ferret bevel box semifluid grease

[01ec28]

Has anyone tried using a semifluid grease such as Mobil Nebula ep 6f? I'm curious if it would lubricate outer reduction hubs as well without overheating?

Drew

[griff66]

it might but i have stuck with ep90

[robin craig]

Drew,

 

are you thinking along the same lines Land Rover did about their swivel balls? I know they changed what was used to a grease as we use it in the 90 on the property.

 

R

[MiketheBike]

I would much prefer the thought of EP90 being swooshed and washing around in the bevels rather than a grease, and if they leak a bit, at least you know they have oil in them

I put one-shot in my 101 swivels, and wished I had just renewed the swivel pins (which I have done now and refilled with EP90)...one shot is horrible stuff the clean up!

[Tony B]

My experience at least is one shot grease is fine, as long as you add a bit of EP 90 to it. Stripping the hubs the grease seems to spin to the outside leaving a hollow in the centre. Mixing with some oil to make it runnyer seems to work a lot better.

[Richard Farrant]

Has anyone tried using a semifluid grease such as Mobil Nebula ep 6f? I'm curious if it would lubricate outer reduction hubs as well without overheating?

Drew

 

Hi Drew,

 

I am very familiar with Ferret hub inner workings and would say that you should stick to EP90 gear oil, as there are a lot of needle roller bearings in the hubs and oil will flow through them better. I can see no reason to go to a semi-fluid grease in this application.

regards, Richard

[griff66]

yes u would want lubrication from the start not once grease has warmed up:cool2:

[Richard Farrant]

yes u would want lubrication from the start not once grease has warmed up:cool2:

 

Obviously

[griff66]

probably not that obvious ,as otherwise i guess the question would not have been posted at the start of the thread;)

[Tony B]

If there are a lot of bearings in the middle, definitley oil. I thought about using grease in the hubs of my WC 54 , but unlike a Land Rover the hub is fed directly with oil through the axle, so one shot is definite no go if you have that system.

[Richard Farrant]

probably not that obvious ,as otherwise i guess the question would not have been posted at the start of the thread;)

 

I was replying to your post, hence the quote.

[01ec28]

I had considered most all the ideas you have all replied with and thank you for replying. The product I was thinking of, nebula ep special made by mobil, used in mineing equipment gearboxes. Not particularly high speed gearboxes but it is a fluid state! From my reading it is a semifluid but on shear such as spurgears it takes on the viscosity of the base oil. If any of you have a chance google mobil semifluid grease nebula special. I'm calling the supplier in the next day or so and I'll post what I discover.

Cheers, Drew

[Richard Farrant]

I had considered most all the ideas you have all replied with and thank you for replying. The product I was thinking of, nebula ep special made by mobil, used in mineing equipment gearboxes. Not particularly high speed gearboxes but it is a fluid state! From my reading it is a semifluid but on shear such as spurgears it takes on the viscosity of the base oil. If any of you have a chance google mobil semifluid grease nebula special. I'm calling the supplier in the next day or so and I'll post what I discover.

Cheers, Drew

 

Hi Drew,

I would seriously advise you to stick to the specofied lubricant on the Ferret driveline, it is EP90, or EP80/90 as a alternative. Using a semi fluid grease may well cause you problems down the line.

regards,

Richard

[Tony B]

I'd agree with Richard. Modern Multi viscosity EP oils are far superior to stuff even ten years ago. Plant machinery tends to run at a constant load, on a vehicle loads are constantly changing.

[01ec28]

Well, after more research I'm definitely taking all your advice and sticking to the standard 90ep. Interestingly, the semifluid grease has a mineral oil viscosity of 100. It's really not all that thick, but the k loading is much lower than 90 weight gear oil. Seems this product is intended to string across slower gears spreading the lube before it contacts, but at high speeds it'll fling away, sigh, just like everyone suggests. I can admit when I'm wrong. I think I will however improve the filling fittings with some hydraulic quick couplers to make filling clean and easy. Thank you all for this discussion, Its helped educate me on greases and oils. I think a seal job may be in my future. Might try adding a little automatic transmission fluid first as this has seal modifiers to keep seals supple due to the high operating temps of automatic transmissions.

 

Cheers, Drew

---

[griff66]

keep it original regards fittings, and it should not take that long after all outer tracta is only 1 half inch allen plug and level 2/3 up hub, and inner is from memory 15/16 plug to unscrew it should not really be loosing any!

Edited June 29, 2012 by griff66

[ferrettkitt]

Oil leak by any chance if its British and its not leaking it has no oil in it.

[Tony B]

There are plenty of ' In a bottle' seal expanders available. But having tried them, if you can't cure the leack by checking and twitching the bolts that hold the seal in place, replace the seal.

[01ec28]

Well i'm reviving this thread. Recently I had a very near miss with a lack of oil in front left bevel box. Ivr done some further research on semi fluids. After speaking to imperial oil I've put mobilux ep 023 in to my steering and front bevels. Its really weird stuff. It pumps it flows into a blob.. bit it doesnt drip at all. On highway driving it ran appx 10 degree hotter than right side. Its based on a oil slightly heavier than 90 with ep additives ect. Interestingly the thicker product 004 uses a thinner oil but is much thicker. The extra temp will be from fluid friction. They use yhis product I mining machines. Had to order it at a local bulk oil station. So far its awsome stuff. Going on a 4hr trip next week and ill report back then. Cheers drew

[01ec28]

While I won't advise anyone to use non original lubricants, I am definately staying with this product. It is amazing. The fat that it can flow boggles me. On a 4 hr drive at 45mph in 35celcius temps the hubs were ok. They were a little hotter than the 90w hubs but I'll take the tradeoff. It wasn't like I couldn't keep my hand on the hub, but it was certainly warmer. Added bonus is it's helping strip the black grease that had been packed into the hubs.