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Grease for ring gear and bearing?

RTCPC78 ยท 2024-02-25 17:56

What grease are most using for ring gear and bearing? I found this on my excavator. Drained water and removed as much grease as I could. Manual says NLGI 2 grease. I plan on repacking with 1.5 gal of grease. Just wondering what most are using? Everything seems pretty sealed up, how could the water have gotten in there? I suspect, pressure washing. Left the drain opened to air out, going to use leaf blower to blow the remining water out, if any. Any advice appreciated. First excavator I have owned. PC78MR-6

Replies8
  1. #1skyking12024-02-25 18:57

    the area gets dirty and the cover leaks, and rain goes to that low spot. I packed the 120 with 10 tubes to start with after a bearing change. It is about 1.5 x your machine. The grease only needs to be halfway up the gear at the most.

  2. #2RTCPC782024-02-26 07:27

    skyking, What brand/name grease did you use?

  3. #3John Shipp2024-02-26 14:42

    I've seen water get in when the seal piece around the rotary union is torn - the rubber surround that bolts down around the union and is clamped to it, sometimes they get a tear in them and if they're buried in heaps of sticks and mud then the water pools in back of there and runs right in

  4. #4Nige2024-02-26 14:50

    IMO basically any lithium-complex based NLGI #2 grease from a decent lubricant manufacturer. Shell Gadus, Mobilgrease XHP222, Chevron Starplex, or Conoco Dynalife 220 are just a few of the options.

  5. #5RTCPC782024-02-27 18:32

    Thanks Nige, I come from the paper mill background and we had a mobil product SHC PM 460 that repelled water wonderfully. We put this in all our wetend bearings. The XHP may be better for xtreme high pressures seen in the sear of the gears. I will have to look into the XHP222. Thanks.

  6. #6kshansen2024-02-27 18:38

    Glad I took time to read this thread before saying something stupid, would not have been the first time! My first thought was why was someone lubing a ring gear, dumby me thinking the ring gear for the starter on the engine ring gear! Guess there should be a rule: "Read twice Post Once!"

  7. #7skyking12024-02-27 19:06

    Nothing so esoteric for me. I will get you a picture of the grease I use everywhere. In my case, the ring is new but the driving gear is 26 years old and ~9500 hours. It looked barely polished to me. I did not have a tub of water either.

  8. #8Welder Dave2024-02-27 21:53

    There is waterproof grease too. It's used on MX bikes. Belray is 1 brand but there are others too.