Sounds like it may have changed in '53! Any got a book to check that out? My stuff is all too new. Having a '60 makes me feel like a kid compared to the older trucks! HaHa!

 

Thanks for the come back but I have only the adjustment screw on top of the box unless it is a flush screw hiding under the crud.

 

Interesting... as Dick/4TL8Ford pointed out in an old thread, the old 140 wt trans lube is equivalent to 90wt nowadays; so what would old 90wt be, straight 75??

 

Just for grins and giggles, here's the two relevant pages of the '49-'52 shop manual.

It's under heading number 8 here:


and item number 14 here:


If anybody has a '53-'56 shop manual, let's hear what it says. It would be nice if we could pin the change down.

With that said, I think these old boxes are happy with just about anything as long as it has an EP (extreme pressure) additive. My only gripe with the grease-filled boxes is that it tends to get mushed out from between the worm and roller and packed into places where it doesn't do any good unless it gets good and hot. Some engines run the exhast manifold or pipe really close to it and that helps, but not all of them do. The oil has the exact opposite problem. It gets into the places that it needs to and finds its way right out of the box, too. I'd still recommend the semi-fluid JD cornhead grease for any of these applications. It's great stuff! Any John Deere dealer will have it or can get it.

 

The adjusting screw should be on the inside of the box facing the engine. The fill plug is mounted in the top/front of the box facing forward. It kind of looks like a bolt head and it you feel around on it, there should be the head of a cotter pin sticking out of the center of it to keep the vent clear.

 

I have heard other folks swear by that corn head grease butI've never any personal use, although I have been a little too "corny" at times in hadthe past.

 

I'm not likely to run into a farm supply or COOP store, what consistency is cornhead grease? Is it like Lubriplate assembly lube? (which is about like Go-Jo hand cleaner)

 

Yeah it's about like that. It flows about like molasses - except not sticky. I've only used actual John Deere cornhead grease once. I've got access to large quantities of Mobil's Mobilux EP023 at work and I've been using that ever since. It cross references to John Deere's cornhead grease and is the same thing except a slightly different color. I suggest John Deere's product because it's usually easier for most people to get and it comes in regular grease tubes. I picked up the tip from the antique tractor guys. The old Ford tractors use a similar steering gear that originally was filled with oil. They tend to leak also.

 

Does ordering online bother you, Ross? $3.16 a tube.

John Deere Special-Purpose Corn Head Gun Grease - AN102562

 

Thanks, I actually got off my rear and checked, there is a John D dealer pretty close. I'll give it a try, then set about scraping many years worth of goo and dirt from everything around my steering box...

 

Thanks for the come back. I am looking straight down at the box with my head stuck under the hood. I am looking at the adjustment screw and lock nut. Facing the engine are two bolts, one at the front leading edge and the other at the rear. I am curious as to where at one post was said to have drilled and installed a grease fitting. I have not really gotten into the steering but plan to Friday. I want to jack it up and find out just where the steering is binding up. It is very hard to turn the steering wheel right now.

 

Looking from underneath gives a better view... The sector thrust adjustment nut is shown here, it's the chrome dome nut (not stock; I set the stock nut away somewhere and it didn't turn up for another 5 yrs). You can see that if I didn't have headers, I could pop that side plate off and hand-pack the whole gearbox in a few minutes. (this pic shows EXACTLY why I'd like to try the grease!)

 

Wow my first post to make it to page 2 I have another hopefully quick question, the bearing in the top of the streering colume, is there some kind of spacer between the steering wheel and the bearing race? Everything is nice and tight but theres something missing to hold the race into the bearing. The streering wheel and the steering rod moves, and tightning it down doesn't help. I was thinking of useing 1/2 inch pvc coupling it's handy and I got a lot of them. Thankx Dennis

 

Thanks for the picture. Do you have a picture looking from the top where I can compare it with what I have? One of these days I am going to figure out how to do pictures. I have a really nice 75 F700 all original with 31,000 miles on it I would like to share with the guys in the upper years.

 

Mine was also rattling around in the top bearings. I was missing the sleeve. Here's what is supposed to be there... Don't use PVC, use a piece of conduit or pipe.