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Changing grease in grinder gear housing

signcrafter

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May 9, 2012
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12,532
I have a dewalt grinder that the gear housing gets really hot. I think I need to open it up and see if I need to clean it out and add some fresh grease to hopefully make it last longer. Is this a normal maintenance thing for grinders every once in a while?

Also, what grease should I use to put back in and how do I know how much to add?
 
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Superbec

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Sep 7, 2015
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Netherlands
open it up and be amazed, the little chinees girl who assembled the grinder used just a tinsy bit of grease on the gears , yes it will work like that for years , yes it will make a bit less noise if you put more grease
 

redwrench60

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Sep 10, 2011
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East Tennessee
Dewalt/Black & Decker service manual specifies EP "00" grease in the helical gear boxes of its grinders. If youre not familiar with 00 grease it's what Snapper and many lawn equipment companies use in mower deck gearboxes and machinery gearboxes. Tractor Supply or any lawn and garden store sells it. It's a light, creamy semi fluid grease. A teaspoon or two will do it.
 

Wamsutta

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Jan 8, 2014
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Amarillo, Texas
If you were to open the gearbox on my Bosch grinder, you'd swear somebody swiped a putty knife across the grease; it is THAT FLAT. Pull the gear out and there's no grease on the gear at all; it's all in the nooks and crannies of the gear housing. I wish there was some way to keep the gear submerged in gear oil like with a differential gear on a car. As it is now, I don't see what benefit there is to the grease being in there. It's obviously not lubricating the gear if it keeps getting flung off by centrifugal force.
 
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steveo3002

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Nov 9, 2010
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cambridge england
i feel i ought to re grease mine , but as said when you look it there all the grease has flown off the cogs and sits around the outside not doing anything so whats the point?
 

gdocktor3

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Apr 18, 2015
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Connecticut
I would use a spray on CRC white lithium grease. You need something super tacky that is used in high speed, high heat applications. I wonder if a motorcycle chain lubricant would work well. They are designed to stick to the chain and sprockets while traveling at high rpm, with minimal sling off.

Some other good grease choices would be Milwaukee type E drill and hole hawg grease. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000CSWEM2/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Ingersoll Rand air tool grease https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000E0KP38/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Timken Ultra High Speed Spindle Grease http://www.timken.com/en-us/products/lubrication/products/industrial/Pages/HighSpeedSpindle.aspx
 

sberry

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Jun 18, 2005
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Brethren, Michigan
I pour a few drops of synth gear lube in them if I have them apart. They do get hot but most fail elsewhere before the gear gives it up.
 

Wamsutta

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Amarillo, Texas
When the grinder is in the upright position, the grease is above the gear. You would think that gravity would push some of the grease down onto the gear as it's turning, but the gear is still dry as a bone. I'm thinking about trying some Skil wormdrive lube in hopes of it being more obedient to gravity. It's thinner than grease but just barely.
 
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