variable capacitor grease?

[Steve]

Howdy Folks,
This has come up a number of times on different projects.
While tuning a radio (in this case an SP-600), the variable
capacitor 'cuts out' because of corrosion between the rotor
and fixed contact. In many higher end radios I've seen
some sort of white grease which has long since dried out.
Does anyone know what type of grease this is (for certain)?
Years ago I heard it was lithium grease but before I use
this I'd like to be sure. Don't want to make the problem worse
by using the wrong stuff.
Steve

[philo]

Post by Steve
Howdy Folks,
This has come up a number of times on different projects.
While tuning a radio (in this case an SP-600), the variable
capacitor 'cuts out' because of corrosion between the rotor
and fixed contact. In many higher end radios I've seen
some sort of white grease which has long since dried out.
Does anyone know what type of grease this is (for certain)?
Years ago I heard it was lithium grease but before I use
this I'd like to be sure. Don't want to make the problem worse
by using the wrong stuff.
Steve

yep

the white grease is usually lithium grease

you can get it at any h/w store

[Pete Bertini]

I use a small tube of GC Lubriplate.

Pete

[William Sommerwerck]

Does anyone make relatively stable capacitor grease?

[Bill M]

Post by William Sommerwerck
Does anyone make relatively stable capacitor grease?

I often use Nyogel. Thats what they use on camera lens and some
turntable applications. I like the damping effect that it gives.

Given those applications I would think that its relatively stable.

Its also pricey but a little dab'll do ya.

-Bill

[p***@aol.com]

Post by William Sommerwerck
Does anyone make relatively stable capacitor grease?

I use a high-tack motor lubricant for the hobby industry - it is meant
to be sprayed inside electric car motors and not pick up or hold dust
or dirt, nor interfere with the brushes. Works nicely and doesn't
drip. Runs about $11/small can - I have the same can I purchased for
the purpose about 8 years ago.

Peter Wieck
Melrose Park, PA

[D. Peter Maus]

Post by p***@aol.com

Post by William Sommerwerck
Does anyone make relatively stable capacitor grease?

I use a high-tack motor lubricant for the hobby industry - it is meant
to be sprayed inside electric car motors and not pick up or hold dust
or dirt, nor interfere with the brushes. Works nicely and doesn't
drip. Runs about $11/small can - I have the same can I purchased for
the purpose about 8 years ago.
Peter Wieck
Melrose Park, PA

This sounds like a solution I've been looking for. Do you have
specifics on this product?


p

[radio guy]

Post by p***@aol.com

Post by William Sommerwerck
Does anyone make relatively stable capacitor grease?

I use a high-tack motor lubricant for the hobby industry - it is meant
to be sprayed inside electric car motors and not pick up or hold dust
or dirt, nor interfere with the brushes. Works nicely and doesn't
drip. Runs about $11/small can - I have the same can I purchased for
the purpose about 8 years ago.
Peter Wieck
Melrose Park, PA

  This sounds like a solution I've been looking for. Do you have
specifics on this product?
   p

As others have said grease is not needed here, electrical contact is.
Clean out all the old grease with Acetone and then give it a shot of
DeOxit. These are the brass spring contacts in the middle of the
tuning cap right?

[Richard Knoppow]

Post by Steve
Howdy Folks,
This has come up a number of times on different projects.
While tuning a radio (in this case an SP-600), the
variable
capacitor 'cuts out' because of corrosion between the
rotor
and fixed contact. In many higher end radios I've seen
some sort of white grease which has long since dried out.
Does anyone know what type of grease this is (for
certain)?
Years ago I heard it was lithium grease but before I use
this I'd like to be sure. Don't want to make the problem
worse
by using the wrong stuff.
Steve

