milky lower gear lube

[DennisG01]

I think that's about all you can do in terms of testing. Hopefully that remaining goo was threw you off the first time. Good luck!

EDIT: What type of gear oil are you using? Something like the Mercrury Hi-Performance stuff can actually deal with some water intrusion and still protect everything. Regular dino oil pretty much gives up the fight at the first sign of water. Just a thought for more peace of mind.