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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.
actusreus
brf
1,715 posts
 
The term lithium grease can be slightly misleading as the lithium content is actually the thickener used to thicken the oil content to make it grease as opposed to an oil.

Go to any high end bike shop that sells road racing bikes and ask for lithium grease used for packing the bike bearing. These high performance lithium bike greases use synthetic oil as the base as oppose to mineral oil.

The oil and lithium will separate over time when left in a tube. You should “knead” the contents before using. It sound like the lithium grease was not fully mixed before application, therefore, the oil content simply wept down the bearing shaft and succumbed to gravity.
dgarretson
2,593 posts
 
Ditto Brf. For years I've been using Campagnolo bottom bracket grease in various TT and CDP jewel and ball bearings. It doesn't dry up and turn brown like most other greases. You could also try automotive moly grease.

There was an episode of Law & Order/Criminal intent in which forensics pinned a murder on a bicyclist by tracing the formula of the exotic grease in his bottom bracket. Take care.
bpoletti
1,531 posts
 
Great for the Classic bearing. How about a TNT1 or an Aries1? Same lubricant on a different design? (I don't have a manual for either.)
brf
1,715 posts
 
Bpoletti, use lithium grease for inverted bearings and synthetic oil for well type bearing. VPI recommends Mobile 1 for their well bearing tables.
lewm
12,554 posts
 
Dave, You forgot to add, "Bahdum-dum", a la Law and Order.
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