 seconds at 40 degrees for the Penrite grease to mix in the gears.

I opted for the Penrite product. Have had no leaks and steering works well.

In summary, I think either or both would work, it depends on your ambient and operating temps. The gear box on my '30 coupe never reaches over 88 degrees even during a tour on a hot southern day (measured with laser thermometer).

Goes to show, if you ask ten Model A "experts" how to do something you will get 10 answers about the five best ways.
Full disclosure, I am just a Joe Schmo, not paid or compensated by anyone for anything related to Model A's. Just an ol' engineer with too much think time on his hands.

Diastole in the Smoky Mountains

Re: I tried corn head grease!
 

Suggestion on putting the Corn Head grease in steering box. Remove the upper zerk and pump grease in the lower fitting until it starts to come out of the upper fitting hole. This way you are not putting a lot of pressure in the steering box to force the oil and grease out from the pressure of putting in the grease. Found my Corn head grease on vacation in Durango Colorado at John Deere dealer. Do have the newer type zerk fittings with a ball and spring in my 7 tooth box.

Re: I tried corn head grease!
 

I'm on the Penrite wagon, rebuilt my 7-tooth, used the welded tube(2 thumbs up). Steers very well for an old buggy, hasn't leaked-yet.

Re: I tried corn head grease!
 

For those without access to Penrite you can also use a grease they sell at Tractor Supply Co called "Super S Cotton Picker Spindle Grease". Just like Penrite it has a thickness rating of NGLI 00 and uses lithium. It'll set you back about $6.

Re: I tried corn head grease!
 

Corn head grease (fluid) ... Thixotropic ... fancy word, interesting story... look it up
Joe B

Re: I tried corn head grease!
 

That's a great performance test you did Diastole!!!

Re: I tried corn head grease!
 

I think corn head grease has ase of about 1200
jb

Re: I tried corn head grease!
 

Technically speaking, corn head grease has a unique property known as thixotropic. This means it becomes licquid when agitated and then returns to its original thickness when at rest. Most grades of grease remain thick and do not migrate or move around during operation. They tend to cake.

Re: I tried corn head grease!
 

I tried Corn head grease too but went back to Brylcreem. A little dab will do ya.

Re: I tried corn head grease!
 

When you speak of the lower grease fitting are you referring to the zerk on the sector BUSHING housing which is on some gears?

I do not see this fitting on the two tooth housing A-3580B.

Thanks

Re: I tried corn head grease!
 

I was wondering if any of these grease/heavy oils like Penrite, JD corn head grease or Tractor Supply's Super S Cotton Picker grease would work well in a leaky dripping differential. It would seem any of them would either eliminate minor leaks or at least minimize leaks with no down sides. Any comments?
Rusty Nelson

Re: I tried corn head grease!
 

When corn head liquifies especially in the universal joint, it will leak based on experience. One culprit in the steering box can be the side adjustment sector screw where some owners use a rubber washer/brass gasket combo under the capture nut.

Re: I tried corn head grease!
 

JD Cotton Picker Spindle Grease,,, they have you covered here too.


You can buy smaller containers this is just for reference.


https://shop.deere.com/us/product/AN...nd)/p/AN113719

Re: I tried corn head grease!
 

Tractor supply used to sell Corn head grease.