Is the "liquid grease" and "semi-fluid chassis lubricant" specified in the service manuals for antique cars just basically old terms for the soft chassis lube that we use today?
In the lubrication charts for my '31 Buick and '36 Plymouth), these terms are indicated for steering knuckles, tie rod ends, king pin bushings, etc.
Maybe this is a dumb question, but I would like to confirm this or be corrected reliably.
Thanks.
All the terms in those old manuals are extinct. Just lube the knuckles with modern cartridge grease, I use MolySlip high temp. in a hand grease gun. Use modern bearing packing grease in the wheels, again I use MolySlip canned grease for dropping the whole bearing in and force lubing the races. The manual trannies use SAE 90 transmission 'oil' and again I add a friction additive, MolySlip G (G for gearbox). I filled the steering box with MolySlip G. The rear ends use modern hypoid diff. fluid same as modern cars and I add MolySlip G to that also. I believe MolySlip in the US is called Mr. Moly. I use any modern SAE 10-30 oil in the engine, I think the API code is now SL, and I add Prolong to that for a friction additive although all engine oils in Canada now say they have a friction reducing additive anyways.
Dear Mike,
be sure to check oils and lubricants for additives which my hurt bronze, copper and other nonferrous metals found in Your gear box and above all in the differential. Modern Engine oils may have additives keeping dirt in circulation, thus stringently needing a full stream oil filter. Also, a newly rebuilt , clean engine may need another oil less additives than a dirty one.
Castrol has good choice since shortly of Oldtimer oils.
Millers Oils is a fine choice: Be sure to check their site http://www.millersoils.net These oils in part are even less expensive than modern ones, but You must carry a supply with You, as You don?t get them at common Gas Stations or super markets.
This year we had several articles in oldie magazines saying that a lot of old engines and gears are killed by modern and unsuited oils.
Greetings! Go