The best stuff is Tuner-Lube originally a General
Cement product but still on the market. However, the
contacts in the SP-600-JX should not be lubricated. Reach in
and clean them with a good degreaser like lighter fluid
(naphtha) or dry isopropyl alcohol (available from computer
stores like Fry's) or both. If badly corroded try a little
Tarn-X on a cotton swab and then rinse off well. The sliding
action of the clean surfaces should prevent further
corrosion for some time.
Also check the connections of the wipers with the
frame, they shold be tight.
Also, for intermittant or noisy caps make sure there is
no dirt between the rotor and stator plates. Probably
compressed air is the best cleaner for this but spray
alcohol will remove some stuff that plain air will not.
The end bearings should be lubricated with medium
weight oil since there is not enough sliding action to
distribute grease properly.
Beware also of bent plates. The end plates of the
SP-600 cap are slotted leading some to think they should be
bent for adjusting. Not so, NEVER bend them. All the rotor
and stator plates should be straight and parallel with even
spacing. Also, the stators are fastened with three screw
clamps. I've found that sometimes the vertical alignment has
changed resulting in poor dial calibration and/or poor RF
tracking. If this is the case the cap must be removed (not
difficult but a lot of work) and the stators precisely
aligned with the rotors. If the thing is very bad it might
be worth removing the capacitor assembly and thoroughly
cleaning it.
BTW, Tuner-Lube works for the bandwidth switch. It
should be cleaned first with something like De-Oxit and then
rinsed with alcohol and given a light dose of the lube. I've
done this on a receiver with a rather worn switch that was
chronically noisy and intermittant and it has continued to
operate without becoming noisy for several months now.



--
Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles
WB6KBL
***@ix.netcom.com

[Peter Elem]

I have been using a drop of Doixit........

Post by Steve
Howdy Folks,
This has come up a number of times on different projects.
While tuning a radio (in this case an SP-600), the variable
capacitor 'cuts out' because of corrosion between the rotor
and fixed contact. In many higher end radios I've seen
some sort of white grease which has long since dried out.
Does anyone know what type of grease this is (for certain)?
Years ago I heard it was lithium grease but before I use
this I'd like to be sure. Don't want to make the problem worse
by using the wrong stuff.
Steve

[Paul_P]

After a thorough cleaning I use white High Temperature Lithium grease I
purchase to pack my 68 firebird bearings in the 70s.

The high temperature helps to keep the ball bearing, of the tuning gang
shaft, cooler when the user spins the dial from extreme to extreme. This is
especially important when there is a fly wheel weight like in the Zenith 10
s 464 chassis. And the motor driven Philco chassis. There has been too
much galling and heat damage ball bearing (seen as a bluing color on the
balls and race) with these restorations.

See for brand: Loading Image... (may not open)
or http://www.ppinyot.com/zen12S256/12-s-256.htm half way down "Lubricate
the Shutter Mechanism". Click on thumbnail pic.

Paul P.
;~p

Post by Steve
Howdy Folks,
This has come up a number of times on different projects.
While tuning a radio (in this case an SP-600), the variable
capacitor 'cuts out' because of corrosion between the rotor
and fixed contact. In many higher end radios I've seen
some sort of white grease which has long since dried out.
Does anyone know what type of grease this is (for certain)?
Years ago I heard it was lithium grease but before I use
this I'd like to be sure. Don't want to make the problem worse
by using the wrong stuff.
Steve

[radio guy]

Post by Paul_P
After a thorough cleaning I use white High Temperature Lithium grease I
purchase to pack my 68 firebird bearings in the 70s.
The high temperature helps to keep the ball bearing, of the tuning gang
shaft, cooler when the user spins the dial from extreme to extreme.  This is
especially important when there is a fly wheel weight like in the Zenith 10
s 464 chassis.  And the motor driven Philco chassis.  There has been too
much galling and heat damage ball bearing (seen as a bluing color on the
balls and race) with these restorations.
See for brand:http://www.ppinyot.com/zen12S256/IMG_2043.JPG (may not open)
orhttp://www.ppinyot.com/zen12S256/12-s-256.htmhalf way down "Lubricate
the Shutter Mechanism".  Click on thumbnail pic.
Paul P.
;~p

Post by Steve
Howdy Folks,
This has come up a number of times on different projects.
While tuning a radio (in this case an SP-600), the variable
capacitor 'cuts out' because of corrosion between the rotor
and fixed contact. In many higher end radios I've seen
some sort of white grease which has long since dried out.
Does anyone know what type of grease this is (for certain)?
Years ago I heard it was lithium grease but before I use
this I'd like to be sure. Don't want to make the problem worse
by using the wrong stuff.
                            Steve

(seen as a bluing color on the

Post by Paul_P
balls and race) with these restorations. This is joke right? How could this happen at something turning at maybe 10 rpm?

[Paul_P]

(seen as a bluing color on the

Post by Paul_P
balls and race) with these restorations. This is joke right? How could
this happen at something turning at maybe 10 rpm?

Yes. I get carried away once in a while and regress to my teen age
years.....

I used the winky eye ;~)

PP