Mixing grease in boat bearings
Submitted by ctan1968 on Thu, 2015-04-23 17:27
Hi all,
Currently servicing my trailer for a trip up north. Whilst changing bearings in the last wheel, I ran out of marine grease while doing the inner bearings and completed the outer bearing with another tub of just bearing grease (blue as well).
Since then I have been recommended that mixing of 2 greases is not advised.
If I have t pull the whole disc off, clean it then regrease the whole thing I will, but its going to be a pain as its got totally new bearings and seals throughout.
Thanks in advance.
ranmar850
Posts: 2702
Date Joined: 12/08/12
IMO, not a problem
I don't think you have a problem, I've had to mix different types of grease in bearings at times and there have never been issues, and most of my towing is long distance. Just make sure you have clean grease, not water contaminated, the bearings and seals are good, and the tension on the bearings is correct..
scano
Posts: 1246
Date Joined: 31/05/07
Yeah I agree with the above
I reckon as long as the grease is new and free from contamination then it comes down to bearing preload and seals being good as opposed to mixing two different brands of grease.
i also think oil and grease companies have people just as well fooled as what fishing gear manufacturers have some of us fooled. As they say often lures catch more fisherman than fish! Haha
Starbug
Posts: 563
Date Joined: 27/08/09
It all depends on the grease
It all depends on the grease base.
Mixing different grease bases can cause big problems with bearing lubrication. Oil bleed and clumping are the most common.
http://www.mobilindustrial.com/ind/english/files/tt-grease-compatibility.pdf
meglodon
Posts: 5981
Date Joined: 17/06/10
Thank you Starbug
Thank you for posting a very valuable piece of info up, I never knew about incompatibility of greases and what could happen.
Much appreciated.
ranmar850
Posts: 2702
Date Joined: 12/08/12
Interesting compatibility table
But it really just confirms what i said before, although i should have been more specific--mixing greases which are intended for the same general purpose is OK. I would go so far as to say that anything readily available from your local servo/supacheap/repco for the purpose of lubricating bearings will be Lithium based. And all the Lithium bases are compatible. just look at the container, if it says Lithium, you are OK. I just looked at three different containers of different brands and names in the shed and all were lithium based. Even the white Shell Marine grease, which I have used for greasing exposed parts on boats for years, but never on bearings, is Lithium complex, although it looks very different to the Castrol LMX I use now.
Starbug
Posts: 563
Date Joined: 27/08/09
Just had a quick look in the
Just had a quick look in the shed. To generalise that anything you buy from supercheap/repco.....etc wil be lithium is wrong.
Castrol HTB is bentone clay based
Castrol EPL-2 (non braked wheel bearings) is lithium
Castrol Spheerol HTB bentone clay
And a few others which are lithium and zinc oxide.
I can only show you the facts. It's up to you to decide what you do.
Jackfrost80
Posts: 8050
Date Joined: 07/05/12
I stress enough driving with
I stress enough driving with my properly done bearings and pull over a few times on ling trips to check the hub heat. You'll be a lot more relaxed knowing that you've stripped the hubs, cleaned and regreased the bearings IMO
Officially off the Pies bandwagon