Grease question

rentstdi

New member
Joined
May 21, 2011
Messages
162
Reaction score
0
I have an old antique hit and miss engine. It was made around 1910. On the crankshaft it has grease cups that need to be filled. My father Inlaw says just use all purpose grease. I feel that isn't a good idea and their should be something better suited for this type of thing.

Granted today's all purpose is probably 10 times better than what was available back then.

FYI this engine only runs around 500-600 rpm and only has a cumbustion event every 8 crank evolutions
 

jimdawg185

Active member
Joined
May 22, 2011
Messages
1,869
Reaction score
0
Can you take a pic of the grease cups and send it to me. You can text me 616-460-9949

Also, how fast does the grease evacuate from the cups. Are there springs that push the grease out of the cups?

Grease today is better, and its not. Back then they had lots of stuff like mercury and lead that they could put in the lube that work really well that we can't today. The most important factor would be the viscosity of the base oil in the OE grease. Do you have a model number or any info at all on the engine that I can throw at my engineers.

Cool stuff BTW!!! I would love to see a video.
 

rentstdi

New member
Joined
May 21, 2011
Messages
162
Reaction score
0
Actually it hasn't ran in quite a few years and just got it runable a few weeks ago. I'll add a couple pics and video of it after they upload.
It is a Nelson brothers little jumbo model P. It is 1-3/4 horsepower and is rated to run at 500 rpm . A lot of part were worn out from other users lack of knowledge. So it now has a Honda civic wrist pin to replace the .035 out of round old one. It also had a few other small problems and I'm working on those also.
Video of it starting soon
BF7BB74E-53B2-409F-8A39-3EF634FB2A56.jpg


86187A62-E485-471D-B4BC-A1C9748D1C4E.jpg


9874395E-4B6D-47AE-B2BC-8695E153059C.jpg
 

jimdawg185

Active member
Joined
May 22, 2011
Messages
1,869
Reaction score
0
Are there journal bearings or needle bearings on that rod journal?
about how large are those cups that hold the grease?
How to they evacuate the grease? with a spring?
 

rentstdi

New member
Joined
May 21, 2011
Messages
162
Reaction score
0
I would say they are journal bearings. These are called babitt (spell check). You pour in a liquid metal in the connecting rod and shape it to "fit". The grease cup will only release grease when they get warm(supposedly) or when you screw on the cap. The diameter of the cap is about the size of a nickel. Photo bucket doesn't want to cooperate with me and the video
 

Peroni

Member
Joined
May 18, 2011
Messages
356
Reaction score
1
Location
North Carolina
I'm willing to bet that 99% of the "casual" hit miss engine guys out there use whatever multipurpose grease they have laying around and it does just fine by them. These are not complicated high performance, high speed precision bearings.

Here's my take from being in the hobby 29yrs now and owning 100+ of these things big and small:

Almatek 1232 or Almagard 3752

The former should work just fine in your little Nelson Borthers. The latter will likely not sling out so much on the rod bearing but if you're not running at rated speed under a load it's a toss up?

What do you think Jimmy?

FWIW my father used LE products on his Bucyrus Erie equipment through the mid 80's and still speaks very highly of them. Good quality product!
 

jimdawg185

Active member
Joined
May 22, 2011
Messages
1,869
Reaction score
0
OK, that makes sense.

So, a quick grease tutorial...
Grease is made up of four basic parts
80-90% base oil (many people don't realize how much of grease is the base oil
10-15% soap (the part that gives the grease its...um greasyness)
1-5% common additive (EP's, Aw's ect ect.)
1-5% proprietary additives

Base oil viscosity is important, and an unlikely piece of info we will never find for this thing...

The thickener or soap used back then was either lard or straight lithium.

There is one thing we can pretty much count on, there probably was no EP. And that is nearly as important as viscosity. An EP could cause an issue with those bearings as it would be constantly be activating and interfere with the hydrodynamic film separating the bearing surface and the journal or babbitt bearing.

We have the perfect grease for this. It is Lithium, it has no EP, and it has a high quality base oil. The only thing I am not sure on is the base oil viscosity. And at 500 rpm, its going to be just fine.

PM me your address and Ill send you a tube.
 

jimdawg185

Active member
Joined
May 22, 2011
Messages
1,869
Reaction score
0
I'm willing to bet that 99% of the "casual" hit miss engine guys out there use whatever multipurpose grease they have laying around and it does just fine by them. These are not complicated high performance, high speed precision bearings.

Here's my take from being in the hobby 29yrs now and owning 100+ of these things big and small:

Almatek 1232 or Almagard 3752

The former should work just fine in your little Nelson Borthers. The latter will likely not sling out so much on the rod bearing but if you're not running at rated speed under a load it's a toss up?

What do you think Jimmy?

FWIW my father used LE products on his Bucyrus Erie equipment through the mid 80's and still speaks very highly of them. Good quality product!


Wow, you are right on point, 1232 is exactly what I was talking about in my previous post!

3752 is an epic grease, and you are correct that it will not sling off. My only concern is the very aggressive EP.
 

rentstdi

New member
Joined
May 21, 2011
Messages
162
Reaction score
0
th_47948E0A-807B-4D44-BA15-188A62F54ECC.png

Here is the photo bucket video I made last nite. Again I'm just glad it starts now. It needs some fine tuning but I need to take it outside to run a while. I can't do that to well when it's 10 below zero...
 

jimdawg185

Active member
Joined
May 22, 2011
Messages
1,869
Reaction score
0
th_47948E0A-807B-4D44-BA15-188A62F54ECC.png

Here is the photo bucket video I made last nite. Again I'm just glad it starts now. It needs some fine tuning but I need to take it outside to run a while. I can't do that to well when it's 10 below zero...

Did you ever get that grease I sent?
 

rentstdi

New member
Joined
May 21, 2011
Messages
162
Reaction score
0
Yes, yes I did, Thanks I am planning on pulling out all the grease cups and cleaning them out from what ever was in there. Just need time to work on it.... Too many projects too little time. After I get it running again I'll let you know how it worked out for me. Again Thanks for the grease
 

rentstdi

New member
Joined
May 21, 2011
Messages
162
Reaction score
0
Okay so I got back on this project. Before the engine would fire every 8-10 revolutions. After regreasing everything and a little fine tuning it fires every 25-30 revolutions. I do contribute it to this grease because I do not know what was in there before. I also found any possible friction spot and added a dab of grease. I can't wait to put a load on this engine but I have to wait until Apple harvest season.

http://s302.photobucket.com/user/rentstdi/media/11669757-03B2-4059-994C-6EBBE845FC08.mp4.html

I can't seem to be able to inbed the video so here is a link
 

Latest posts

Members online

Top