to grease, or not to grease

[Bulldog HD]

Hi everyone, I have been reading and learning from this forum for about a month now. I'm a newbie with a recently acquired Columbia Grafonola Type E-2. This is my first antique phonograph. The build sheet glued to the bottom of the cabinet is very faded, but it looks like it was built in April of 1920. The cabinet is in great shape and it cleaned up very well. I have cleaned and polished the reproducer, tone arm, elbow and holder. The nickel plating is in surprisingly nice condition for its age. I also replaced the mica and the gaskets in the reproducer. So I am ready to tackle the motor. It is covered with grease. I am going to disassemble and clean everything. I know that the three springs have to be greased. My question is: should I grease the gears in the motor? I have Eric Reiss' "Talking Machine" book. In it, he recommends against putting grease on the gears. I have watched a few phonograph repair videos on YouTube and they always grease the gears. So, should I or shouldn't I grease the gears in the motor? Thank you, Joe D.

[Le0]

only grease pivots and springs.

[mikejk]

Welcome,
Don't grease your gears. They seem to end up with some grease on them after running anyway. One thing I have learned is to not put too much grease in the spring barrels because it will ooze out while winding and get all over the motor. The Grafonola cabinets of that period are well built and sturdy. Good luck, Mike

[Bulldog HD]

Thank you for the replies. I really appreciate it. I will not grease the gears! Joe D.

[VintageTechnologies]

I will post a contrarian opinion, as I often do in life. I have been lubricating phonographs for 45+ years. If I must err, it will be on the side of safety. I can't say how much, if any, wear would occur without grease, but I'd rather not find out. Stickers inside Victor machines show the application of Vaseline to gears as a lubricant. Grease does sometimes quieten noisy gears. I also pack my springs full of grease with the knowledge that whatever isn't needed will simply ooze out. No problem, I line the bottom of the case with paper to catch the excess. Black Lithium grease isn't particularly nasty and sure won't hurt anything.

[phonogfp]

I agree with Vintage Technologies. I won't grease the gears of a small motor such as that from a Q Graphophone or an "Eagle," but anything with some significant power gets grease on the first few gears at least. As the teeth on the gears become finer, I apply a good quality 20-wt oil, then - for the smallest teeth - a light sewing machine oil.

But to each his own!

George P.

[JerryVan]

What possible reason could anyone have for not greasing gears? Especially worm gears as in most Victrola era Victors, where there is sliding contact. If you agree that gears should be lubricated at all, (i.e. oiled), then the proper lubrication would be grease, as it clings to the gears instead of running off. Grease is nothing more than oil, held in a viscous suspension to prevent it from dripping off.

I would not grease governor drive gears, as that can bog down the governor.

[FloridaClay]

I was quite curious about the opinions not to grease gears as well, if for no other reason than to reduce wear. And some of the original instructions that came with machines recommended it.

Clay

[Dave]

And some of the original instructions that came with machines recommended it.

Clay

That's the best reason for greasing....Who knows better whats good for their machines than the manufacturer.

[Bulldog HD]

Oops, leave it to the newbie to open a can of worms! I asked the question because I have been having this very debate with myself. I know that the gears in the tranny of my Harley would not last long if they were not kept constantly lubricated. On the other hand, I have a couple of old clocks that I keep running by applying a drop of oil to all of the pivot points and oiling the springs once a year. There is no grease on the gears. Thank you for all of the replies. The debate continues in my mind...