[R-390] Gear train lubricants

Wed, 30 Apr 2003 12:32:45 -0400

Not a such a good idea if the graphite can fly around, settle in places
where the sun don' t shine -- inside coil forms, fouling insulators, and
possibly creating high resistance connections where infinite ohms should be,
etc.

Alternatively, you can treat the gear teeth surfaces with moly paste -- coat
them, run in the gear train and than remove the excess.  But not sure it's
worth it vs. just Mobil One.  It does work well on the slug rack rubbing
surfaces and a few other places.

The molybdenum particles suspended in the paste work their way into the tiny
pits in the metal surfaces.  You apply as if Simonizing.  The paste itself
is just a vehicle and not a lubricant.  The moly particles stay put and
can't fly around like graphite powder or graphite coating flaking off and
flying around.

Barry

----- Original Message -----
From: <[email protected]>
To: "R-390 List" <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, April 30, 2003 12:18 PM
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
> >>>
> >>>_______________________________________________
> >>>R-390 mailing list
> >>>[email protected]
> >>>http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/r-390
> >>>
> >>>
> >>_______________________________________________
> >>R-390 mailing list
> >>[email protected]
> >>http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/r-390
> >>
> >>_______________________________________________
> >>R-390 mailing list
> >>[email protected]
> >>http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/r-390
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> >_______________________________________________
> >R-390 mailing list
> >[email protected]
> >http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/r-390
> >
> >
> >
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> R-390 mailing list
> [email protected]
> http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/r-390
>