marine gear lube in ariens gearbox?

[jpamp]

Hello i have a early 1980's Ariens model 924050 serial #0842xx snowblower. I have regularly changed the oil, greased the auger shafts, rebuilt the carb etc, but besides stuff thats broke never really done much on this unit for maintenence in the last 10 years. After looking around on this site the other day i saw people talking about changing the gear lube on their snowblower. I think that mine would use the 75w-90 gear lube as it is cast iron gearbox i was told. while i am not totally against buying something specific to fill this. i always have some extra mercury synthetic gear lube left from my outboard. do you think this would hurt anything to use for this purpose, below are the specs on the gear lube?

Quicksilver High Performance Gear Lube

This 85W-90 gear lube features improved emulsifiers to help protect gears should water enter the gearhousing and tackifiers to improve oil film adhesion to gears and internal components. There are extra additives to protect gears from metal to metal contact and excessive wear. For use with all Sterndrives and Outboards excluding electric shift.

 

[JTK]

Marine gear lube would be ideal for these little worm gear boxes. Nowadays they're just loaded with grease.

Joel

 

[Bror Jace]

"Nowadays they're just loaded with grease."

The smaller/cheaper units tend to be loaded with grease and have a zerk for top-off. The larger/better snow blowers have a top fill hole capped off by a nut and call for gear oil.

The marine gear lube should be fine ... provided it meets the viscosity requirements. More additives (even moly disulphide) the better.

Newer Ariens blowers ask for a special gear oil ... I don't have access to the manual but it is an odd spec and I had a heck of a time when I replaced the gear oil in Dad's machine (2006 vintage). I think I ended up using Red Line gear oil in his ... don't remember which one.

I think an ideal oil would be one of their Shock-Proof oils ... loaded with moly.

 

[JTK]

Originally Posted By: Bror Jace

The larger/better snow blowers have a top fill hole capped off by a nut and call for gear oil.



That's true. I can't say I've ever seen a grease filled one with a zerk or any other means to fill other than split it open, clean it out and refill.

Joel

 

[Bror Jace]

"I can't say I've ever seen a grease filled one with a zerk or any other means to fill other than split it open, clean it out and refill."

I know I've seen at least one with a zerk ... but it might have been an older machine. Haven't shopped for a new machine in years ... especially not a smaller/cheaper one.

Gee, a gearbox with grease and no zerk fitting ... everything's being made $#i++y these days!

 

[JTK]

You brought up an interesting point though Bror. Adding a Zerk (and a drain plug for that matter) would be an easy enough mod for those who wanted to.

Joel

 

[Cmarti]

I have used GL5 marine gear lube in the rear transfer cases of
ATV's we ride in water. Never thought of the snowblower.

 

[jpamp]

thanks to everyone who replied, sometimes it seems that we always just go add another bottle of specfic lube to the shelf, nowadays i am trying to use a few of the better products i have on hand for more and more just to keep the number of half to 3/4 full bottles to a miniumum.

Jared