I was checking the gear case on the auger of my 2 stage blower. When I pulled the plug I found a thick grease inside, like wheel bearing grease.

The manual calls for ep90 weight oil in there.

The local dealer, who by the way rebuilt it a couple years ago for the previous owner, is trying to tell me to just add some 80w-90 gear oil in there and it will mix with the grease and be fine.

Should I believe the old-timer at the dealer who supposedly has worked on these for ever, or do I split the case, clean the grease out, and fill it with the 80w-90 oil?

I think the ole timer gave ya some good advise...thats what I do....

Same here.
In fact, used 90 ep starts to look like grease after a while, so it's a good possibility that's what's in there.

That's what I was hoping to hear, thanks.

I was not looking forward to splitting the case.

Sorry guys, the "old timer" is having a mad cow moment... Denny Crane

Crash, you can ask the question on forum after forum until you get the answer you want to hear but it doesn't make the answer you want to hear the correct answer.

There is a HUGE difference between GREASE and 90wt gear oil. They address entirely different lubrication requirements and methods. No GREASE will get in to lubricate a bushing and you don't use gear oil to lube a universal joint.

Follow the recommendation set in the manual and you can't go wrong. The manual is specific in naming SAE 90w gear oil. What more do you need to know?

If you don't have the manual you can download it from Toro.

Well, I didn't get an answer on the other forum, that's why I posted over here. This forum seems to be more technical and is probably where I should have started.

I wanted to know why a local dealer would rebuild it using grease if that wasn't the right thing to use. It isn't old oil, it is very clean grease. There is a lot about these machines that I don't know and I was looking for answers. I'm not looking for the answer I want to hear, I'm looking for the right answer.

So I guess I will split the case and clean it up.

The manual calls for ep90. I have looked for it in several stores but have been unable to find anything labeled ep90. I do have a bottle of 80w-90 oil that says it is designed for extreme pressure. It also says it meets the requirements for api gl-5. After doing a search on the net it looks like gl-4 is better suited for yellow metals, however I don't believe it is rated for extreme pressure. After asking this question on another forum I have learned that there are brass screws inside this gear case.

So is the 80w-90 oil I have right for this job?

If there's brass in it use 90W hypoid gear lube.

With respect to your local dealer because I don't know him... there is an incredible amount of wrong information available from what should be informed sources these days. Apparently, in today's society to excel is to be merely competent.

After 20 years in technical industries I've learned that manufacturer's published service and tech information is gospel and when it needs to be corrected they issue a service bulletin.

Regarding your question about the oil... my manual says "SAE 90w gear oil".

IIRC "EP" refers to "extreme pressure" and that description is less than technical. It was abandoned long ago for SAE tech, class, and grade definitions.

The 85-90 gear oil you have should work fine and at minimum will be far more suitable than the grease in the gear case now.

Earlier today I asked my brother what they would use at the dealership and he said they also use 80w-90 gear oil.

Hi, Crash,

I mean no disrespect for your local dealer, either, but I do know that using grease in place of gear oil is an old dodge to "hide" a leaking seal.

Like the fellows here with more experience than I have said, if WH called for 90 weight gear oil, that's the stuff to use. Even if you do end up with a leaking seal and have to add gear lube from time to time until you can replace the seal, it's got to be a lot cheaper than replacing hardware when it fails from lack of proper lubrication - especially at super cold temperatures.

I've got a rototiller (not WH) that started to leak around a seal at the main gear case and I thought about using grease until a mechanic whom I've known for years and trust completely warned me that I was asking for shortened bearing life if I used grease instead of the gear lube (90 weight, as a matter of fact) called for by the manufacturer. So I add a tablespoon or two every so often and one of these days I'll get off my a** and tear it down.

Good luck!

Duff

Thanks for the help everyone, looks like I'm going to pull it apart

Now, can anybody help be break it apart

I unbolted the ends of the auger, however the shaft that seems to go into the gear case seems to be stopping me from being able to pull the auger assembly out. I have loosened the set screws and it still seems stuck. Any ideas?

Crash, what model blower are you working on?

Duff

It's a model 73421

I was able to pull it all apart today

It would appear, as you have guessed, that the dealer did try to fix a leaky seal by injecting grease in there instead of oil.

The gears and all the bushings look pretty new in there though, and all was covered in grease.

I have ordered new seals, the plan is to clean it up and throw it back together

One question though, the parts manual calls for two gaskets to seal the case

When I took it apart it appears they used sealant to stick one gasket to each side of the case and then butted them together with no sealant in between. Anyone know if this is right, and why?

Its amazing what you find sometimes. They probably were re-using the gaskets and added the sealant to adhere it to the case.

I'm just thinking of my TB rototiller that uses 85-140 gear oil, the gaskets don't have sealant on them. They are like a waxy paper gasket and keep the oil from leaking out and all the pounding that thing takes and its tight as a drum.

Not sure what WH did on their auger cases though.