This is good advice from Perry. I'll do that next time. One thing that
didn't work was to sit my Triton on a steam radiator with the thought that
the warmth might rejuvenate the old grease.
Bicycle grease by Phil Woods was highly rated, but I think was a natural,
petroleum-based grease, not the synthetic grease Perry describes. About ten
years ago a bicycle shop filled a 35mm film canister for me free. There are
two minor problems with this method: 1. The grease only remained "greasy"
for about three years; and 2. Finding a 35mm film canister is a "trick."
(With apologies to East Anglia University's Climate Research Unit.)
A much bigger problem with petroleum-based greases is that most of the parts
we are lubricating are cut from brass. My clockmaker uncle has warned me
loudly against using a petroleum-based grease or oil on brass, saying that
it attacks the metal over time. For a long, long time they used fish oil to
avoid the problem but he again steered me away from the stuff I take daily.
Once upon a time Steve Ellington's final pronouncement on PTO rebuilding was
to clean it with EZ-Off Oven Cleaner and lubricate it with PAM. We never
got a report from anyone who tried his method.
The only PTO I ever thought needed parts replaced was my first Triton which
also had a groove "worn" in the bearing race. Many times I have wished I
had not replaced that race because on reflection, I believe the groove was
probably part of the design which was later omitted to reduce cost. Wearing
a groove like that would probably require use of the radio 24 x 7 for a few
centuries of continuous contest use.
In summation, I'd go with Perry and use the synthetic grease.
73, Mike N4NT
----- Original Message -----
From: <w8au@sssnet.com>
To: <tentec@contesting.com>
Sent: Saturday, March 27, 2010 10:56 PM
Subject: Re: [TenTec] PTO grease
> At 10:41 PM 3/27/2010, Dr. Gerald N. Johnson wrote:
>>Maybe that bicycle grease isn't such a
>>bad selection.
>
> In case you're not aware of what it is:
>
> Teflon based lubricant called "Tri-Flow."
> Appears to micro-sized teflon ball "bearings?"
> held in fluid. Available at Bicycle shops.
>
> Have used this after an alcohol bath (to loosen
> dried grease) when freeing up many TT drives.
> Never hardens or dries up.
>
> Have never found damaged worm drives in the dozen
> I have fixed, so have not had to rebuild any.
>
> Tri-Flow is a keeper, in my book...
>
> Perry w8au
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