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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