[GreenKeys] Lubrication, penetrating oil

[John Nagle]

> Message: 16 Date: Sat, 6 Jun 2015 14:25:38 -0400 From: Ed Sharpe
> Archivist for SMECC via GreenKeys <greenkeys at mailman.qth.net> To:
> k1lky68 at gmail.com, GreenKeys at mailman.qth.net Subject: Re: [GreenKeys] is
> this stuff any good?yes, no ? Kano's -, Kroil unruster Message-ID:
> <184fa2.5d9a67b3.42a49522 at aol.com>
>> >IS POWER STEERING  FLUID  GOOD  FOR TTY LUBE?
> Absolutely not.  Power  steering fluid is meant for completely different
> service.
>
> By the way #2:  The toughest thing I had to unstick in a  Model 15 teletype
> was an actuator bar at the bottom of the mechanism that was  involved in
> the shift-unshift action.  The bar had a sleeve on one end  that pivoted on a
> shaft about 5/8 inch long.  No attempts with oil or  penetrating fluid
> (likely liquid wrench) freed the thing up.  I had to  hammer a jack knife blade
> between the end of the sleeve and the shoulder of  the shaft to get it to
> move. Once freed up and lubricated, it ran like  new.  NOTE: The fellow who
> sold me that machine had said ?OH, I kept it  running nicely with WD-40?!
> When he said that, I*nearly*  refused to buy  the thing.

    Two completely different problems here, with quite different 
solutions.

    I have five working Teletype machines; two Model 15 KSR, and
three Model 14 tape printers.  All are lubricated with 0-20W
synthetic motor oil. Synthetic oil has uniform molecular weight;
it's not a mixture of petroleum fractions.  So when it evaporates,
it leaves no gunk behind.  The first Model 15 just did its seventh
steampunk convention in six years with, as usual, no problems.
(Video: https://vimeo.com/124065314)

    I've overhauled another Model 15 which had been lubricated with the
wrong oil and left for 20 years.  All the shaft parts on the
main shaft were stuck together.  Even the carriage return damper
piston was stuck hard.  Repeated soaks in Simple Green didn't work.

    What did work was LOCTITE Freeze & Release Penetrating Oil.
This is a relatively new product, a combination of freeze spray
and a very low viscosity oil.  The freezing action causes the
metal to shrink, opening up voids for the penetrating oil.
That released the stuck main shaft parts without any pounding.
This is the solution for precision parts stuck together.

    It's not fun to use; you need the usual nitrile gloves and
eye protection.  After using it, of course, you clean the parts
and re-oil normally.

    I also had to use carburetor cleaner on the selector plates,
followed by Simple Green and compressed air.  That Model
15 now runs and types correctly, except for some damaged
typebars I need to replace.  (I have spares.)

    I use white lithium grease where the maintenance manual
says to use grease.  The motor pinion, which spins
fast enough to throw off ordinary greases, gets
Lucas Red-N-Tacky grease.

    All these items are available at larger auto parts stores.
Modern lubricants are better than those of the mid
20th centrury; you just have to use the right ones.

			John Nagle
			www.aetherltd.com