Best oils / greases for talking machine resto/maintenance ?

[De Soto Frank]

Any more thoughts on a non-stinky grease for the main-springs ?

These days, all lubricants come in sealed containers, so I really can't give products the schnozz test before buying...

[alang]

I am just using up the last of my moly grease, which is great but stinky. I bought some white lithium grease from which I cannot detect any smell.
Andreas

[Retrograde]

Any more thoughts on a non-stinky grease for the main-springs ?

These days, all lubricants come in sealed containers, so I really can't give products the schnozz test before buying...

I have a few machines with motors that were repacked with the moly grease and they don't have any noticeable odor, however I do have one machine with a motor that was rebuilt by someone using moly grease and it smells like a 71 Chevy when I open the lid. It's also oozing grease around the main shaft. Being overfilled with grease may be contributing to the smell.

The original spring grease was a mixture of petroleum jelly (similar to Vaseline) and graphite powder. I think there are vendors online who sell the mixture, or you could make your own.

[AZ*]

I do have one machine with a motor that was rebuilt by someone using moly grease and it smells like a 71 Chevy when I open the lid.

Don't you be dissin' those 71 Chevys. I have one, and I am rather fond of that smell.

[De Soto Frank]

I do have one machine with a motor that was rebuilt by someone using moly grease and it smells like a 71 Chevy when I open the lid.

Don't you be dissin' those 71 Chevys. I have one, and I am rather fond of that smell.

Ah... but even better is the smell of a pre-1955 Chevy: a unique combo of faint whiff of gasoline, motor oil, and that wonderful slightly musty smell from the horse-hair seat stuffing...


God we're a weird bunch, aren't we ?


( Dad had a '70 Nova, and I owned (until recently) a '72 Chevy C-10 Fleetside, long-box: 6 cylinder & 3-speed. Good stuff.)