Green Poo in VL/JD type trans with no modern sealed bearings, question

[Buster]

I've read several posts about concern with running Green Poo mix (John Deere Corn head Grease and Lucas oil stabilizer) in VL trans due to possible inability to lube roller bearings. I'm interested in putting Green Poo in my 1931 VL trans until I rebuild it with modern sealed bearings. The best I remember the large stock clutch gear bearing is lubricated directly from the grease fitting stem behind the inner primary cover. Isn't this roller bearing lubricated mostly by grease and not oil. I can see how the bearings in countershaft would have more difficulty being lubricated. Has anyone here successfully used the Green Poo mix for an extended length of time, especially without the sealed bearings upgrade. Has anyone taken apart a trans after running with Green Poo and verified areas of wear. Thanks.

[Steve Slocombe]

Dear Buster, no experience here, but Harley would say to use oil rather than grease in a gearbox. It's not a hard job to pull a VL gearbox and install the sealed bearings.

[knucklehead 61]

i run green poo in at least half a dozen of my bikes from 1915 to 1935.
best part is they dont leak nearly as much as oil in the trans.
i ran it in the cannonball in a 1925jd & cross country chase in a 1935vld with out issue.

[Buster]

Thanks! Going to mix some up and install in tranny.

[Jim]

Just a quick question about the results of the "MIX". When you mix the John Deere Corn head Grease and Lucas oil stabilizer, does it make a very thick oil? OR a runny grease? I've always used 90W gear oil in my VLs. That leaks too, but at least when you smell the oil on the cardboard, you know which oil it is and where it's coming from!

[Buster]

Probably will be a week or so before I can put in tranny. I am going to put two ingredients in separately and let tranny mix. A friend just did it in his VL and told me he had to heat the oil stabilizer to get into tranny. I currently use Redline with shockproof tranny fluid which is pink, and I can tell what is what in the spots on the floor. My understanding is Corn Head grease gets more liquid with movement.

[dukekleman]

Buster,
When a grease is created, there are different thickener systems used to create the Gel type formation we call grease.

Grease compatibility can become an issue when different types are mixed affecting its ability to hold the base oil or perhaps in your scenario, release the base oil.

There are various bases of "compatible"or "incompatible".
Example, typically Clay and Lithium types are considered incompatible...However lithium and calcium sulfonate are considered compatible.

Point being, the success of the poo you mix up will be based off the above statements. Releasing the base oil at what is considered a moderate rate could be beneficial to this situation for proper lubrication yet restrain leaks...

You can look up the data on your mixture and come to a conclusion. However it seems it's been tested before by others.

Hope this helps,
Duke

[T. Cotten]

.... My understanding is Corn Head grease gets more liquid with movement.

Ok, I'll take the bait, Buster!

So its a non-Newtonian fluid, like xanthan gum?

Awesome.

...Cotten

[Jarek]

In older Royal Enfields, Indians put grease in the gearbox. It worked well, but after warming up it turned into liquid.
photo from the factory
Obrazek.jpeg

[montij]

Now I know what the green stuff is in my recently acquired 1931 VL transmission. I have never heard of this mixture and assumed someone pumped a grease gun in there in error.

[T. Cotten]

Now I know what the green stuff is in my recently acquired 1931 VL transmission. I have never heard of this mixture and assumed someone pumped a grease gun in there in error.

You never know for sure where green stuff comes from, Montij!

GREENGOO.jpg

....Cotten
PS: A lube that gels around gaskets and seams, but liquifies under mechanical force seems too good to be true..

PPS: Jarek!

Looks like smalz.