packing wheel bearings, and grease fluidity

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turtlevette

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I removed a hub from the vette that has not been repacked for about 15 years and the grease is of a clay like consistency. I don't see how any of this extra grease is helping anything. I thought the objective is to have the extra grease in the hub flow into the bearings by gravity and centrifugal force.

So I'm wondering if some gear oil could be mixed with new grease when i redo these to increase fluidity. This will ensure that the bearings always have enough lubrication.

The problem may be that once the soap reaches its saturation point there will be puddles of oil that will leak out the seal and dust cap and make a mess.
 
No manufacturer suggests anything other than to pack with wheel bearing grease.
I hesitate to say you're trying to solve a problem that doesn't exist but obviously the clay-like 15 year grease is an issue.

How about you remove and repack every 10-12 years?

At that rate you'll do it 3 more times before you sell the car or have moved on to greener pastures
 
I'd clean it all out. Brake cleaner, lots of it. I would not try mixing. You could run into an incompatablility with one of the gear oil additives and ruin the new grease.
 
I don't pack bearings everyday, but when I do, I pack them by hand. The gray grease is turning into soap. Take the bearing and soak it in gas and use a brush and rags. Then I find the wheel bearing grease and put a big gob in my left palm. Packing is just jamming the rollers into the the gob. As you rub the grease off, I use skin conditioner after a rag, Think about how much money you saved over a press fit bearing.
 
15 years does not seem like a long time for wheel bearing grease.

Granted, Im looking to repack the OE grease in my 81 240D, but thats original.

15 years is a 2003 vehicle. 2003 vehicles are all over the place with their original bearings and grease.

What am I missing??
 
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
15 years does not seem like a long time for wheel bearing grease.

Granted, Im looking to repack the OE grease in my 81 240D, but thats original.

15 years is a 2003 vehicle. 2003 vehicles are all over the place with their original bearings and grease.

What am I missing??


My 2003 car is a DD where the grease is getting mixed every day. It also probably has more advanced bearing design than a C3 Corvette. You could argue that DD use involves heat cycling and exposure to the elements, but sitting around and oxidizing might be responsible for the grease turning to clay.*

*not an automotive engineer, bearing designer or tribologist.
 
When grease "turns to clay" that is a sign that the oil has bled out and only thickener remains. The grease has reached the end of its life. This is often seen in overheated bearings.
 
Originally Posted By: turtlevette
I removed a hub from the vette that has not been repacked for about 15 years and the grease is of a clay like consistency. I don't see how any of this extra grease is helping anything. I thought the objective is to have the extra grease in the hub flow into the bearings by gravity and centrifugal force.

So I'm wondering if some gear oil could be mixed with new grease when i redo these to increase fluidity. This will ensure that the bearings always have enough lubrication.

The problem may be that once the soap reaches its saturation point there will be puddles of oil that will leak out the seal and dust cap and make a mess.



What grease did you use previously? Are you using a good quality synthetic grease?
 
Questions I would ask. 1. does the bearing still have grease i it and is it functioning? If it is then perhaps you should just figure you can go another 15 years on the next change of grease. In other words, don't worry about it.
 
Heh heh, your hand is 98.6'. That should be enough to soften any grease. I never considered why it works so well.
grin2.gif
 
Originally Posted By: andyd
Heh heh, your hand is 98.6'. That should be enough to soften any grease. I never considered why it works so well.
grin2.gif



Yeah, I was taught to put a tablespoon in the palm of my hand, and scrape it off piece by piece with the bearing, such that the grease went in one side, and then toothpasted out the other side...filled the inner cavities. then wipe some over the outside of the rollers and assemble.

Throwing a few gobs in the central cavity didn't make a whole lot of sense.
 
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
15 years does not seem like a long time for wheel bearing grease.

Granted, Im looking to repack the OE grease in my 81 240D, but thats original.

15 years is a 2003 vehicle. 2003 vehicles are all over the place with their original bearings and grease.

What am I missing??


And some 2003 venicles are in the scrapyard because the cost of maintaining/repairing them was more than their value. Some 2003 cars don’t have a lot of miles on them, some have a lot of miles. You have to consider that bearing life follows sort of a bell curve. The majority of bearings last a long time, a few don’t. Manufacturers use different greases, some may last longer than others. But yes, this is a good question, how long should a grease last before oxidizing or whatever happens to it so that it’s no longer a effective lubricant. Probably several parts to the equation, calendar time, bearing load and revolutions. When bearing manufacturers calculate bearing service life it’s based on good maintenance and lubrication, tney don’t consider that grease will hardens up.
 
Originally Posted By: turtlevette
Mobil 1 red grease.

Its just too firm to ever work into the bearings. There's no point in packing the cavity with grease.




Mobil 1 is about the most fluid grease out there....heck it leaks all out of my grease gun. Doesn't make a good wheel bearing grease imo. You need an actual wheel bearing grease that can hold up to the heat of a bearing.
 
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