Babbitt Bearing Grease

[ebausch]

A friend of mine has a 36 inch band saw built around the turn of the last century that uses babbitt bearings. For those not familiar with babbitt bearings they are made by melting and pouring a soft metal around a shaft and must be lubed at all times. The babbitts on the band saw are not in the best of shape and the small oil cups quickly drain their oil through the bearing and onto the floor. They do however hold the wheel true, with no play and it turns freely.

We would like to try lubing the bearings with an NLGI 00 grease, with good AW properties and synthetic is preferred. Plenty of greases are available Lubriplate SFL, Amsiol Semi-Fluid 00 Synthetic EP Grease (GSF), Castrol SHL, etc. the problem is I con only find them in large quantities. Is there an NLGI 00 grease that can be purchased in small quantities like a pound or two?

 

[Tempest]

Many engine assembly lubes are a 0 grease. You may want to buy some and see if it might work for you.

 

[MolaKule]

Also consider a 50/60 weight engine oil.

 

[Neil Womack]

I used to work on some old steam powered pumps that used an oil drip cup with a sight glass. We used straight 30 wt. non-detergent oil. And as I recall the drip cup was topped up from half every four hours. Usually using 1 oz per hour of operation.

What weight oil does your friend use?

 

[sweezy722]

I have seen babbit bearings on large debarkers. They all used alimites and grease. You may want to try that.

00 grease is used in the rear end of snapper lawn mowers - riding. If there is a small engine dealer near you that would be a place to start.

 

[lame_penguin]

I think I'd try an aerosol chain lube, it should stay in there well. Just check and be sure the bearing is running cool- if it is, you're in.

lp

 

[bruce381]

A industial non sulfur non gear oil, iso 220 or 320 oil would work better than a 30wt but if not avalible use a 50 or 60 straight wt motor oil or as posted above a #000 grease will work also.
bruce

 

[Bighank]

We use Lubriplate 630 on our hydraulic pumps. They look like
a large motor with a large crank and pistons. the have
babbitt bearings. they have been constant use since 1930.
They still have all there original parts, except the
packing.

 

[Howard]

We have a hay rake with babbitt bearings and all we use is standard moly grease that we use in everything else. Seems to work fine, no problems with it yet.

 

[rclint]

I have seen a few lathes etc that people thought using grease in the place of oil was a good idea... a few years later (it does not matter how much use) and the grease dries rock hard, you can not dissolve it, and you will need to replace the bearings because you can not get oil in it, and the oil you do get in does not get to the bearings as the grease has closed off the path. Also this type of system is a total loss system, which is what it supposed to do, it does not need to be full of oil to work, only an oil film...it's agood thing in that any contamination is "lost". My lathe is setup like this as well, the oil will run out in as little as 15 minutes, however the precision Timken bearings ( $$$$) only need a film of oil. This is one situation where you really need to use what is called for, it's your choice, but replacing babitt bearings will not be something you will enjoy, chance is the machine will be junked for one of the even junkier china units...

I'm glad you asked before you decided to use grease, research some machinery forums (lathe, mill etc) before you do it if need to, but please, please do research before you grease her up. What's even worse than that some very fine mills came with what appears to be grease fittings, they are oil zerks but for oil, and many people grease them out of pure ignorance (meaning really not knowing any better).

 

[robjohn]

You might want to replace the cups with drip oilers so you can regulate the oil flow. They can be bought at good industrial supply houses like McMaster-Carr.com. Any clean oil is OK. If you decide to use grease try to find a hard oil cup grease. It is soap based and does not soften and run out with heat. Babbit doesn't like the modern lithium grease. Don't know anyone that offers it now except N.O.S. from an old Texaco dealer(Regal Starfak) or ebay.