Specific grease / lubrication for VCR - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

cjacek2000 · 18th Dec 2018, 3:06 am

Hi,
Does anyone know of an ideal grease to use on the metal-on-metal tape guide mechanism tracks for a late 80's JVC VCR and also for the plastic-on-plastic and plastic-on-metal parts (gears, idlers etc..)? I see that the JVC uses some kind of a dark (black?) and a rather thin grease on all of these parts. I downloaded the service manual (JVC HR-S5500) but see no mention of any specific grease used. I don't want to use inappropriate grease or something which will cake up or destroy plastics or would inadvertently mix different kind of greases should I not be able to clean up the old grease totally. Any chemically similar grease that you could recommend? Thanks in advance.

cjacek2000 · 18th Dec 2018, 8:53 am

Slight correction: The grease / lubricant is more like a dark grayish color.

dj_fivos_sak · 18th Dec 2018, 2:05 pm

Molykote grease is a good one. It is yellow/white. Black factory grease dries up after all these years.

Fivos

birksholt · 19th Dec 2018, 12:03 pm

Silicone grease is generally safe on plastics and metal. I have used in vcrs on both and had no problems.

cjacek2000 · 19th Dec 2018, 12:38 pm

Thanks very much fellas. I've been eyeing something called Super Lube 21030 Synthetic Grease. It doesn't have silicon but does have Teflon. Any thoughts on this?

birksholt · 19th Dec 2018, 2:53 pm

Teflon should be OK I think although I haven't used it personally

flyingtech55 · 19th Dec 2018, 9:09 pm

I used to work for Seagate repairing DAT data drives. These are like tiny VCR decks. We were issued with white lithium grease for lubricating the decks. I still have some and use it for lubricating any VCR decks I am asked to service (rarely).

HTH

TimR

cjacek2000 · 20th Dec 2018, 5:05 am

Thanks again but a quick follow up to a couple of the suggestions above and a slight branching off from my original topic...
I've been researching this a bit and found that there's opposing suggestions as to a "plastic safe" lubricant. For example many say that silicone is indeed safe on plastics and even rubber but, on the other hand, it's also recommended to use white lithium grease (on plastic gears etc...). But then I read that mineral oil / petroleum based products (such as lithium white grease) can be damaging to plastics. And then I read that silicone based products shouldn't be used in electronics.. I guess the question is, why are there so many products specifically targeted for plastics but tend to be petroleum based and why the opposing recommendations? I'm very confused.

cheerfulcharlie · 22nd Dec 2018, 1:37 am

As others imply don't think you will have any bother using a Lithium white grease even though it's mineral based....or silicone (although that's not a very 'clingy' grease).
Teflon oil is good for drum spindles etc but you don't get much for your buck and is usually in a pen size applicator.

However if you want to be on the safe side, look for a grease with a 'PAO' formulation..these are suppose to be tested completely inert against plastics IIRC

FrankB · 22nd Dec 2018, 1:45 am

Lithium grease will work, but can harden after a number of years.
I found Texaco Texclad 3 grease to be ideal, since VCR grease is NLA here.
Its 33% graphite, and never hardens. Originally designed for open gear trains.
Miserable stuff to get off your clothing & hands though. But does a killer job.
Doesn't seem to run or creep either.
Have had 100% success with it on VCR's, tape decks & turntables over the last 20+ yrs.

cjacek2000 · 22nd Dec 2018, 2:29 am

I think I'll try the Molykote grease. I found some on eBay (and amazon), tiny jars, not expensive, PAO based (as suggested), #1 consistency (soft), no silicone, no mineral oil, no petroleum and has some Teflon in there too. Looks like a winner. Can be used for plastics and metal. The Molykote plus the Electrolube for plastics seem to have similar tech specs based on their data sheets. Both PAO based. Thanks again for all your replies.

emeritus · 22nd Dec 2018, 11:24 am

I guess it depends on the type of plastic. The recommended lubricants for my 1970's Philips cassette deck are an ordinary lithium-based automotive bearing grease and ordinary W20-50 engine oil, and the white plastic gears are still OK.

cjacek2000 · 22nd Dec 2018, 11:33 am

Yeah, no doubt I also see some, what looks like white lithium grease, in some of my decks, on the plastic parts, gears etc.. as you suggest, and it seems fine, no issues with my 20 or 30 year old equipment. But still I like to look at the actual chemicals used in their data sheets 'cause sometimes something that looks like plain white lithium grease may have different ingredients, which are different from product to product and still they look the same.. Kinda like it says "yogurt" in store but still I like to read the ingredient list anyway, which may vary from product to product.

Plus I'm kinda OCD about it and would like to be 105% sure it won't harm plastics.

18th Dec 2018, 8:53 am	#2
cjacek2000 Tetrode Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: British Columbia, Canada. Posts: 54	Re: Specific grease / lubrication for VCR Slight correction: The grease / lubricant is more like a dark grayish color.

