Thanks guys, I got the cover off. There was some residual grease in the bottom around the worm screw but the other end was collecting flakes of rust from the top.
It will get rinsed out and some new lube. 00 grease is what is common in gear housings for brush hogs. its roughly a 50/50 mix of standard axle grease and 10w30 motor oil. Lubricates like oil, but sticks like grease, kinda a best of both worlds. I plan on putting a few tablespoons of it in the housing and then drip oil through the top as needed (as I've read)
The clinker trap, it rotates freely but i think the lever with the weighted ball is bent incorrectly. It does not seem to "hang" with the trap in the vertical position. It should yes?