Lubricants

Chris · 07 January 2007, 21:29

Hi can anyone tell me a what oils, and greases I will need for maintaining the areas of the boat and trailer I have listed below any recommendations would be appreciated.

Trailer Wheel bearings -
Tow hitch -
Cables (steering & Throttle) -
Engine transom mount swivels and Pins (grease points) -

Have I missed anything?

Chris

Nos4r2 · 07 January 2007, 21:49

It's all (apart from the cables) going to be submerged or at the best very wet with salt water so I use corrosion block grease on all of it apart from the throttle/gear cables. It's expensive (2x the price of normal high melting point grease) but worth using. It's messy getting it into a grease gun though.

Personally I just spray the ends of my throttle/gear cables with WD or the like and let capillary action and use drag it along. It seems to keep them free. I'd appreciate it if someone told me if I was wrong though.

Biggles · 08 January 2007, 00:04

Nos,

I used to use WD40 on lots of things. Not so much now though. I think its good as an initial quick lubricant to ease/free things up and remove moisture, but now I tend to use a spray on grease for all the things I used to use WD40 for. Doesn't cost anymore and because its grease it hangs around awhile. I have a tin which I basically use for spraying all over the trailer and the tie down lashings. I use it on the winch, swinging arms, all the nuts and bolts (You don't know when your going to need to undo them), roller bolts and circlips, spray along the brake wire. Just about anywhere really. The way I look at it a couple of quid spent now on grease might save me a lot of time and money later.

Probably not very good for the environment when you dunk it in the sea but lets not go there. I don't want taxing on the size of my trailer.

Tomas · 08 January 2007, 00:29

They make a product you can get over here called "Bearing Buddys". It's a spring loaded containment with a zerk fitting that fits over the wheel bearing instead of a cap. As you pump grease into it the disk that rests against the wheel bearing expands outward against the spring creating a large resorvior of pressurized grease against the bearing. Wouldn't live with out them!

jyasaki · 08 January 2007, 02:59

Trailer Wheel bearings - Any good quality waterproof (or water resistant) grease. While grease is important, the bearing adjustments and grease seals are more critical (IMO.)

Tow hitch - The ball receiver, I assume? White lithium or just about anything. It's not really a high wear area; you just want to ease friction a bit.

Cables (steering & Throttle) - Don't know. I would stay away from WD-40, though as it gets gummy after a while. Maybe a motorcycle cable lubricant? I seem to recall some kind of applicator that forces grease down the cable housing.

Engine transom mount swivels and Pins (grease points) - Marine waterproof grease

Tomas: You need to be careful with the grease fittings on your bearing buddies. Pumping in too much grease (with the exception of one type of bearing) will cause the excess to push out the rear grease seals. Opens up an avenue for water to get in. When you fill your bearings, pump just enough in to bring the sliding cap *near* the end of travel, without running it up against the stop.

jky

Nos4r2 · 08 January 2007, 08:07

I use WD simply because it's thin enough for the carrier oil to be carried right down into my cables. Spray grease won't do that.
Incidentally it's not that good at removing moisture. It's good at protecting against it but if water is in a tiny enclosed space like a bolt thread or the junction between HT lead and coil it'll actually drive it further in.

I know my one size fits all approach to the rest of it is a bit OTT and you get awfully messy. It does work at least as well as using different products all over and in places performs better though-the key being to use the best stuff I can find on everything

Jono · 08 January 2007, 08:34

Not sure if it applies to control cables on boats... but... *some* control cables should NOT be lubricated with any of the above as they have a friction reducing coating between the inner and outer which swells in contact with commonly used "lubricants" such as WD... worth checking out first

Nos4r2 · 08 January 2007, 08:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jono

Not sure if it applies to control cables on boats... but... *some* control cables should NOT be lubricated with any of the above as they have a friction reducing coating between the inner and outer which swells in contact with commonly used "lubricants" such as WD... worth checking out first

Yep. Motorcycle clutch cables are a good example. The lining is a type of nylon and I've only ever seen lining on Bowden cables.

AFAIK boat cables aren't lined like that-I've got some cut down mercury cables here I use for testing engines and they aren't lined.

Jono · 08 January 2007, 09:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nos4r2

....

AFAIK boat cables aren't lined like that-....

Yamaha and Suzuki ones are....

Tomas · 08 January 2007, 11:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by jyasaki

When you fill your bearings, pump just enough in to bring the sliding cap *near* the end of travel, without running it up against the stop. jky

Right you are. 3/4 full seems to be good.

T

Nos4r2 · 08 January 2007, 14:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jono

Yamaha and Suzuki ones are....

Worth knowing-cheers!