Grease for gear-reduced drill gear case

[nmantas]

I picked up an old triple-gear reduced Dewalt DW131 and it is absolutely filthy. I'm assuming the grease looks like white colgate (grease mixed with the thinset that is everywhere). I'm assuming any grease is better than no grease but figured I would ask.

 

[theoldwizard1]

white lithium

 

[matt_i]

A fair number of gearcases use #0 NLGI grease. Typical stuff that you pump out of a grease gun is #2. Anyway its soft and nearly flowable and has a lot of oil while not being full on liquid.

The problem with #2 is it is thick enough to get smashed out of the way and then stay there where it does no good. A softer consistency is needed to get lube to the moving parts reliably while not presenting quite the sealability problem as the liquid.

 

[Lasu]

I used special gear grease (oil ester oil, aluminum complex soap, NLGI 1) when i repaired a couple of high torque metabo and bosch drills. The same grease what the tool manufacturer sells in their own tubes here, Divinol, Elkalub, Kluber etc.

 

[nmantas]

Well......I got the switch back together and working (forgot to mention I bought this piece of **** with it "always on") and JB welded a different issue.

As to the lube, I have NLGI 01 with moly CV grease that I was going to use but I can't get the gearcase screws off with a regular screwdriver.....I was about to then try my impact driver (first electric drill-type.....then the hammer-type true impact driver) but then I thought I'd wait. I have $15 into it and bought this instead of renting one from HD for a mixing project where speed is an issue (stuff sets in 15 minutes). Since it is working fine I will use it for my project then focus on lubing it that way there will be low stress if something goes wrong like stripping it out.

Thanks all for the info.

 

[nmantas]

Holy ****.....I still haven't messed with the front to lube the gears but I did take off the the back plate and OMG is this thing full of powdered mud/thinset.

There is a bearing right there in the back and it is lifetime lubricated.....good thing because if the shielding/seal was compromised I think it would immediately lock up.

 

[larry4406]

Right or wrong I just filled the gear case on my DW131 with regular grease from my grease gun.

I had to replace a sheared key on mine to get it back into service.
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=378332

 

[mike93lx]

If it currently works, just use it for the project.

A two speed drill is about $50 at HF. Would save you a lot of time and effort....

 

[nmantas]

Right or wrong I just filled the gear case on my DW131 with regular grease from my grease gun.
I had to replace a sheared key on mine to get it back into service.
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=378332

Yeah, I had already saw that post and it basically represents the only pictures of the interior on the internet. I did get the screws off (no match for hammer impact driver) but when I tried to get the gearcase off the entire armature came with it and it didn't split. I wonder if someone messed up the gasket and used some sealant on the gasket or something.

There appears to also have a hairline crack on the gearcase that I'm not too worried about except it means I can't get too rough trying to split the case:

 

[cjarvis]

This is what I use: https://www.lubriplate.com/Products/Grease/Multi-Purpose-Greases/GR-132/GR-132/

 

[larry4406]

...Yeah, I had already saw that post and it basically represents the only pictures of the interior on the internet....

Yeah I posted the pictures here as when I went looking for info on the net I came up empty and figured it might help someone one day. Attached is a parts list and exploded diagram I found back then, maybe this will help you.

 

[nmantas]

Yeah I posted the pictures here as when I went looking for info on the net I came up empty and figured it might help someone one day. Attached is a parts list and exploded diagram I found back then, maybe this will help you.

Thanks, now this thing is challenging me to get it open. I might warm up the front gear case with a heat gun to see if that will help loosen it up so it will come apart. Did your gearcase come right apart when you took off the four screws?

 

[KnurledNut]

A fair number of gearcases use #0 NLGI grease. Typical stuff that you pump out of a grease gun is #2. Anyway its soft and nearly flowable and has a lot of oil while not being full on liquid.

The problem with #2 is it is thick enough to get smashed out of the way and then stay there where it does no good. A softer consistency is needed to get lube to the moving parts reliably while not presenting quite the sealability problem as the liquid.

Usually NLGI 0 or 1 is spec'd.
Unfortunately its usually too-expensive/impractical-to-buy/hard-to-source the OEM goo for the average joe.

In "slow" speed gearcases, such as your drill, i have used John Deere Corn Head Grease.
I can walk in the JD store and buy a tube for less than $4.
Its a high quality NLGI-0 and is polyurea based. It was designed to semi-liquefy in use, but remain semi-solid at rest, (for its intended application.)
Check it out here:
https://www.greenpartstore.com/John-Deere-Special-Purpose-Corn-Head-Gun-Grease-AN102562.html

Heres a cool video of it in action:

As always, advice has to be taken with a grain of salt. What works for one application may not be good for another.

And the thought of “if it aint broke, dont fix it” comes to mind. The existing factory grease will last a LONG time.
Unless its leaking, it might be best to leave it alone.

 

[larry4406]

Thanks, now this thing is challenging me to get it open. I might warm up the front gear case with a heat gun to see if that will help loosen it up so it will come apart. Did your gearcase come right apart when you took off the four screws?

I don’t recall it being a problem so I will have to say yes.

 

[nmantas]

And the thought of “if it aint broke, dont fix it” comes to mind. The existing factory grease will last a LONG time.
Unless its leaking, it might be best to leave it alone.

Next time I'm by a Deere dealer I'm picking up a tube for future endeavors. I think I might just say skip it but I will say the manual says to relube the gears yearly with use and this thing has been abused hard for 10-15 years and I don't think the screws were ever touched with a screwdriver.

 

[PeacefulMan]

I used special gear grease (oil ester oil, aluminum complex soap, NLGI 1) when i repaired a couple of high torque metabo and bosch drills. The same grease what the tool manufacturer sells in their own tubes here, Divinol, Elkalub, Kluber etc.

This is an old post but got me curious what special gear grease that you were using ?