What weight oil goes in the rear?

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2013: What weight oil goes in the rear?
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Robert Poane on Saturday, November 09, 2013 - 10:28 am:

I think I put 600 weight years ago. Is that right? This is a 1912 rebuilt rear. Never been oiled. Thank you in advance. Bob


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Robert Poane on Saturday, November 09, 2013 - 10:30 am:

Oh, and how much oil goes in the rear? If I remember correctly, they said to put enough in until your finger touches the oil - using your finger as a dip stick.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John Aldrich Orting Wa on Saturday, November 09, 2013 - 10:36 am:

600 weight is what Henry put in them and the finger test works.
There are some newer gear oils available today but off the top of my head I can't remember what they are, I use 600.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Stan Howe Helena, Montana on Saturday, November 09, 2013 - 11:27 am:

For Ruckstells I recommend 85-140. Buy the cheap stuff at a tractor supply place and it will still be better than anything they had in the day. 600 weight is about the same thing as 140.

Just be sure you put something in it. Three or four years ago I sold a Ruckstell to a guy down south and shipped it to him. He started in right away complaining about how noisy it was. Had a new ring and pinion, had been gone through, should have been OK. After several phone calls and emails I replaced it with another one and paid to ship the first one back. No oil in it other than the assembly grease. I called him and asked him if he had ever put oil in it. "Hell no," he said, "You never said anything about putting any kind of oil in it, I figured since I paid for a rebuilt it should have had oil already in it."

This was shipped with the driveshaft and radius rods needing to be installed before it was installed in the car.

I always figured he knew he should have added lube to it and was in a hurry to get it on the road and forgot to do it, once it was run he figured he had ruined it and this was the way out of it.

Since then I have included instructions about adding lube to them.

It actually didn't hurt it hardly at all. I tore it down and cleaned it up, checked it out and sold it to a guy as a project. He just put it in a car and it's still running.

Carburetors are a lot easier to warranty.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Colin Comollatti - Queensland, Australia on Saturday, November 09, 2013 - 04:01 pm:

What modern oil is recommended for the TT worm drive Ruckstells?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John Aldrich Orting Wa on Saturday, November 09, 2013 - 05:20 pm:

I knew a guy who burned up a brand new lawn mower because he failed to put oil in it.

Not Steve... it wasn't ME!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Val Soupios on Saturday, November 09, 2013 - 09:02 pm:

The oil fill plug in the early rears is pretty high up and filling the rear until the oil touches your finger will probably result in oil creeping out the axles. I try to keep it at least one inch below the fill hole and that seems to work well. I use all original seals and have yet to have any problem with oil coming out the axles.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Fred Miller, Sequim WA on Saturday, November 09, 2013 - 11:25 pm:

Colin 85-140 works well with my Worm drives and in one I also added 15% STP oil treatment to help quiet it down. Be sure to put some in the plug for the worm thrust bearing (less than 1/4 cup) if it hasn't been run for awhile.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Hal Schedler, Sacramento on Saturday, November 09, 2013 - 11:38 pm:

Just once, since 1979, one of my guys failed to install oil when changing oil for a customer. It's one way to make sure there's work in the shop. Profit margin stinks though.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By David Menzies on Wednesday, November 13, 2013 - 01:33 am:

From some of the early literature I have read 1.5 - 2 pounds of #2 grease was put in the differentials. They wern't designed for oil because they do not have oil seals at the axle ends just dust felts. Oil will eventually migrate out the ends and contaminate the brakes. I used 1.5 pounds of #1.5 grease it should be non-flowing just creamy like warm butter. I have heard of guys finding old differentials with "congealed oil" thick like grease, well it was grease. Ruckstells are thoroughly greased before assembly. I have a 1926 information book and it specifies grease. FYI Dave


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Richard Gould on Wednesday, November 13, 2013 - 12:17 pm:

When I first got involved with Ts, I drained the RE lube and substituted grease. I added oil shortly thereafter because I noticed considerable drag. Don't think I hurt anything but never did understand how grease would keep things lubed when the ring gears cuts a path in the grease. Now I use either 80-90 or 140 lube, but most of my rebuilds are either Ruckstells or Perfectos.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dan B on Wednesday, November 13, 2013 - 01:41 pm:

One thing that has not been mentioned here, but something you may want to think about since yours is recently rebuilt, is the API Service GL-4 vs GL-5. The general thought is that GL-5 spec oil doesn't agree with the bronze thrust washers. Here's another thread with more discussion on this.

