HP-46 printer grease

[Duane Hess]

Have an HP-46 printer where only the drum would rotate. Print functions create the solid LED wait light of the exact duration expected for the function to complete (compared to a working 46).

Noticed the printer made a nearly inaudible "tink". Upon examination saw the grease was so dried nothing moves. The "tink" was the selenoids activating but not being able to move the pertinent parts. The grease is literally very dried out (hardly moves) and in some places completely dry (totally stuck).

After loosening things up a paperfeed immediately tore up the idler gear. No biggie; it was more brown than yellow and previous posts show how to recreate the gear.

My question is what grease to use after cleaning up the gummy/frozen parts? By brand name preferably, i.e. so I know what to buy. Does it make any difference what grease to use?

The existing grease is a blue/green looking stuff. Those of us with cars old enough where you pack the front bearings, it looks much like that grease; other than being dried up.

I have used "Super Lube" on other projects . The label describes it as "a synthetic multi-purpose grease with syncolon(r) (PTFE)". It is also a di-electric. Happen to have it from years ago where a grease non-caustic to metal & plastic was needed.

Any ideas? Does it make much difference as long as its grease and thin enough to apply? Axle grease, silicone grease, molybdenum disulfide grease, lithium grease, "gee, so board you have to worry about it?"..... ignore the last one.

Personally find nothing wrong with the grease I have, just wondered what other people have used.

thanks

[Hans Brueggemann]

i've tried both Molykote and PTFE on multiple HP82143, over 10 years ago. both lubricants haven't "dried up" so far, and printers still working as smooth and silent as on day one. today, i use solely PTFE based "grease", simply because of it being white and not as "ugly" as Molykote. i can't report any interaction with the printer's plastics after that time, so for me the PTFE is way to go.
i also have many refurbished HP-41C card readers. treat their worm gears with just a tiny drop of PTFE and they purr away like a charm. just make sure to thoroughly clean all working parts from previous lubricants before applying the PTFE.

[rprosperi]

(02-28-2017 10:58 PM)Hans Brueggemann Wrote:  i've tried both Molykote and PTFE on multiple HP82143, over 10 years ago. both lubricants haven't "dried up" so far, and printers still working as smooth and silent as on day one. today, i use solely PTFE based "grease", simply because of it being white and not as "ugly" as Molykote. i can't report any interaction with the printer's plastics after that time, so for me the PTFE is way to go.
i also have many refurbished HP-41C card readers. treat their worm gears with just a tiny drop of PTFE and they purr away like a charm. just make sure to thoroughly clean all working parts from previous lubricants before applying the PTFE.

Hans, can you recommend a specific product or source for the PTFE lubricant you prefer, there seem to be hundreds? Thanks.

[Hans Brueggemann]

bob,
the PTFE/Silicone lubricant is of the german ÄRONIX brand.
Duane's Super Lube Syncolon suggestion should be pretty much the same. do NOT use it on natural rubber, though.

see the "dirt factor" of the MoS2 based lubricant compared to PTFE below. that stuff also tends to irreversibly colorize white plastic parts (aka pinch rollers...)

[rprosperi]

(03-01-2017 04:29 PM)Hans Brueggemann Wrote:  the PTFE/Silicone lubricant is of the german ÄRONIX brand.
Duane's Super Lube Syncolon suggestion should be pretty much the same. do NOT use it on natural rubber, though.

Thank you both, I missed the reference in Duane's comments.

[eried]

I personally like Tamiya greases (I like that they have few clearly purpose labelled products instead of having to choose millions of different part numbers), they are cheap and I use them in all my assemblies (plastic 3d printed parts, gears, etc). Depending on the conditions you can choose:

-Tamiya Cera Grease (plastic to plastic)
-Tamiya Molybdenum Grease (metal to plastic)
-Tamiya anti-wear (dense... metal to metal or similar)

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40...e&_sacat=0