Greasing trimmer head gearboxes

[Joed756]

Come on folks the newer gearboxes are not greaseable. No grease path available.
They just pack with grease at the factory or whenever they are disassembled.

Newer Gearbox IPL
View attachment 68878
Item #2 is just a locator screw

Older Gearbox
View attachment 68879
On the older item #2 was the grease fitting screw location with
item #3 being the locator screw.

And they even removed one of the bearings and several of the internal parts are
no longer available for repairs. IE you replace the complete gearbox if one those
are bad.

Basically they cheapen the design. And lighten the gearbox a few ounces.

It seems to me you can drill and install a zerk fitting where 3, 4, and 5 are on the drawing. If a new gear head is needed for a two-piece unit you might save money by buying the lower half without the power unit.

 

[GearHead36]

Just remove the plug, butt yer grease gun end up to the hole & give it a pump.
Mine is grease able, & I give it a shot 1 x a year. Residential use. Even my Dealer said to be sure & grease the head, that was over 10 years ago tho.. But still running like new,..

Any grade 2 grease should be fine.

The problem is, that takes 3 hands. One to hold the grease gun to the grease port, one to work the gun, and one to rotate the trimmer head.

Just had a thought... I bet a chainsaw bar greaser would work. That would only take one hand to apply the grease. Is that grease compatible with trimmer gearboxes. I haven't really looked mine over that hard. Can you refill them with grease?

 

[MParr]

The problem is, that takes 3 hands. One to hold the grease gun to the grease port, one to work the gun, and one to rotate the trimmer head.

Just had a thought... I bet a chainsaw bar greaser would work. That would only take one hand to apply the grease. Is that grease compatible with trimmer gearboxes. I haven't really looked mine over that hard. Can you refill them with grease?

With Echo, their Red Armor grease tubes will screw into the fill port of your machine.
Also, you can take the plug down to NAPA and match the threads to a grease fitting.
On the string trimmer head, you may have to remove the debris shield to fit the tube.

 

[StarTech]

I give up...It no getting it thru your heads that the newer gearbox does not have an access hole to even try to grease the gears..

And MParr you really need to go look at one of the newer gearboxes

Now it might possible to drill, tap and install a zerk at the bevel gear joint. But you are risking having a piece metal being left in the gearbox; unless, you disassemble the unit, clean out the grease, drill and tap, and then reassemble. Now of course this voids the 5 years warranty.

 

[MParr]

I give up...It no getting it thru your heads that the newer gearbox does not have an access hole to even try to grease the gears..

And MParr you really need to go look at one of the newer gearboxes

Now it might possible to drill, tap and install a zerk at the bevel gear joint. But you are risking having a piece metal being left in the gearbox; unless, you disassemble the unit, clean out the grease, drill and tap, and then reassemble. Now of course this voids the 5 years warranty.

I was referring to the older models.
Look at @GearHead36 reply above mine. It reads as though he has the older model PAS.

 

[StarTech]

The OP didn't if which serial number or if he has one of new attachments.

It is the same with the PAS as newer one could be using the 99944200501 trimmer/brush cutter attachment.

 

[7394]

The problem is, that takes 3 hands. One to hold the grease gun to the grease port, one to work the gun, and one to rotate the trimmer head.

On the workbench, you lay the trimmer head up against something, so it can't slide away. Lay grease gun next to it.
Hold the hose end to the head hole, & other hand to give gun a pump.

 

[mcspeed]

My Stihl line trimmer head gets quite hot. Is this normal? Yes I grease it. Should I install a zirk so grease penetrates better?

 

[StarTech]

Now those with grease port the screw is a M8 so a M8 grease zerk should fit.

 

[StarTech]

My Stihl line trimmer head gets quite hot. Is this normal? Yes I grease it. Should I install a zirk so grease penetrates better?

This is relative. Your hot is probably not same as my feel hot. This is why I use a non contact thermometer. The FS do get fairly hot is use. As long the bearing feel like they are rotating fine I would not worry too much about.

Now I can tell that we need 285F to disassemble these FS gearboxes.