http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/80257/81893.html?1234530404

I rebuilt my Ruckstell about 10 years ago and at the time filled it up with gear oil from Tractor Supply. When I drained it this summer, there was a noticeable bronze glint to it. See picture. Was it caused by the oil? I don't know. But when I went to tractor supply to buy new oil, I noticed that all the stuff they sell is GL-5. I was able to find GL-4 at NAPA only and that's what I used this time around.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Fred Miller, Sequim WA on Wednesday, November 13, 2013 - 07:30 pm:

Here is a chart that shows horizontally the viscosity equivalents of oils. You will see that the ISO 600 is equal to SAE 140 Gear oils. Too heavy an oil will be thrown away from the gears and will be unable to get back in as a lower viscosity can. Too thick an oil can be bad. The "W" is not an indicator of viscosity it is used to mean "Winter grade".

grease


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Colin Comollatti - Queensland, Australia on Wednesday, November 13, 2013 - 09:56 pm:

I was looking at the different gearbox/diff oils available for my TT worm drive. I found that the Penrite Oils (I have no interests in this company) in Australia have an oil that stats it will avoid corrosion to bronze components. Other oil companies may also have an oil that does the same thing just this one come up in one of my web searches.

Penrites' Website:
http://www.penriteoil.com.au/products.php?id_categ=14&id_subcateg=70&id_products =80

Penrites' Statement:
Avoid corrosion in bronze components with this API GL-4 rated gear oil, specially formulated for worm differentials, pre-1960 hypoid differentials and motorcycle shaft drives. Do not use if exposure to water is likely. Mild EP Gear Oil may be used where SAE 90 grades were originally specified (especially if the gearbox or diff is slightly worn) or SAE 140 oils were originally specified and the equipment is in good condition. It is also Ideal for use as an ISO 320 industrial gear oil.

Thank you for your time
Colin


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By David Menzies on Wednesday, November 13, 2013 - 10:39 pm:

If the grease is too heavy the crown will cut a path through it, if it is creamy as 1.5 weight is it will lube just fine. To day we try to set the gears with a .005 slack but in the old days .040 was acceptable with grease. Grease will not migrate out the axles whereas oil will. The outer axle bearings are greased through the grease cups. There are various means to determine grease viscosity, the method I used was place several samples of grease on a 6x6 piece glass about a spoonfull and shape it like a pyramid. Oil just runs off. The grease should just relax a little but not flow, if it stays firm it is too stiff. I found that #1.5 grease used in the gear box of an outboard was just right, it runs in cold water yet lubes the components ok. The T diffs were designed for grease. When oil was found in a diff housing it was usually from a bad seal at the hogshead and travelled down the shaft tube into the housing and eventually out the axle ends on to the brakes. There are many members that have or know somebody that has had leaking oil from the outer axles. There no seals just dust felts and it is a good policy to replace them regularly. There are many attempts to install seals but none of them are perfect. Dave


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Richard Gould on Thursday, November 14, 2013 - 11:08 am:

There is/was a semi fluid grease that the two cylinder guys used in transmissions to minimize throwing oil. It was referred to as John Deere Multiluber. I wonder how this stuff would work in a rear end?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ken Kopsky, Lytle TX on Thursday, November 14, 2013 - 07:08 pm:

All well and good but ISO and SAE didn't exist when Ford built the differential. What are you comparing? :-)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By P. Jamison on Thursday, November 14, 2013 - 08:19 pm:

I don't think Deere makes Multi-Lube any longer, but Corn Head Grease seems a good choice for differentials, steering boxes, etc. prone to leaks.

Here's a video:

http://youtu.be/UEwk_sYP6A8

Phil


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By David Menzies on Thursday, November 14, 2013 - 09:51 pm:

SAE goes back to about 1912 it was known as The Society of Automotive Engineers and later changed to Standard Automotive Engineers. My directory indicates Mobilubricant is used for Ford rear axles as also Koaga #2. The grease reference and numbering system was the in those days SAE Society of Automotive Engineers. The entire page only addreses grease for Ford differentials. The NLGI National lubricating Grease Institute came into being about 1933 therefore the standards may not be exactly the same. Therefore the glass test. Grease standards start with 000, 00, 0, 1, 1.5, 2 up to #6. 000 - 1 are not common the lightest I have found is 1.5. Dave


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