Grease for Tool Room Machines

[AMCTony]

Has anyone used Moly grease on their tool room machines? Is this a good or bad idea?

[Geof]

Originally Posted by AMCTony Has anyone used Moly grease on their tool room machines? Is this a good or bad idea?

The Haas manual says use a general purpose lithium grease.

[Donkey Hotey]

Boy, that stuff would make an awful mess of the machine after awhile. I'd stick with the lithium grease unless there's a really good case for it. Chemically speaking, I don't know if the sulfur in the grease is good to have being pumped around with your coolant.

Why are you thinking of switching?

[AMCTony]

I just had a tube of the moly stuff here so I was curious. I have another tube here that is Valvoline Cerulean. The tube says that it is a premium multipurpose lithium complex grease for heavy loads. Should I just go get a tube of the white lithium grease or do you guys think that this stuff is fine since it says lithium on it?

[tobyaxis]

Originally Posted by Geof The Haas manual says use a general purpose lithium grease.

Geof,

Will the Sulfur cause increased corrosion?????

[Geof]

Originally Posted by tobyaxis Geof, Will the Sulfur cause increased corrosion?????

What sulfur?

General purpose lithium grease does not contain sulfur.

High temperature extreme pressure grease will probably contain sulfur in the form of calcium sulfonate. I have no idea whether these greases would cause problems on ball screws or linear guides but they are not needed because neither of these are high temperature extreme pressure environments.

Stick with the recommended general purpose lithium grease.

[tobyaxis]

I asked because Greg mentioned Sulfur in his Post. I have heard that Sulfur causes increased or rapid corrosion when mixed with water.

"Chemically speaking, I don't know if the sulfur in the grease is good to have being pumped around with your coolant"

[Geof]

Originally Posted by tobyaxis I asked because Greg mentioned Sulfur in his Post. I have heard that Sulfur causes increased or rapid corrosion when mixed with water. "Chemically speaking, I don't know if the sulfur in the grease is good to have being pumped around with your coolant"

Ah, hadn't noticed that.

Yes sulfur compounds in coolant are what the nasty smelly bugs live on when things get anaerobic, and the sulfur compounds come from the lubricants. I do not know for sure but I would not be surprised if some of the additives in way oil contain small amounts of sulfur.

You have heard more or less correct, it is not sulfur itself but sulfur compounds that can cause corrosion and etching. Many of these compounds react with water to form acids; that is what acid rain is, sulfur dioxide from the combustion of coal and fuel oil forming sulfuric acid by reactio with water and atmospheric oxygen.

[Donkey Hotey]

I mentioned sulfur because he said 'moly grease.' That generally means Molybdenum Disulfide chassis grease. I used to use that stuff on everything on my motorcycles. I discovered that the combination of washing the bike, constant agitation by rotating bearings and heat, were a lethal combination. It literally pitted the balls and the races and destroyed the bearings. When I washed them out, the cages & balls were all deeply pitted and rusty (under a full pack of grease).

I don't think the ball screws would be much different than those roller bearings on my motorcycle.

[tobyaxis]

Hey look we stayed On Topic!!

Thank you both for your wisdom and answers.

AMCTony thanks for this thread.

Cheers!!!

[AMCTony]

Thanks for the info guys, it is greatly appreciated. I will just go get some of the general purpose white lithium grease and use the other stuff for exactly that,... other.

[tobyaxis]

Originally Posted by AMCTony Thanks for the info guys, it is greatly appreciated. I will just go get some of the general purpose white lithium grease and use the other stuff for exactly that,... other.

Well said