62 Corvette Wheel Bearing Grease?

[JeffKeryk]

My BIL examined the front wheel bearings on his restored '62 Fuelie.
One side leaked into the brakes and the other was caked dry.

So, what is the correct wheel bearing grease? Include brand name please.

These are ball bearing not roller bearing style.
Thanks in advance!

 

[Chris142]

Did the seals leak? Damaged seals? Spindles?

 

[Donald]

Years ago there was chassis grease and wheel bearing grease. One for high speed and one for tough suspension fittings. Today most greases seem to cover both. I would get a name brand grease that mentions wheel bearings. And replace the seal. Synthetic grease even better.

 

[Creekside]

My pick would be Schaeffer 219. I use it in a lot of wheel bearings and it seems to work great.

 

[JeffKeryk]

I was gonna advise Mark to replace the seals. I am thinking about a synthetic high temp grease.
Timken makes a wheel bearing spec grease which is what I would use.

Keep the replies coming!

 

[AutoMechanic]

I use a lot of greases for older bearings ones made for bearings of course. Most recently used the Pennzoil grease it is red and appears to work good. I’ve used Valvoline grease too before in bearings and just pretty much every parts store brand grease in them before. Nice old car by the way.

 

[JeffKeryk]

Nice old car by the way.

Thanks Auto...
That's a numbers correct 1962 Fuel Injected Corvette. It started as a basket; Mark has been building it for over 20 years.
He searched all over America to get the correct parts during the restoration. It is one of the best in existance, for sure.
Mark's quote: "I hate painters." He is pretty picky...
This is a $100K car, if not more.

 

[AutoMechanic]

Thanks Auto...
That's a numbers correct 1962 Fuel Injected Corvette. It started as a basket; Mark has been building it for over 20 years.
He searched all over America to get the correct parts during the restoration. It is one of the best in existance, for sure.
Mark's quote: "I hate painters." He is pretty picky...
This is a $100K car, if not more.

View attachment 51877

That is excellent. I have a friend who is a big Corvette guy I bet he would go crazy over this.

 

[JHZR2]

You can calculate the rotational speed as:
rotational speed = rotational speed, r/min x 0.5 (D+d), in mm

And then verify selection here:

SKF

www.skf.com

My suspicion based upon that site and calculation is that SKF LGMT2 would be the recommended product, which is a Li soap base that is 11 mm2/s or 11 cSt base oil viscosity.

Pennzoil 707L is a classic good grease. It would have been my recommendation. Others swear by Redline CV-2.

Id recommend Mercedes wheel bearing grease 002989005110, applied by mass, then set correctly by the FSM spec.

7A1CD7B4-4394-43FC-AB76-35D80A026C47.jpeg

• JHZR2
• Mar 28, 2021

Delo ESP EP also meets the MB 265.1 spec and would be a good option (verify youre getting the right one, there are a lot of variants).

For my Dodge Ram, Im going to try Schaeffer's 219, which has an incredible four ball wear test result, is good for wet conditions (not necessarily an issue here), and seems like overall great stuff.

So I guess Id say get the tube of MB grease if you want just enough and no extra... Get the 219 if you want a new top end grease that you can also use elsewhere.

 

[MolaKule]

...For my Dodge Ram, Im going to try Schaeffer's 219, which has an incredible four ball wear test result, is good for wet conditions (not necessarily an issue here), and seems like overall great stuff.

So I guess Id say get the tube of MB grease if you want just enough and no extra... Get the 219 if you want a new top end grease that you can also use elsewhere.

I second what John stated. Most high-end greases back in that era were based on aluminum complex greases.

And new seals are always desired.

https://www.schaefferoil.com/documents/302-219-td.pdf

 

[JHZR2]

I second what John stated. Most high-end greases back in that era were based on aluminum complex greases.

And new seals are always desired.

https://www.schaefferoil.com/documents/302-219-td.pdf

Thats an interesting factoid! Aluminum complex was the typical formulation in that era for a high-end grease? I’d suspect a Vette would get a high end grease too. So I guess 219 is definitely the best modern formulation of an old classic then!

 

[MolaKule]

Thats an interesting factoid! Aluminum complex was the typical formulation in that era for a high-end grease? I’d suspect a Vette would get a high end grease too. So I guess 219 is definitely the best modern formulation of an old classic then!

The calcium sulfonate based greases was what you would have picked up at the local parts stores in those round

tubs in the late Fifties and early Sixties.

 

[JeffKeryk]

Thanks to all who posted. This car is a true piece of Americana. A 62 Fuelie, very very correct.
It took 10 years (or more) to find parts. Mark was crazy determined.

Years ago he drove my '68 Roadster. He went back to Gig Harbor, WA and bought a '69 427 Coupe. Then a nasty 454 for fun. Then he got the '62 from a rich collector that Mark had done a bunch of granite work for. Mark owned a high end granite fab company.

So you guys are now part of the '62 Fuelie club. Mark has 3 or 4 complete mechanical FI sets; he is becomming an expert. I think he should write a book.
He has my '68; I gave him the new soft top and he had it installed. He has the 16x8 Vintiques Chrome Ralleys and 265/50/16 Comp TA's on it. They make the car sit nice and low...

 

[Dinoburner]

My BIL examined the front wheel bearings on his restored '62 Fuelie.
One side leaked into the brakes and the other was caked dry.

So, what is the correct wheel bearing grease? Include brand name please.View attachment 51875
These are ball bearing not roller bearing style.
Thanks in advance!
View attachment 51873View attachment 51874

 

[Dinoburner]

My BIL examined the front wheel bearings on his restored '62 Fuelie.
One side leaked into the brakes and the other was caked dry.

So, what is the correct wheel bearing grease? Include brand name please.View attachment 51875
These are ball bearing not roller bearing style.
Thanks in advance!
View attachment 51873View attachment 51874

Not sure if the photo of the outer race shows some pitting. Have a soft spot for the C1s.

 

[JeffKeryk]

Here's what a really old car place in Gig Harbor sold Mark:

 

[Trav]

My pick would be Schaeffer 219. I use it in a lot of wheel bearings and it seems to work great.

That has become my go too for most things and the 238 with 5% moly for ball and steering joints.

 

[Creekside]

That has become my go too for most things and the 238 with 5% moly for ball and steering joints.

I love the stuff. I greased my track loader last fall when I parked it and then again when started running it again in February. The grease I purged was still nice and green, looked new. The Mystik never did that.

 

[MParr]

US_Val_MultiVehicleMoly_GRS_EN.pdf - DocuSign CLM

sharena21.springcm.com

 

[JHZR2]

Here's what a really old car place in Gig Harbor sold Mark:

Interesting. A Sodium based grease.