Accidentally mixed grease. How much time do I have

[Bigsyke]

Did a front wheel bearing on my 300zx, and took me almost a week. One half of the new timken bearing fell out of the race. I wiped as much debris off, and because most of the grease was removed by this, I re-added some wheel bearing grease I had.

I guess because it was early, I didn't realize the grease I added was Moly based grease -- after I pressed the hub into the bearing, and the bearing into the spindle.

Timken uses lithium, and I have heard moly/lithium is a bad combo. I really don't want to do this job over again, so I'm wondering how much time could I drive on this bearing. A few weeks, maybe? Has anyone seen wheel bearing failures due to mixing greases?

 

[Trav]

What grease did you use exactly? It might well be compatible, the addition of moly does not automatically make it incompatible.

 

[Bigsyke]

Originally Posted By: Trav
What grease did you use exactly? It might well be compatible, the addition of moly does not automatically make it incompatible.


http://www.amazon.com/STA-LUBE-Moly-Grap...cription-iframe

Starlube.

Thanks!

 

[doitmyself]

Your Sta lube grease is lithium based, as shown here: http://www.crcindustries.com/ei/product_detail.aspx?id=SL3330

You are probably fine for awhile. The MSDS for that grease shows less than 1% moly and a timken load of only 45. However, it is just a Lithium 12-hydroxystearate grease and not recommended for the higher heat produced by disc. brakes. Drive easy and plan on redoing them in the next weeks, IMO.

 

[Bigsyke]

Cool, Thank you.

 

[Trav]

Disc brakes don't make much if any difference to the grease needed with the hat style rotor in use today.
It did at one time when the bearing was in the actual rotor or drum, disc brakes got hotter in that region.

Its a lithium grease made by CRC so its compatible. You shouldn't see any significant loss in longevity.
Quote:
Automotive applications, backing plates, ball joints, chassis points, construction ball & roller bearings, idler bearings, industrial applications, mining applications, pillow block bearings, sprocket bearings, U-joints, water pumps, wheel bearings


Compare it Mobil 1 synthetic grease which is IMO a good wheel bearing grease, it doesn't seem too bad but maybe others have a different opinion..

https://mobiloil.com/en/synthetic-grease/mobil-1-synthetic-grease

http://www.crcindustries.com/ei/product_detail.aspx?id=SL3330

 

[oilboy123]

Lithium based moly has been around for a lot of years.....Lithium is the most common base for greases.

 

[AMC]

Originally Posted By: oilboy123
Lithium based moly has been around for a lot of years.....Lithium is the most common base for greases.


Moly is a not a base soap for grease, it is an additive. If anything, you mixing the stuff with moly with the regular lithium complex grease helped the performance of the grease and did nothing to hurt it! You have nothing to worry about at all.

Lithium Complex grease is one of the most compatible greases out there anyways. Last time I checked, it is only totally incompatible with polyuria and a few other types of grease. That is one of the many reasons why I prefer and pretty much only buy lithium complex grease.

 

[Leo99]

I hate when [censored] like this happens. You do all that work and then have this nagging feeling it's wrong. Hopefully, the greases play nice together and you won't have to revisit the wheel bearings for a long time.

 

[Silverado12]

I wouldn't lose any sleep over it. I just pump whatever grease I have into my bearing buddies on my boat trailer and it takes a lot of abuse for a long time (boat is a 1999 model).

 

[philipp10]

I'd be so concerned that I would pencil in my calendar for a 2035 wheel bearing change-out.