What's the consensus on the best grease/lubricant/oil to use on sailplanes? I see a lot of pilots use white lithium grease on their ships at our airport. It seems to cake and collect gunk. An AmP recommended using regular car oil. What do you use? Thanks

On Thursday, April 14, 2022 at 6:13:03 PM UTC-7, peter....@gmail.com wrote:
> What's the consensus on the best grease/lubricant/oil to use on sailplanes? I see a lot of pilots use white lithium grease on their ships at our airport. It seems to cake and collect gunk. An AmP recommended using regular car oil. What do you use? Thanks

Grease is oil suspended in a thickener, which keeps the oil in place for extended periods of time. That said, there are many different types of oil and grease:
https://www.machinerylubrication.com/Read/29658/multi-purpose-grease
https://knowhow.napaonline.com/know-how-notes-different-types-of-grease-and-where-to-use-them/#:~:text=Fresh%20and%20salt%20water%20attacks,compatible%20with%20lithium%2Dbased%20grease.
https://bisleyinternational.com/difference-between-white-lithium-grease-silicone-grease/
You can use oil alone, but it's lubricating capacity will degrade faster than grease. I lubricate internal bearings with a general purpose oil, such as control linkages. I use grease on external parts such as landing gear. Any grease will attract dust, etc., because that is what grease does.

Tom

On Thursday, April 14, 2022 at 6:53:43 PM UTC-7, 2G wrote:
> On Thursday, April 14, 2022 at 6:13:03 PM UTC-7, peter....@gmail.com wrote:
> > What's the consensus on the best grease/lubricant/oil to use on sailplanes? I see a lot of pilots use white lithium grease on their ships at our airport. It seems to cake and collect gunk. An AmP recommended using regular car oil. What do you use? Thanks
> Grease is oil suspended in a thickener, which keeps the oil in place for extended periods of time. That said, there are many different types of oil and grease:
> https://www.machinerylubrication.com/Read/29658/multi-purpose-grease
> https://knowhow.napaonline.com/know-how-notes-different-types-of-grease-and-where-to-use-them/#:~:text=Fresh%20and%20salt%20water%20attacks,compatible%20with%20lithium%2Dbased%20grease.
> https://bisleyinternational.com/difference-between-white-lithium-grease-silicone-grease/
> You can use oil alone, but it's lubricating capacity will degrade faster than grease. I lubricate internal bearings with a general purpose oil, such as control linkages. I use grease on external parts such as landing gear. Any grease will attract dust, etc., because that is what grease does.
>
> Tom
I started using Super Lube Synthetic grease a few years ago. I think I bought it for my boat but tried it on my glider and really like it. It doesn’t seem to attract a lot of dirt.

On 4/14/22 19:13, Peter Ross wrote:
> What's the consensus on the best grease/lubricant/oil to use on sailplanes? I see a lot of pilots use white lithium grease on their ships at our airport. It seems to cake and collect gunk. An AmP recommended using regular car oil. What do you use? Thanks

There's lots of variations on lithium grease, but in general there's
synthetic and petroleum based products. Synthetic in my experience
dries out and cakes, I wouldn't use it on main pins. Petroleum based is
better, but attacks rubber and plastics, so make sure it doesn't contact
them.

For small bearings, many people use a lightweight spray containing
Teflon, which isn't sticky and doesn't attract dust and dirt.

-Dave

On Thursday, April 14, 2022 at 6:13:03 PM UTC-7, peter....@gmail.com wrote:
> What's the consensus on the best grease/lubricant/oil to use on sailplanes? I see a lot of pilots use white lithium grease on their ships at our airport. It seems to cake and collect gunk. An AmP recommended using regular car oil. What do you use? Thanks
I also use Super Lube. I think pretty much available everywhere

On Friday, April 15, 2022 at 7:39:17 AM UTC-7, 6PK wrote:
> On Thursday, April 14, 2022 at 6:13:03 PM UTC-7, peter....@gmail.com wrote:
> > What's the consensus on the best grease/lubricant/oil to use on sailplanes? I see a lot of pilots use white lithium grease on their ships at our airport. It seems to cake and collect gunk. An AmP recommended using regular car oil. What do you use? Thanks
> I also use Super Lube. I think pretty much available everywhere

Synco Super Lube synthetic grease (and oil for guns). Used it for years on glider wing pins etc. clean, broad temperature range and never experienced drying out or any other issue. For electrical plugs and connections, use either silicone grease, Dow DC-4, or other dielectric grease.

My AME (Canadian for A&P) is a fan of TriFlow Superior which happens to be required for certain rotor heads which have a much harder life than glider components.

Another AME uses LPS lubricants which may have approvals for aviation use and is offered by Aircraft Spruce.

Both are greaseless.

