Snowblower gear box question
 

I'm cleaning up & tuning up a Cub Cadet 1864 "Cyclops" that I purchased this summer to use as my snow machine. Came with a 45" snowblower and a cab. Regarding the gearbox in the center of the auger, I opened the nylon bolt on top, anticipating to check an oil level but it didn't seem to have any oil when I stuck a little makeshift dipstick into it. Just came back with a bit of grease on the end. Is that correct? Should it just be greased gears inside? Or should that case be filled with a gear oil of some sort? And if it should be full of oil, what type? And how full should it be? Right up to the opening on top?

When I asked Google about this, their AI answer said NOT to use grease because it just gets flung off the gears, and then they run dry. Instead, it said to use a heavy weight 80w-90 gear oil filled right up to the filler hole on top. Then I poked around the web a bit more and then went back to the SAME Google question, word for word, and this time it gave a conflicting answer. It said NOT to use gear oil because those older gear boxes didn't have proper gaskets or seals, and were very prone to leaking if you filled them with normal gear oil. This 2nd AI answer said they had a special OEM grease from the factory, and that any maintenance work on it should use "00" Double-0 Semi Fluid Pourable Grease, because it's thick enough to not leak, but fluid enough stay pooled around the gears inside. And that some guys mix their own blend of 50:50 gear oil and grease into a soupy oily/greasy slurry. Both answers sound legit. Stupid AI.

I also just looked more closely and there is NOT a drain plug on the bottom of the case. Just the filler hole on top. If that makes any difference.

The 50/50 mix is used and will work, also some use J.D.corn head grease
(its used on combine corn heads to fill the gear boxes) it flows when it warms but stays like chassis grease when at room temps so no leaks from worn seals.
it comes in a tube making it easy pump in.:beerchug: