Corn head grease

[Tinker]

Originally Posted by 35ragtop

I tried packing the clamshell cavity with cornhead grease when I assembled my 38 pickup. I had to freeze the tube of cornhead grease overnight to get it to stay in. Kept falling out because our climate is too warm.

Dave I have to question this. Cornhead is a grease, at high room temp it is grease and won't flow anywhere without a little heat like gears mashing or a steering box next to exhaust. Certainly don't need to freeze it. Lower then the standard grease available. Maybe your seals are bad or something wrong with your clam? Use what you like. But let us know!


I run lucas 90 addition to the previously mentioned 150W, in my steering box by the way, it leaks a little. No grease

[35ragtop]

When I did my first driveshaft rebuild, I packed the clamshell, as I assembled things, with dark blue grease, it stayed in place easily and I was able to bolt everything up without it sagging and falling out.
My next rebuild, after reading all about the merits of CH grease, i tried to pack it in using the same idea. It was a hot day and it would sag and drop out before I could bolt everything up, and it got all over the gaskets and the aircraft sealant that I use. So I put a tube in the freezer overnight, and packed it in without a problem , the next day.
Where I found difficulty was when the car was driven to operating temp, I noticed it would ooze out of the clamshell seal. The cork one, which I then replaced with one of those Viton round seals. Same result when hot. It has stopped doing it now, but I put it down to having too much grease in there. Not sure but that is my experience.
As Talkwrench mentioned, you don’t need too much of anything in there, so my next one will get some other product compatible with the transmission oil. Doing my research now. I think because some oil migrates from the gearbox, whatever we use, should be compatible. Heavens only knows what the inside of the 38 pickup clamshell looks like now with a mixture of mineral oil and corn head grease!! My 34 runs high temp bearing grease plus oil.
Dave

[Tinker]

Why would you fill the clam before assembling it? It's a ujoint. We don't get worried about a open ujoint from a 1968 mustang? Less it has a grease zerk. Pack it with grease after you install and walk away. how the clam works, it's closed.
https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=236034
https://www.allischalmers.com/forum/...pic128397.html



I'll see if I can verify the temp it liquefies. But really you are just saying it liquefies at moderate temp, it won't. No offense and you're good to to let me know also. I'm not here to be liked , that's obvious I guess.

be well!!!

[Mart]

^^ With respect a UJ on a Mustang or any other conventional driveshaft has rubber seals to retain the grease in where the rollers are. The Ford UJ is an open design without seals.

[rotorwrench]

It doesn't even have needle bearings. Strictly bushings for the old Ford U-joints. This made it even more important to bath them in lube.

[Tinker]

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Originally Posted by rotorwrench

It doesn't even have needle bearings. Strictly bushings for the old Ford U-joints. This made it even more important to bath them in lube.

Like a kingpin. right? Don't over think it and over do. The bearings are made to wear. If bad they might need to be changed, They do see more wear then a steering box or kingpins.. Little grease never hurt but that area was never designed to have free flowing "oil" like a diff. I have no idea how you would keep a real liquid oil supply to a original clam and not drip on your garage floor . Just my opinion.


https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showt...9991&showall=1


*** all good mart, you are correct on sealed bearings.

.

[flatheadmurre]

Normal UJ or a kinpin is a whole other deal since you pump the grease in there and want it to stay there...so need a thicker grease like NLGI2 there.
In the ford joint gearboxoil would be lovely if it just stayed in there in some magical way...
So the challenge is to find the thinnest grease you can that flows back into the bushings by itself while not escaping the cavity ending up either in gearbox or driveshaft...
If the seal between the clamshells is in good shape there shouldn´t be a big puddle on the floor...but sometimes if they are rough on the surfaces they eat up a new seal real quick.

[Tinker]

Murre I agree. They are different. Old fords leak. It's going to happen. I use the old standard cork gasket. can even make your own. But it is a loose area. No way to contain it.


If your goal is to have a clean garage floor over having a vintage ford or any other old car. Good luck. Never will happen, buy a new car.