[R-390] Gear train lubricants

Wed, 30 Apr 2003 09:25:01 -0700

Hoppe's makes a volatile with moly suspension for this purpose for firearms.
You can get it at any sporting goods store, though I don't know their
particular trade name.

Bob

-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]On
Behalf Of [email protected]
Sent: Wednesday, April 30, 2003 9:19 AM
To: R-390 List
Subject: Re: [R-390] Gear train lubricants

I don't know if anyone has tried it, but powdered graphite mixed with
either water or light machine oil would seem a likely candidate.

The method of mixing with water results in a dried graphite coated surface.

Since the gears aren't in an electrical circuit, this would seem to be
another possibility to pursue.

Bob - N0DGN

Dan Merz wrote:

>Hi ,  I think one of my reactions to the Phil Wood grease was that it was
too
>thin,  but then the Mobil synthetic gear lubricant seems thin also but I
used
>it.  I picked up a "review" of the PW grease
>Strengths: Good lubrication. Pretty green color. Smells like a machine
shop.
>Beautiful Phil logo. Weaknesses: There's no such thing as waterproof
grease.
>Expensive. Similar Products Tried: Lubriplate. Gold Medal. Chassis lube.
Bottom
>Line: A good grease with lots of sulfur in it so it has that good
machine-smell
>(and scuff resistance too). The green color is cool, but RED chassis lube
is
>cooler. Don't know where the waterproof claim comes from. This grease will
>eventually wash out like any other if exposed to water. You can get
comparable
>performance from regular auto bearing lube or chassis lube for MUCH less
money.
>The squeeze tube is convenient though.
>
>In searching I came across "Militec-1"  touted as a gun lubricant.  It is
pretty
>expensive except for the free sample that you can get.  ($28 for 16 oz -
like
>the quart of Mobil 1 I bought,  that's a lot of lubricant).   Does anyone
have
>experience with Militec-1 relevant to 390 gears?  Evidently it is hard to
get
>off your hands and a little goes a long way,  and it's a synthetic oil?
Dan.
>
>Bob Tetrault wrote:
>
>
>
>>Synthetic is synthetic. They don't evaporate. That's why they are the only
>>lubricants for gas turbines and such. Thicker is better for the gear train
>>as it is less likely to wander. You can get synthetic wheel bearing grease
>>if you talk to your local race car parts store. I use RedLine 75-90 gear
oil
>>and their CV/wheel bearing grease for everything needing lubricant. Well,
>>almost. My Audi quattro has 286K miles on RedLine, still gets 5K/quart,
>>original clutch, though that's my fault, I take it outta gear at the
>>stopsign even. But the running gear is original and still breaking in as
far
>>as it feels.
>>
>>Bob
>>Portland, OR
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]On
>>Behalf Of Dan Merz
>>Sent: Monday, April 28, 2003 3:19 PM
>>To: Terry O'Laughlin; R-390 List
>>Subject: Re: [R-390] Gear train lubricants
>>
>>Hi,  another data point....  in a sea of 390 experience.   I have some
Phil
>>Wood's around somewhere that I bought when I was into bicycle lub tasks.
I
>>thought about using it when I starting cleaning my 390a but instead
followed
>>the "conventional wisdom" posted somewhere about Marvel M O and Mobil 1.
>>I'm
>>glad to hear that Phil Wood's grease works so well.  Maybe I'll dig it out
>>and
>>see if mine has congealed yet,  hi.  As I recall it was still pretty
"juicy"
>>and flowed out from the light green plastic toothpaste type tube it came
>>in - I
>>may have tossed it because it was about 30 years old 2 years ago.  Another
>>data
>>point may have been lost,  but maybe today's Phil Wood's grease is
different
>>than the stuff I had.   Dan.
>>
>>Terry O'Laughlin wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>>The best lubricant I have found for a freshly stripped and cleaned R-390
>>>gear train in Phil Wood's bicycle grease.  The viscosity is perfect, it
>>>does not creep and it maintains the same viscosity for years.  It makes
>>>
>>>
>>the
>>
>>
>>>gear train feel almost silky, which is no mean feat.
>>>
>>>I did my first R-390A with it seven years ago and the tuning still feels
>>>almost silky.  I use lacquer thinner to strip the old lubricants, but I
>>>also clean and relube the slug rack.  I clean all the slug rack rollers,
>>>guides and cams with swabs and lacquer thinner.  I use a swab to put a
>>>
>>>
>>thin
>>
>>
>>>coat of Phil Woods on the appropriate edges of all the rack parts.
>>>
>>>I've done three complete cleanings this way.  They still feel great (two
>>>have been sold).  It's a one time job with no need to pull the radio for
>>>periodic lubrication.  Oil does not evaporate.  Every re-application is
>>>just replacing oil that migrated somewhere else inside your radio.  I
>>>wouldn't do that to my R-390s.
>>>
>>>Phil Woods is commonly available at better bicycle shops and it works
>>>
>>>
>>great
>>
>>
>>>on bicycles as well.
>>>
>>>73     Terry O'     WB9GVB
>>>
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>>>
>>>
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