I use Permatex white lithium grease from a major auto parts retailer. The OCD in me says, check this out, however, I've not noticed any noises in over a year ( I use a HW-19MkIV w/non-inverted bearing/w/ceramic bearing,SDS, so I think I'm fine. I know it's expensive, but I invested in a Sutherland Timeline and have never regreted it. I know from what I've read that the Classic has good speed stability, IMO, if you're MAJOR into analog, get a Timeline. It will/should rock your world.
Don't use this to lube your VPI Classic bearing
I recently lubricated the bearing on my Classic using white lithium grease purchased from ACE Hardware. The brand is AGS; it came in a white 1.25 oz tube. After about a week, I heard a whooshing sound coming from (under) the platter at each spin. I removed the platter and the sight was not pretty - some of the grease turned into a gooey brown substance and pooled at the bottom of the shaft; there were some chunks of the grease inside the hollow. I didn't use that much of it and it looked worse than after a full year of use with the original job performed by VPI.
I cleaned it all out, and the whooshing sound went away. So if your Classic is due for maintenance, stay away from this particular product.
Does any Classic owner have a brand/product they can recommend for lubricating the bearing? Considering that you only need a little bit of it about once a year, $26 for the lube from VPI is a bit steep.
I cleaned it all out, and the whooshing sound went away. So if your Classic is due for maintenance, stay away from this particular product.
Does any Classic owner have a brand/product they can recommend for lubricating the bearing? Considering that you only need a little bit of it about once a year, $26 for the lube from VPI is a bit steep.