Grease and which you use

[vhgmcbuddy]

Hello everyone
Just something for thought, when we all go and get oils for our beloved machines, we get the best we can possibly buy or afford, but when it comes to using the trusty grease gun on the same machines do we do the same or do we get the cheapest ep2 grease our local motor shop has?

Just something i was wondering as i greased my mg5 last nigth as i was using high pressure new holland grease as thats what we use on the farm and happened to be in my grease gun, but also depends on what the grease is been used for.

[wristpin]

The older the machine the less fussy it is likely to be as any of today’s oils and greases are probably likely to be of far better quality than those back in the days when the machines were being used in anger? The exception to this is Two-stroke oil where I say “old oil for old engines”, but I think that we’ve already been there!
Some oil (or grease) is at least better than no oil!!

[ransomes256]

Stew,
Here lies a problem.
The Ransomes MG crawlers are not supposed to be greased !!
All the points on the machine are for oil (normally a thick Hypoid 140)
So as wristpin states oil or grease is better than none is in the case of the crawler not true.
The oil seals on the hubs and rollers are installed backwards and designed to burst open when oiled to push any dirt out of the lip then close down to seal then any mud pushing on the seal will only force the seal down more rather than open the seal and enter the bearings. Grease will burst the seal open then hold it open allowing the dirt in. Additionally the way that the side gearboxes work they only have a little amount of oil in which is splashed around by the main hub gear which then lubricates the pinions and bearings which will not happen with grease.
Additionally the main gearbox uses a straight engine oil (SAE50) and not a gear oil.
Neil

[expeatfarmer]

Echoing Neil’s comment I have lost count of the number of bearings I have replaced on crawlers that had been packed with grease and not 140 oil . The grease goes solid over time and is extremely difficult to remove.The load rollers have a long drilling through the castings to the centre cavity between the bearings, grease blocks this so that no lubricant gets to the bearings. I use SAE140 in an air powered grease gun and pump until it escapes the seals.

[wristpin]

Echoing Neil’s comment I have lost count of the number of bearings I have replaced on crawlers that had been packed with grease and not 140 oil . The grease goes solid over time and is extremely difficult to remove.The load rollers have a long drilling through the castings to the centre cavity between the bearings, grease blocks this so that no lubricant gets to the bearings. I use SAE140 in an air powered grease gun and pump until it escapes the seals.

I totally agree – it was never my intention to imply that grease should be used where oil is specified, just that the precise grade of grease or oil was not as important as the presence of some of the prescribed lubricant. Two other examples of where the use of grease instead of oil will give rise trouble are Ransomes lawnmower rear rollers and Triumph Herald king pins, the latter sometimes disastrously!

[Author]

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