Grease vs Oil in Burman Boxes

[jcorbs]

Hi All:

Finally have a replacement that I am rebuilding.

Consensus seems to be to use grease rather than oil?

Any preferences/recs reagrding the type of grease to use?

Thanks

John Corbs

[Bill S]

I think that grease is more of a last resort if your lower seal is letting the fluid leak out. Since you'll be replacing that seal in your rebuild you should probably use fluid, at least until the new seal starts to leak.

[marco246]

When I bought my 1750 a little over a year ago the box was more or less empty except for some dried flakes of grease. I filled it with 80W-90 gear oil and it has been fine since.

[Anfanuts]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill S I think that grease is more of a last resort if your lower seal is letting the fluid leak out. Since you'll be replacing that seal in your rebuild you should probably use fluid, at least until the new seal starts to leak.

[Alfajay]

I agree with Bill Sinclair - if the factory specified gear oil, that's probably the better lubricant. Sure, if you seal has worn out, and if you don't want to replace it, then substituting grease for oil will minimize leaks and no doubt lubricate better than nothing. But, that doesn't make it better, particularly in a newly-rebuilt box.

Maybe I'm lucky, but I haven't had a lot of problems with Burman boxes leaking gear oil. And no, mine aren't simply empty.

[Chris1750]

I rebuilt my Burman box about 9 months ago when the bottom O-ring finally let the last of the oil out onto the garage floor. On advice from local wiser heads, I filled it with a mixture of 1/3 SAE90 oil and 2/3 grease which eventually had the consistency of thick honey. I'm told it will permeate everywhere, lubricate and protect the relevant parts and take much longer to leak out. So far all has been well though the car hasn't been driven much.
Regards,
Chris

[alfaparticle]

I still have some Chevron AAA semi-liquid grease. I bought a "pail" of it some years ago when the steering box of my first GTV would not hold oil. It pours slowly at room temperature and faster when it is heated. It is designed to replace oil in leaking gear cases. It is widely used in the mining industry where the cost is high of bringing equipment to the surface for repair. It is well suited to steering boxes.

[karmat]

Oil is the better lubricant for the job, but the other solutions above are also valid. One problem that seems to happen with rebuilt boxes is that some dirt or sand gets into the original seal and not only does the seal wear out, but the grit grinds down the shaft of the box slightly. When you replace the seal it still leaks. Check out the shaft carefully and if you have a couple to choose from, pick the least "polished" looking where the seal meets it. I've seen people rebuild them and end up with a leak immediately.

Karl

[alfaparticle]

The seals are readily available but the bushings are not. A seal will most likely fail if the bushing is worn.

[elderly]

'Penrite' make a Self Leveling Oil/Grease Mixture for Steering Boxes.

[JeffM]

My GTV's steering box has been filled with the Chevron AAA semi-liquid grease for about 5 years now (I got a bit of it from Ed's pail), and it's pretty happy I think. This stuff, even at room temp, is liquid enough to flow into all of the working bits of the box, and at the temps the steering box sees I'm sure it's quite liquid most of the time while the car is being driven. I guess I agree that oil would be best for a rebuilt box with known good seals/bushings, but I think this semi-liquid grease is the next best thing. Thanks Ed!

[sndesign]

An old school Alfa mechanic years ago told me to mix gear oil with
grease until it is can be poured.

[81gtv6]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sndesign An old school Alfa mechanic years ago told me to mix gear oil with grease until it is can be poured.

[sndesign]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 81gtv6 On the old 50's Boeing flap transmissions when they started leaking their fluid it's in the books to mix grease and hydraulic fluid as thick as honey and fill it. The next major inspection it gets properly rebuild or tossed and replaced with a new one. If its good enough for Boeing its good enough for me.

[stahlhein]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill S I think that grease is more of a last resort if your lower seal is letting the fluid leak out. Since you'll be replacing that seal in your rebuild you should probably use fluid, at least until the new seal starts to leak.