Recently acquired a 2006 GDLT and wanted some tips as how to properly grease the shaft... I read the online GD manual and it wasn't too helpful. From what I've gathered searching this site just grease the zerks on the shaft but don't grease the cup? Thanks guys.

seems like a good amount of folks on here believe in using synthetic oil and grease. I have yet to find any synthetic grease.

GD has their own grease - you should call them (With your frame SN in hand)
and order a couple of tubes - it is a bit thinner and has more oil than many
other greases out there.... While you got them on the phone ask all the
questions you need answered - they will get you lined up and ready to go...

You can also add the spring loaded gizmo if yours didn't start out with one
and it helps with heat expansion and contraction to prevent water from
sucking up into there at rest.... Once a season put just a tiny bit of grease
into your U joint zerks too - but less is more on those...

Other than that - there is no way you can over grease the thing - I would
hit it with a few quick shots from the grease gun every other trip out....

I use Mobil 1 synthetic oil and grease. After all, these are "glorified lawnmower" engines so might as well treat them right. Even a few mfg.'s recommend synthetic oil AFTER break in, so there must be something to its use. Mine ran noticeably better after I made the switch. 10-4 on the GD LT. I used to carry a grease gun with me, not needed with my present MB LT. The GD definitely leaks more grease- you definitely do not want to over-grease the roller bearings on the MB. I used to use a product called Aqua-lube that seemed to work better than the "regular" graphite/lithium stuff (you can discern I am not a chemist).

x

ditto on the 10w30 but we have mild temps down here...what kind of "winterizing" do you guys up north do on the LT's? The one cold day I can remember (in the low 30's) the Kohler bogged down- icing I assume- and I could not resume until the daylight warmth came. How do you redirect any of the muffler/exhaust to the carb to cure this? I know both Briggs and Kohler LT's have been placed way up in Alaska as well as Minnesota. Does a certain grease type tend to freeze up more than another? Would you have to resort to a cover over the shaft housing? I have read about fixes for the throttle when that bogs up. Just curious.

i use 5w oil in cold climates and a low temp grease. you would have to create something to suck air from the muffler side of carb to pull warm air in. some engines like kohler already have this on them .

I run 5w or 10w 30 in the motor . I use mobil one greese and I dont have any problems when its cold up here. I run mine year round

Merci, Jlacour! I knew I had seen this before, like on the back of the quart bottle. Most times we're fighting the heat down here so it's a non-issue. I hope that storm does not put too much of a damper on your teal season up there.