warm worm...........

The housing above the worm gets warm (approaching Hot) to-the-touch after several miles. I can jack up the rear end, let the truck run in gear at 1/2 speed and I can tell the the warmth is created on the back end of the housing above the thrust bearing. The nut was tightened to 100ft lbs, according to a post on the MFTCA. I have had this truck for awhile, but have never felt of the housing. Recently, a hi-speed worm & ring were swapped, which led to the touch test. Is this warmth normal?

Bill, I don't have the answer.



Question: what type and viscosity lube are you using?



Reason for asking is, worm drives operate under extremely high rubbing, sliding pressures. Quite a lot more severe than any other type of axle gearing.



You need an extra oily, extra viscosity oil for the worm drive. A compounded oil, like 600W, is more the ticket. "Compounded" means a blend of animal or more usually, vegetable oil in petroleum base stock. OR with today's chemical technology I suppose they can add sufficient "oilyness" additives to gear oil to make it work OK for worm drives.



In early days, in steel/steel worm drives, Castor oil was the lubricant of choice. Yes-variety of vegetable oil. It was absolutely necessary according to the maker of at least one brand worm drive rear axle. Because castor oil is far oilier than petroleum oil. It had the film strength to resist the nasty rubbing pressures that would cut right through a petroleum film and cause a steel worm to weld/gall against a steel ring gear.



You can see, Ford's use of a bronze ring gear got away from that risk because dissimilar metals are much less prone to damage when the lubrication is poor.



So- whatever you "suspicion" about your heat, it may _decrease_ if you run an oilier oil. NO, don't fill with castor oil because castor oil cannot be mixed with any residual petroleum oil. But you could try 600W or some such heavier oil if your present oil is "thin". And then if the temperature does not rise so much you know your oil was not up to snuff. But it _will_ get warm or hot to the touch because by its very nature of sliding and shearing the oil considerable friction is made. And friction is heat. Go for whatever makes the lowest temperature rise. Shoot, if it weren't for acid attack and rancidity and tendency to go solid, mutton tallow would make a wonderful rear axle lube. But all animal and most vegetable oils do decompose, forming corrosive acids. So they cannot, as a rule, be used without special precautions, buffering or compounding into petro oil.



Reid

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I would not use 600w oil most of these old rear ends

I have seem a lot of bd damage useing that 600w stuff and would never use it

I would use90w or 140 gear lube and I wudl suggest t use the 90 n your wam drive now dont take this as fact as my T is in part stil but I was told by more then one to use the 90w gear lube

bob