White lithium grease. Every few flights, I wipe off the gunk and
reapply. Works like a charm.

Dan
5J

On 4/14/22 19:13, Peter Ross wrote:
> What's the consensus on the best grease/lubricant/oil to use on sailplanes? I see a lot of pilots use white lithium grease on their ships at our airport. It seems to cake and collect gunk. An AmP recommended using regular car oil. What do you use? Thanks

On 4/15/2022 9:39 AM, Dan Marotta wrote:
> White lithium grease.  Every few flights, I wipe off the gunk and reapply.  Works like a
> charm.
>
> Dan
> 5J
>
> On 4/14/22 19:13, Peter Ross wrote:
>> What's the consensus on the best grease/lubricant/oil to use on sailplanes? I see a lot
>> of pilots use white lithium grease on their ships at our airport. It seems to cake and
>> collect gunk. An AmP recommended using regular car oil. What do you use? Thanks

What parts of the glider are you wiping? "Every few flights" sounds like "high
maintenance" to me.

--
Eric Greenwell - USA
- "A Guide to Self-launching Sailplane Operation"
https://sites.google.com/site/motorgliders/publications

Not high maintenance. The (what do you call them?) lift and drag pins
and the l'Hotelier fittings are presented at the outer tips of the
center wing section of the Stemme. A simple wipe with a paper towel and
a dab of grease is all it takes. Of course, I need to clean my finger
tip. That's the "high maintenance" part. :-)

Dan
5J

On 4/15/22 19:57, Eric Greenwell wrote:
> On 4/15/2022 9:39 AM, Dan Marotta wrote:
>> White lithium grease.  Every few flights, I wipe off the gunk and
>> reapply.  Works like a charm.
>>
>> Dan
>> 5J
>>
>> On 4/14/22 19:13, Peter Ross wrote:
>>> What's the consensus on the best grease/lubricant/oil to use on
>>> sailplanes? I see a lot of pilots use white lithium grease on their
>>> ships at our airport. It seems to cake and collect gunk. An AmP
>>> recommended using regular car oil. What do you use? Thanks
>
> What parts of the glider are you wiping? "Every few flights" sounds like
> "high maintenance" to me.
>

On Friday, April 15, 2022 at 9:18:26 AM UTC-7, georg...@gmail.com wrote:
> My AME (Canadian for A&P) is a fan of TriFlow Superior which happens to be required for certain rotor heads which have a much harder life than glider components.
>
> Another AME uses LPS lubricants which may have approvals for aviation use and is offered by Aircraft Spruce.
>
> Both are greaseless.
I have to agree with the TriFlow but mostly for things like bearings. etc.
For spar pins, spikets I still Use Super Lube through..

On Sunday, April 17, 2022 at 1:59:29 PM UTC-5, 6PK wrote:
> On Friday, April 15, 2022 at 9:18:26 AM UTC-7, georg...@gmail.com wrote:
> > My AME (Canadian for A&P) is a fan of TriFlow Superior which happens to be required for certain rotor heads which have a much harder life than glider components.
> >
> > Another AME uses LPS lubricants which may have approvals for aviation use and is offered by Aircraft Spruce.
> >
> > Both are greaseless.
> I have to agree with the TriFlow but mostly for things like bearings. etc.
> For spar pins, spikets I still Use Super Lube through..
Super Lube also makes an awsome oil, comes with a needle applicator. Very easy to use with bearings that have a felt cover and under Mylar.

I'll be contrarian here: I don't like SuperLube for this. After many years of using an HP marine lithium grease, I switched to Superlube, even got the High Pressure variant. I noticed what I thought was an increase in fretting on the drag and lift pins, and for sure an increase in corrosion. It does not stay between the surfaces well. I've gone back to the marine grease.
On Friday, April 15, 2022 at 8:39:17 AM UTC-7, bumper wrote:
> On Friday, April 15, 2022 at 7:39:17 AM UTC-7, 6PK wrote:
> > On Thursday, April 14, 2022 at 6:13:03 PM UTC-7, peter....@gmail.com wrote:
> > > What's the consensus on the best grease/lubricant/oil to use on sailplanes? I see a lot of pilots use white lithium grease on their ships at our airport. It seems to cake and collect gunk. An AmP recommended using regular car oil. What do you use? Thanks
> > I also use Super Lube. I think pretty much available everywhere
> Synco Super Lube synthetic grease (and oil for guns). Used it for years on glider wing pins etc. clean, broad temperature range and never experienced drying out or any other issue. For electrical plugs and connections, use either silicone grease, Dow DC-4, or other dielectric grease.

I agree with Jon. Upon a recommendation from Craig Funston, I've gone to Lucas Red n' Tacky grease.
https://lucasoil.com/pdf/TDS_Red-Tacky-Grease.pdf