grease packed steering box anyone try it??

[devesvws]

i was talking to a guy that owns a repair shop about my steering box that has a small leak. he was saying pack that sucker with grease i never thought about doing that has anybody done this or thought to give this a try ??
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THE FEW THE PROUD THE ORIGINAL VW WATERBOXER -> looking for a original 91 vanagon owners manual with 1991 on the cover http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmuiG2tUsP4&feature=share https://picasaweb.google.com/101290228103300323836/BostonBobFlywheelVideo#5543000332201103922

[1977_L63H_P27]

There's a reason VW didn't do it and I'd say it's cold weather. You wouldn't be able to turn it in the winter time.
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[devesvws]

i was thinking that, but there are other types of grease, like the kind you use on cv joints, it seems softer. just a thought
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THE FEW THE PROUD THE ORIGINAL VW WATERBOXER -> looking for a original 91 vanagon owners manual with 1991 on the cover http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmuiG2tUsP4&feature=share https://picasaweb.google.com/101290228103300323836/BostonBobFlywheelVideo#5543000332201103922

[busman78]

Wive's tales, my box has been packed with grease for fifteen years now, driven in temps from zero to hundred plus, no problems with turning. First opened the box to drain and clean out, did not have to remove it, hand packed it then installed a zerk fitting in the bottom of the box, when I grease the front suspension the box gets a fresh load, excess will ooze out the top.

[SGKent]

some people have used a mixture of gear oil and ep moly grease. Having rebulit several of these, I would recommend the gear oil VW suggested. Small leaks are ususlly the seals and both are available.
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“Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin

[Wildthings]

The seals on my '77 started puking oil while it was away from home 4ish years ago. I drilled a small hole near the top that I could just center a grease needle in and pumped a bit of grease in. It has gotten a bit of grease several times since and shows almost no seepage at this point in time. Is this the best solution, of course not, but it has worked for a long while and will probably last a bit longer until I finally get around to swapping another gear box in.

[devesvws]

well i went ahead and added some moly grease to it. i think i will take my heat gun and warm up the box a little, just to settle it down in there.
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THE FEW THE PROUD THE ORIGINAL VW WATERBOXER -> looking for a original 91 vanagon owners manual with 1991 on the cover http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmuiG2tUsP4&feature=share https://picasaweb.google.com/101290228103300323836/BostonBobFlywheelVideo#5543000332201103922

[RatCamper]

Win...ter? What is this thing you speak of? Reminds me i have to check how the steering box is doing for fluids.
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Vehicle: 1975 Special order delivery walkthrough panel based pop-top camper (LCA / Sunliner). Motor: Nippon 1.8L Single port Wasserboxer, Transmission: 3 rib 002.

[VWDruid]

I used Lucas Red "N" Tacky Multi-Purpose EP Grease and doing just fine been a few hundred miles, I'll have to see if its settled any.
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70 Westy, 2027cc "dual DRLA 40 m140 i55 wjdoc a165 p33 v30 "w100 straight cut 040 polished heads 1.25 rockers 1.5 A1sidewinder supertrapp muffler trans 091 coil SUM-850500 CDI universal svda Pertronix
http://www.storyofstuff.com/
It's not the straight cut gears It's the T.A.R.D.I.S. engine.
wanted Chameleon Circuit

[Desertbusman]

The grease might not be all that bad for the late model box since they are still available new. And you cheaply can replace them. But I'd think not for an early bay box. The number of early boxes in existance is what we have and are stuck with. As their parts get more scarce the cost of rebuilt boxes will go way up.
Grease is not the lube of choice for the type, variety, and arrangement of components in a steering box. Unlike wheel bearings that run hot because of speed and load. The lubricant needs to be fluid. So you've got a tradeoff, leaks or accelerated wear. Chose which one to prevent. Or just reseal it and call it good.
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71 Superbug
71 Westy

[josh]

Penrite makes a viscous lubricant just for leaky old steering boxes. A lot of the old British car guys swear by it. My dad's got it in his Triumph.
Is it the best option?
I don't know. But it does work.

http://www.penriteoil.com.au/products/classic-car-oil/steering_box_lubricant
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[SGKent]

The issue for any grease is that as one drives the steering teeth are constantly meshing and changing. Too thick a grease will get squezed out from between the teeth and not be able to flow back in before the mesh changes again eventually making it metal to metal. If the grease is thin enough to flow quickly it will work, but it will also leak the oil as it separates.

A pair of seals cost me about $15 from a local bearing house and was easy to replace. Usually it is only the lower one that leaks. There are those who have had reasonable results with grease and oil but I don't know how one would measure the difference unless one has 100 of each, 1/2 filled with gear oil and the other half grease -then compare wear at 100,000 miles. The folks who designed and made the LATE 73 -> gearboxes was a company named "Gemmer." They licensed the design first to the French who made them for about 6 - 8 months at the same factory Ferarri boxes were made and then the production was moved to Germany under VW/ZF. I guess one could do a search on old Gemmer documents and see the evolution of lubricants in their boxes and why/if they changed.
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“Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin

[lonewolfe]

I have a 1970 Bay and the steering wheel has a lot of play in it. I understand that it can be tightened up with adjustment but the box is also covered in a greasy oily mess. I have not messed with it yet because I am rebuilding the engine now, then probably the transaxle and brakes will come next. I hope to get all this finished by late spring or early summer so I can finally drive this bus. I was thinking that it should just be replaced but did not realize they are not too terrible to replace seals and oil and tighten up the adjustment. Have any of you done these things to your stearing boxes?
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If you hear these words then get out of the way, "Hey Ya'll, Watch this!!!".

[Sloride]

I have used the cv grease and gear oil mixture with reasonable success, Last summer though I decided to top up the box with stop leak hydrolic oil for floor jack. Hasn't leaked a drop since.

Craig
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1972 Westfalia - 1.8 VW in-line h2o conversion
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Link to the engine swap:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=565304&highlight=

1964 Ruby Red Beetle

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=705757&highlight=ruby+red

[iratehippie]

http://www.penriteoil.com.au/products/classic-car-oil/steering_box_lubricant[/quote]

Thanks for the link. All my vehicles are "classic".

[Desertbusman]

I'm collecting quite a list of people I'd never buy a bus from.
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71 Superbug
71 Westy

[busman78]

Best guess, what the green book says, gee VW did not do that and speculation do not cut it for experience, don't knock it till you try it.

SGKent, my box was packed with grease, the zerk allows for new grease to be packed in, what ever is squeezed away from the gears as they mesh fresh grease is picked up on the teeth as they turn. Plus wheel bearings are packed with grease, so the constant meshing theory is kind of mute.

[SGKent]

[Desertbusman]

[busman78]

Well, with 15 years of on the road running with a greased steering box, over 200K miles, no binding, no crunching, steering still smooth, reality once again proves that arm chair technician speculation is not valid.

In the mid 1990's when I did this the local VW dealer did not have or could get the seal, the three VW parts stores I had access to did not have seals, being a person that will at least try something my box got greased. Now, due to the web and German Supply I have steering box seals stored away in the front end parts box, if and when the box on my bus gives up, it is the original and has well over 300K on it, I will replace it with one of the four late boxes I have stored, will put a new seal in and fill with oil. But for now there is no reason to do that.