Weird wheel bearing grease.

[Chris142]

Had a front wheel bearing fail on my tractor. Figured that I better pull the other side apart too. The grease that's in there is dark brown and gooey like stp oil addative. I put the hub and bearings in the solvent tank at work and it just smears it around.

Got the parts soaking in gas hoping that will eat it.

I assume this is original grease Case used in it back in 1956. Wonder what it is?

I'm putting valvoline wheel bearing grease for Ford's back in it since I had it.

 

[JHZR2]

Whale oil based??

Seems odd that a solvent tank wouldn’t dissolve it. What is the solvent in there?

 

[Chris142]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Whale oil based??

Seems odd that a solvent tank wouldn’t dissolve it. What is the solvent in there?
we use regular petroleum solvent. Not the water based junk.

 

[spackard]

Like molecules attract. Also, seems something good on dissolving oil doesn't perform well on grease.
Maybe a hotplate, diesel, and agitation, if you're brave.

The real problem is that what you're removing isn't grease any more - it's whatever grease turns into after all the volatiles have evaporated, and no doubt some polymerization has taken place. To me it looks more like varnish, and it is certainly quite hard.

Not many farmers had a lot of money to spend on grease. Probably used the same grease on everything, from a large bucket.

 

[Chris142]

It's very oily (now anyway). Real tacky too. I will check on it when I get to work in about 20 min.

 

[zzyzzx]

Pics please!

 

[Chris142]

The gas ate it off. Sorry no pics. I will look at the dust cap tonight and see if I can get a pic.

 

[Kestas]

Hard to tell after 62 years what the original color of the grease was. Brown may suggest the ingress of water and corrosion. Check the seals and seal surfaces, and check the grease cavity for corrosion.

Another thought -- different incompatible greases may have been mixed in over the years.

 

[Chris142]