The Downsides Of Incompatible Greases



Recently, I have come across a plethora of questions regarding grease. Generally, the theme of most of them is, “why can I not use synthetic grease from the local parts store in my aircraft?”

Today, synthetic lubricants are one of the present ‘buzz’ or ‘now’ words. If a lubricant has the word ‘synthetic’ with it, people expect it to last forever, lubricating anything and everything presented to it.

While synthetic-based oils provide certain advantages, especially in extreme low or high temperatures, they aren’t the cure-all, end-all that people are hoping for.

Basically, grease isn’t a thick oil. It’s regular oil base stocks that are thickened using chemicals.

The thickening agent varies based on base oil and usage. This is crucial to this question because not every thickening agent is compatible.

If you buy a grease that isn’t compatible with the grease already in the bearing, you can end up with a soup-like substance that will leak out of the seals, exposing the bearings.

One of our clients said he planned to clean the bearings and start with all new grease. While this limits the compatibility problem now, what will happen when he puts the aircraft for sale a few years down the line? Will the new owner have a failure after he tries to revert back to the proper grease?

This is why it is important for pilots to do their homework when purchasing a used aircraft. It is recommended that they always check the maintenance records to ensure that the previous owner properly lubricated the aircraft at the appropriate intervals, using the recommended spec grease. If not, you may have to start over with the correct product after thoroughly cleaning the bearings.

The seal compatibility is another major problem with non-aviation lubricants. Numerous synthetic greases will shrink seals that are meant for only mineral oils. This shrinkage can allow dirt and water to enter the bearing area, grease to leak out, and substantially reduce the life of the bearing.

The centrifugal force is the third major problem, especially with synthetic greases.

Several years ago, a major company wanted to change the spec for the grease used in its props. Traditionally, the company has utilized a grease-like Aeroshell grease 5 in the props. However, this product was based on thick mineral oil and was a bit stiff for certain lubricant applications, especially at high altitudes.

The company tried numerous synthetic products, but each of them seemed to have a problem. That is because synthetic base oils are excellent lubricants, but average solvents. Under high centrifugal forces, this led to the thickeners being separated from the base stocks. The thin base oils leaked all over the exterior of the prop after the thickeners plugged it up.

The bottom line? In an aircraft, there are a ton of technical reasons why you need to stick to only those products that qualify for your application.

While we’re all aware that general-purpose greases seem to meet the same specs as the mil-spec for products that qualify for your aircraft, but many differences can make a substantial difference in the safety and performance of your aircraft.

Are you looking to buy grease, grease case, or mil PRF 23827 grease? Give ACI-LubeCo a call

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