non seperating grease for lu

[nwcove]

dumb question but what is non separating grease? ......and where do you get it?

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: non seperating grease for lu

All grease is basically oil suspended in a "soap" base to thicken it. All grease will with age and use lose or "weep" some of the oil. Sometimes upon storage you can see oil draining out of the back of the grease gun. Non separating is grease with what is termed "Mechanical Stability." It tends to not separate and "weep" oil as easily as standard grease. I don't think any are advertised as such, but an example would be Dryden Oil Company PYROPLEX E.P. This red grease is described as: "A high temperature, extreme pressure Lithium Complex grease. This grease has unique oxidation inhibitors, possesses outstanding thermal stability, offers rust protection and mechanical stability."


HOWEVER: For a lower unit, you do not use grease. all lower units use some sort of 85-90 weight extreme pressure oil. These oils are not thick like grease, but have high viscosity and contain sulphur compounds to increase the pressure they can withstand before the oil film on the mating surfaces breaks. For outboards, special marine versions are made but in a pinch you can get away with automotive rear end oil. The only time it becomes important is if water does get into the lower unit. Then, the added corrosion inhibitors and emulsifiers in marine grade will help protect the internals.

 

[Texasmark]

Re: non seperating grease for lu

Wally world has it in the Quicksilver brand. It has improved stickeys that help it to stick to your metal parts in your lower unit just in case water gets in there and it is designed to stay between your LU parts and the water.

Mark

 

[nwcove]

Re: non seperating grease for lu

there are some motors that use(d) grease in the lu.....with grease fittings. the motor that evoked the question was an old british seagull. but the question is answered !

thanks frank and mark

 

[Don S]

Re: non seperating grease for lu

The Seagulls as I recall, used 140W gear lube, not grease, in the lower unit, and with no seals in the lower it was always milky.

 

[BillP]

Re: non seperating grease for lu

Old antique OBs used lubriplate 100 grease (hot rodders use it for motor assembly). My 1940 SeaKing (early merc) specs grease. It doesn't have lower unit seals. The gearcase is somewhat open behind the prop...hypoid gear oil would drain out quickly. You have to be careful using GL5 in old motors that spec hypoid...I believe old Seagulls is one of them. The yellow metal (brass shims, etc) degrade (long term) from the additives. GL4 is the right stuff if you can find it...which has been difficult the last few yrs.

bp

 

[nwcove]

Re: non seperating grease for lu

i did do some research after i started the thread, and yes, most gulls do use 140wt, but some spec for non-seperating grease, and do have factory nipples. and as bill said, gl5 oil does cause issues with brass bushings/internals.

i can get 70w140 locally.......napa tells me its actually better than 140wt, as it behaves like 70wt when its cold but still does what 140wt would do.

 

[Texasmark]

Re: non seperating grease for lu

Old antique OBs used lubriplate 100 grease (hot rodders use it for motor assembly).
bp

Lubriplate 105 in a tube is what we use down here for re-assembly. It is white and somewhere between oil and grease. I know that Lubriplate makes a lower unit grease that is softer than the rated XXXX2 grease, but thicker than the 105 assy lube.

I don't take chances. I use Quicksilver supreme, premium max or whatever they call it in the quart container with the hose and pump.....why mess with anything else considering the consequences and how seldom you change it.

Mark

 

[nwcove]

Re: non seperating grease for lu

in the old gulls, that use 140wt and have no seals, it gets added to...not changed, every ten hrs of use! ( im an omc guy, but have taken a liking to the gulls, quirky but simple motors!)

 

[BillP]

Re: non seperating grease for lu

Lubriplate 105 in a tube is what we use down here for re-assembly. It is white and somewhere between oil and grease. I know that Lubriplate makes a lower unit grease that is softer than the rated XXXX2 grease, but thicker than the 105 assy lube.

I don't take chances. I use Quicksilver supreme, premium max or whatever they call it in the quart container with the hose and pump.....why mess with anything else considering the consequences and how seldom you change it.

Mark

The reason for not using Quicksilver is it is not fully compatable with some of the old motors (like my late 40s and early 50s OMC kickers). I think it has sulphur or something that slowly eats the yellow metals. I ran out of my supply of GL4 and can't find it locally so I broke the rule a yr ago and used modern oil. o telling how much life it is taking off the parts. I also used regular hypoid in a 1965 75hp OMC w/electric lower unit that speced type c. Had no problem in 2-3 yrs of running...but I didn't care about the motor either.

bp

 

[Texasmark]

Re: non seperating grease for lu

The reason for not using Quicksilver is it is not fully compatable with some of the old motors (like my late 40s and early 50s OMC kickers). I think it has sulphur or something that slowly eats the yellow metals. I ran out of my supply of GL4 and can't find it locally so I broke the rule a yr ago and used modern oil. o telling how much life it is taking off the parts. I also used regular hypoid in a 1965 75hp OMC w/electric lower unit that speced type c. Had no problem in 2-3 yrs of running...but I didn't care about the motor either.

bp

Well sir for you and all that pull up this thread, since today was a do nothing day for me and it was cold and damp, I decided to stay out of the weather and do some internet browsing pulling up some MSDS sheets on gear lube: GL1, GL5, and Mercury High Performance Gear Lube.

Manual transmissions in cars, trucks, jeeps, (old) farm tractors, and who knows what else, use bronze bushings inserted in the housing to allow the shafts upon which the gears are mounted to rotate in the transmission. The gears are straight toothed and mesh with a straight toothed mate. They drive each other on parallel shafts, hence no end play forces that tend to try to drive the gear to one perpendicular extreme from the line of thrust or the other. Consequently they are inherently quiet with linear cuts.

Differentials on the other hand have high end loading pressures and to keep them quiet they are helical cut [cut on a helix (hyperbola)....radius, curved] and require a Hypoid gear oil to keep them running.....Hypoid vs Mineral Oil contains high pressure additives including Sulphur to keep the metal from touching metal in high thrust applications especially where you are trying to transmit torque at a 90 degree angle.

There is enough data available from use over the years to indicate that sulphur and yellow metals (brass, bronze, copper, and some aluminums) are eaten away (deteriorate) in a sulphur mix environment.

So mfgrs, of the above equipment specify GL-1 pure mineral oil for trannys and a Hypoid oil for differentials, like GL-5, GL-5 containing the additive Sulphur.

In the case of the Mercury High Performance GearLube, the container clearly states that it is for Mercury, Mariner, and Force Lower units in IO and OB applications. Does not say that it is for any and all engines including 50 year old OMC's with bronze bushings rather than SS ball bearings that Merc products use.

So, I will still use my Merc High Performance Gear Lube in my palsy triple 90 and not worry.

So much for that.

Mark