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Collection, Preservation and Display of Old Lawn Mowers

Ransomes ajax grease

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What's the preferred grease to use on the cogs, I have general grease and graphite grease, I also have some anti corrosion marine grease.

When I removed the gearing it was caked in the stuff, is that amount really necessary?

 

Suzanne Shaw Sat, 26/10/2019

I have a mk 4 and 5 Ajax and both were slathered in grease. Cleaned and oiled and working fine. Yes, there are women on this site too!

Warpa Sat, 26/10/2019

Interesting, so when I re assemble after paint just put the sae30 on the cogs, screw the cover on and I'm done?

What are the grease nipples for on the casing? Or were they for oil once? When I dismantled it I did expect to find a gasket, but none there.

Warpa Sat, 26/10/2019

Cwj123 is there a gun available still that fits it, and does it mean a constant oil leak as a gasket is not fitted, and looking at the parts diagram one was never made for it.

 

Edit;

Why are a lot of these mowers packed with grease if it's not what the manufacturer intended?

hortimech Sat, 26/10/2019

For the very reason you mentioned, the oil leaked out and customers didn't like this. A lot easier to brush grease on that didn't leak out.

cwj123 Sat, 26/10/2019

Use the search.Search oil gun.Grease goops things up.Oil as per service.Its not an oil bath.People have been pumping grease  in much the same way as overwatering plants.

Warpa Sat, 26/10/2019

Well this makes things more confusing for me. If the mower is sold on then over time it will run dry of oil. A small coating of graphite will stay there for years, or will that eventually thin itself to nothing on the surfaces in contact?

I think I would prefer the oil approach as there are nipples for other bearings, can oil guns be bought that fit?

cwj123 Sat, 26/10/2019

Yes one can get oilers that fit.I use a small tecalemit.Use the search(top left) and search oil gun.Its been discussed before.

Warpa Sun, 27/10/2019

After a little reading ransomes state that every season the grear housing cover should be removed, old oil cleaned out and a soft grease applied.

That would imply that when I put the mower back together I should grease it lightly AND add oil once assembled.

Alexh Tue, 19/11/2019

Grease is oil and soap. Dried up grease is often the soap that has lost most of the oil. Sometimes it can be rejuvenated by adding more oil. The oil is providing the lubricant and the soap retains the oil where it is needed rather than running away. 

A semi fluid grease might well be a good compromise if you prefer not to oil regularly. Old cars sometimes use a semi fluid grease in the gear box if it would leak a lot of oil.

Some grease contains solid lubricants like graphite or molybdenum disulfide as additives which are useful if the oil layer is breached.

Warpa Wed, 20/11/2019

Alexh that was an eye opener and explains a lot. I'll assemble with a soft grease and use the oil as instructed in the manual.