53 steering grear lube

[Guest]

what is the correct lube to use in a 53 manual steering box?
It was empty and I added gear oil - 90 wt and have a puddle on the floor? Should it have a grease used or is the leak a sign it needs to be rebuild?

Tom

[Larry]

Welcome to PontiacRegistry.com. Thanks for visiting, and for your question.

I would like to invite you to join, and as such have access to a complete Service Manual-- On-Line-- covering 1949-'54 Pontiacs. Your membership support helps bring benefits like this to the members. I'm sure with a '53 Pontiac, you will fine that service alone very helpful.

Now about your lubricant question. Unfortunately, all the Pontiac manuals (and I checked many of them) state to use an "All Season Steering Lubricant". Even Chilton manuals just state "Steering Lubricant". However, us "old timers" know better.

I have seen regular chassis grease used, but that can be a bear to turn if you plan on driving in cold weather. Some suggest just usung straight STP, and some "special" mixtures of STP and gear lube like you used.

Regardless, all seem to agree that 90 weight is going to drip right out, as you have experienced.

I would suggest going to a place like a NAPA store, where they have more knowledgable people than some of the local chain stores. They deal with trucks and lots of older cars that have old style, non-power gear boxes, and should have just the right lubricant for you. It will be a lubricant that might be called 600 weight, but in reality is actually about a 250 weight when comparing to the way we think of rear end lubs (like the 90 weifght you used). Bottom line, it will be thicker, and unless your seals are really shot, will work fine.

The good thing is that if the thicker grease does not leak out, it should stay in becauce the steering box doesn't heat up like other components thus thinning it down... drip, drip, drip.

Good luck, and please keep in touch.

[fire51]

I have an atlantic lubrication chart and it specifies 90 wt gear oil.
Hope this helps.

[jer57747]

it's been my experance with the old jeeps that if your steering box is not shot then any one of molly gear lubs will work vary well in it. I just use the gun and pump a good amount in the box then work it back and forth to move thigs around. it stays and is vary easy to turn no matter what he temp is out side.

[Gun11234]