Greasing trimmer head gearboxes

[mcspeed]

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.

Thanks for the response. I will get a temp measurement next time. It spins freely and smooth so prolly fine.

 

[GearHead36]

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

I didn't know that you could get grease fittings with the right thread. Thanks. A 10 pack is only $8, and should take care of all my attachments.

I started this thread because I'm having the same problem as mcspeed. My gear boxes are getting hot. Too hot to hold.

 

[7394]

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

One thing is not to feel a need to Totally fill the gear head. One can cause more heat by overfull.
Just a pump or two. Depending how much you use it. ,

Mine I do lots of vertical edging, & regular edging /whacking as well.

 

[mcspeed]

Took a temperature reading on my Stihl after working today, 165° F. I’m thinking this isn’t too hot?

 

[7394]

I don't think that is excessive.

 

[rutbuster1]

Actually the new gearboxes without grease fittings are non greaseable except during repairs of the gearbox. Now the driveshaft still needs greasing which you must remove the gear head to access the driveshaft

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.

Not sure where to put this. I hope this is ok.

I have an Echo PAS with several attachments. Most of these have heads that need periodic greasing. Yet none of them have grease fittings. And yet, you're supposed to grease them every (I think) 25 hrs. How do you guys grease them? The videos I've found show people using Echo's Red Armor grease, which is stupid expensive. $38 for 8 oz. I can't believe shops are using something like this. I have to believe you guys have foun

Not sure where to put this. I hope this is ok.

I have an Echo PAS with several attachments. Most of these have heads that need periodic greasing. Yet none of them have grease fittings. And yet, you're supposed to grease them every (I think) 25 hrs. How do you guys grease them? The videos I've found show people using Echo's Red Armor grease, which is stupid expensive. $38 for 8 oz. I can't believe shops are using something like this. I have to believe you guys have found a better way.

Not sure where to put this. I hope this is ok.

I have an Echo PAS with several attachments. Most of these have heads that need periodic greasing. Yet none of them have grease fittings. And yet, you're supposed to grease them every (I think) 25 hrs. How do you guys grease them? The videos I've found show people using Echo's Red Armor grease, which is stupid expensive. $38 for 8 oz. I can't believe shops are using something like this. I have to believe you guys have found a better way.

You can drill a hole in the spot where the grease screw normally was at and thread it for either a grease fitting or screw. I've done many and put grease fittings on them. Takes about 15 minutes.

 

[rutbuster1]

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's greaseable. You can either take the gearbox apart and grease it, or, you can drill and thread a hole for either a grease fitting or screw. I've done many of them without any problem. It's not hard and takes about 15 minutes to do it.

 

[PGB1]

Press-In or Drive-In Zerk type grease fittings are what I use when there is a blank hole with a plug. McMaster-Carr has a wide assortment, as do many hardware and auto parts stores.


The next time I'm inside the gear box, I'll tap the hole and screw in a Zerk type fitting, like what RutBuster1 said. (I wait until the box is open for service to tap the hole, fearing chips will go in the gearbox. They probably won't.)

Paul

 

[Lord_Cavendish]

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.

Wow, that's messed-up. Glad that all my tools are old and user serviceable, even if it means hunting NOS parts on fleabay.

 

[Lord_Cavendish]

One thing is not to feel a need to Totally fill the gear head. One can cause more heat by overfull.
Just a pump or two. Depending how much you use it. ,

Mine I do lots of vertical edging, & regular edging /whacking as well.

Old shop manual for one of my trimmers states to fill the gearbox 1/3rd full of grease after a rebuild. One of my first rebuilds I overfilled, and every time it warmed up it extruded grease.