2. analog
  3. 1341804352

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
dougdeacon
3,338 posts
 
Actusreus,

Sorry if my response seemed off target, but like VPI's manual your OP was also incomplete.

You didn't state that you'd consulted the manual, had any familiarity with VPI's instructions or had doubts about their completeness. To an objective reader, your OP described only a DIY effort made without taking any guidance.

When writing it's easy to overlook key information because we know it, forgetting that readers do not. I see it every day in my work (legal contracts) and make a decent living inserting provisions that very smart people "knew" they should include, but somehow failed to.

Glad you're getting some useful feedback!
Doug
maczurak
28 posts
 
I tried several greases and oils in the past few years. Saw this at a local bike store and found it to be the best thus far ...

Ceramic Grease
semi
649 posts
 
I am biker so I am familiar with all the grease mentioned above, but one that was not mentioned which I like best is Super Lube. Super Lube used to only make spray, they now have grease as well. It's Teflon based, super slick, and can support heavy load.

White lithium is intended for high speed bearing for bike hub, does not necessarily work better in a slow spin platter. I have 3 tubes of lithium grease at home, but I stick with Super Lube for my TT.
dover
2,255 posts
 
Please beware Teflon based oils and greases - the Teflon particles can embed themselves into the surface of the metal bearings, then metal particles embed themselves into the Teflon, resulting in INCREASED bearing wear.
Personally I never use teflon based lubricants on metal bearings.
actusreus OP
733 posts
 
To add to Dover's post, I vaguely recall reading an old post where someone mentioned VPI did not recommend Teflon based lubricants.
More to discover