use grease or oil in bowl?

[checkmate76]

I'm rebuilding my berk JG wondering if it is best to run like 90w gear lube or grease in those two holes on top for the bowl bearings.
I've heard of both but wondering which is better. any thoughts?

[Hal]

90 wt.

[miller19j]

Your bowl bearings are designed to run in a bath of oil not grease. The oil forms a coating between the shaft and the bearings and keeps the assembly lubricated.
Run the oil as the unit is designed; it would be very hard to assure that grease pumped in there would stay where you wanted it.

[checkmate76]

I read a manual from A.T. they said to install a grease zert on one side and pump grease till it comes out the other end. ??
I don't see how the grease would keep it lubed so I was leaning toward the 90 wt.
thanks guys

[miller19j]

checkmate76:
I read a manual from A.T. they said to install a grease zert on one side and pump grease till it comes out the other end. ??
I don't see how the grease would keep it lubed so I was leaning toward the 90 wt.
thanks guys I don’t know how the AT bowls work. But for the Berkeley bowl I personally think that the oil can provide more uniform lubrication.
Some people have problems with the oil leaking out of the bowl. But that is easily fixed by replacing the bowl seal.

[jdog]

Those two screw holes on the top of the bowl for adding gear oil.HELP!!! I only have one. It looks like someone broke off the other screw, left it plugged and painted right over it.
Will it hurt if I add gear oil to the one hole??
It won't come out other side because of the plug. Or should I easy out the broken screw. I don't want to work on it now!! I want to drive it. It's parked at Blythe for the 4th.
Can I add oil?? Will tooo much blow the seal??
Any suggestions?? Please help. Thanks Jay

[SoCal Power]

Most likely the bowl seal will blow. The pressure has to relieve somewhere. You should get the old plug out. Depending in the year, the plugs were plastic so you may luck out and get it out easily.
Good luck

[Tom Foolery]

jdog:
Those two screw holes on the top of the bowl for adding gear oil.HELP!!! I only have one. It looks like someone broke off the other screw, left it plugged and painted right over it.
I had the same problem on my pump. Its a 12JG like yours but it came with allen head set screws in the bowl for more flush look. Well one of them was stripped so bad you couldn't get it out & worse yet, someone tried an ez-out an sheared the ez-out in the screw. :mad: I ended up having to drill it out. I try not to think of any metal peices that may be somewhere in the bowl.

[spectras only]

Both system works well. Dominator pums were always grease zerk equipped without any problems.I had berk JC - G-bowls run 10 years plus with grease lubricated without shaft wear as long as it maintained. AT has no issues with their system either.You could say the thrust bearing should run in oil as well since it has a seal on both ends , yet they've been greased instead .The only time you develop problems with the thrust bearing if the seal goes and get water in from the bilge [swamped boat eek! ] .

[Hal]

If you can fill the the cavity using an oil can with the 1 plug removed you will be fine. No way you can blow a seal... If you see the oil start draining out of the pump then your seal is already shot. By the way those are 1/8" pipe plugs in there, not set screws. :)
[ June 26, 2003, 02:36 PM: Message edited by: Hal ]

[SkyHarborCowboy]

I know this is an old thread but how much gear oil does it take to fill an empty bowl?
Joe

[Jetoholic]

I know this is an old thread but how much gear oil does it take to fill an empty bowl?
Joe
Until it runs out the other side. With both plugs out you cannot overfill it.

[SkyHarborCowboy]

thanks but I knew that what I am asking is what is the actual capacity?

[ck7684]

Capacity isnt much. One bottle of oil should last a long time...