If they use sleeve bearings, take a close look at the material.. does it have the sintered look of oil-impregnated bronze (Oilite)? Are there channels in the bearing to allow the distribution or retention of grease?
Those fans tend to run at pretty low RPM, so a very light bodied grease, like the Phil's Grease for bicycles, would be fine to use. Otherwise, you can just punt and use 20-30W motor oil. And yes, if you have a high-end synthetic like Royal Purple 10-40 that is great. The RP oil is the go-to for the guys on the antique fan site I visited when repairing my 1930s Emerson Junior table fan. The RP is really pricey, like $10/qt but a single quart will last several guys a lifetime of small lubing tasks. On Sun, Apr 17, 2016 at 5:54 PM, Noel Chiappa <[email protected]> wrote: > > From: drlegendre > > > There are so many types, sources & grades of lubricating oil out > there, > > it boggles the best of minds. > > Speaking of lubricating oils... I've recently been cleaning/etc some of > the ~4" boxer fans that the earlier PDP-11's use in large quantities. > Some of the IMC fans (sleeve bearing) in the machine didn't really want to > turn; on taking them apart, they were absolutely full of dirt, and when > cleaned, spun up nicely. > > However.. what lubricant should I use on them before putting them back > together for the long term? I assume I should use _something_? But the > machine's going to be sitting a fair amount, so I don't want something that > will dry out and/or gum up. What do people recommend? Would a 20SAE oil, as > used on small electric motors, be OK, or is that in danger of turning into > gummy stuff if left sitting for too long? Is there e.g. some silione-based > stuff which is long-term capable? > > Thanks in advance for any/all advice! > > Noel >