18th Dec 2018, 2:05 pm	#3
dj_fivos_sak Heptode Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Lefkada, Greece Posts: 969	Re: Specific grease / lubrication for VCR Molykote grease is a good one. It is yellow/white. Black factory grease dries up after all these years. Fivos

19th Dec 2018, 12:03 pm	#4
birksholt Pentode Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: Rotherham, South Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 108	Re: Specific grease / lubrication for VCR Silicone grease is generally safe on plastics and metal. I have used in vcrs on both and had no problems.

19th Dec 2018, 12:38 pm	#5
cjacek2000 Tetrode Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: British Columbia, Canada. Posts: 54	Re: Specific grease / lubrication for VCR Thanks very much fellas. I've been eyeing something called Super Lube 21030 Synthetic Grease. It doesn't have silicon but does have Teflon. Any thoughts on this?

19th Dec 2018, 2:53 pm	#6
birksholt Pentode Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: Rotherham, South Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 108	Re: Specific grease / lubrication for VCR Teflon should be OK I think although I haven't used it personally

18th Dec 2018, 3:06 am	#1
cjacek2000 Tetrode Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: British Columbia, Canada. Posts: 54	Specific grease / lubrication for VCR Hi, Does anyone know of an ideal grease to use on the metal-on-metal tape guide mechanism tracks for a late 80's JVC VCR and also for the plastic-on-plastic and plastic-on-metal parts (gears, idlers etc..)? I see that the JVC uses some kind of a dark (black?) and a rather thin grease on all of these parts. I downloaded the service manual (JVC HR-S5500) but see no mention of any specific grease used. I don't want to use inappropriate grease or something which will cake up or destroy plastics or would inadvertently mix different kind of greases should I not be able to clean up the old grease totally. Any chemically similar grease that you could recommend? Thanks in advance.

19th Dec 2018, 9:09 pm	#7
flyingtech55 Octode Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Ayrshire, UK. Posts: 1,096	Re: Specific grease / lubrication for VCR I used to work for Seagate repairing DAT data drives. These are like tiny VCR decks. We were issued with white lithium grease for lubricating the decks. I still have some and use it for lubricating any VCR decks I am asked to service (rarely). HTH TimR __________________ All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain.

20th Dec 2018, 5:05 am	#8
cjacek2000 Tetrode Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: British Columbia, Canada. Posts: 54	Re: Specific grease / lubrication for VCR Thanks again but a quick follow up to a couple of the suggestions above and a slight branching off from my original topic... I've been researching this a bit and found that there's opposing suggestions as to a "plastic safe" lubricant. For example many say that silicone is indeed safe on plastics and even rubber but, on the other hand, it's also recommended to use white lithium grease (on plastic gears etc...). But then I read that mineral oil / petroleum based products (such as lithium white grease) can be damaging to plastics. And then I read that silicone based products shouldn't be used in electronics.. I guess the question is, why are there so many products specifically targeted for plastics but tend to be petroleum based and why the opposing recommendations? I'm very confused.

22nd Dec 2018, 1:37 am	#9
cheerfulcharlie Heptode Join Date: May 2009 Location: Birmingham, West Midlands, UK. Posts: 708	Re: Specific grease / lubrication for VCR As others imply don't think you will have any bother using a Lithium white grease even though it's mineral based....or silicone (although that's not a very 'clingy' grease). Teflon oil is good for drum spindles etc but you don't get much for your buck and is usually in a pen size applicator. However if you want to be on the safe side, look for a grease with a 'PAO' formulation..these are suppose to be tested completely inert against plastics IIRC Last edited by cheerfulcharlie; 22nd Dec 2018 at 1:46 am.

22nd Dec 2018, 1:45 am	#10
FrankB Heptode Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Olympia, Washington, USA. Posts: 664	Re: Specific grease / lubrication for VCR Lithium grease will work, but can harden after a number of years. I found Texaco Texclad 3 grease to be ideal, since VCR grease is NLA here. Its 33% graphite, and never hardens. Originally designed for open gear trains. Miserable stuff to get off your clothing & hands though. But does a killer job. Doesn't seem to run or creep either. Have had 100% success with it on VCR's, tape decks & turntables over the last 20+ yrs.

22nd Dec 2018, 2:29 am	#11
cjacek2000 Tetrode Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: British Columbia, Canada. Posts: 54	Re: Specific grease / lubrication for VCR I think I'll try the Molykote grease. I found some on eBay (and amazon), tiny jars, not expensive, PAO based (as suggested), #1 consistency (soft), no silicone, no mineral oil, no petroleum and has some Teflon in there too. Looks like a winner. Can be used for plastics and metal. The Molykote plus the Electrolube for plastics seem to have similar tech specs based on their data sheets. Both PAO based. Thanks again for all your replies.

22nd Dec 2018, 11:24 am	#12
emeritus Dekatron Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Brentwood, Essex, UK. Posts: 5,337	Re: Specific grease / lubrication for VCR I guess it depends on the type of plastic. The recommended lubricants for my 1970's Philips cassette deck are an ordinary lithium-based automotive bearing grease and ordinary W20-50 engine oil, and the white plastic gears are still OK.

22nd Dec 2018, 11:33 am	#13
cjacek2000 Tetrode Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: British Columbia, Canada. Posts: 54	Re: Specific grease / lubrication for VCR Yeah, no doubt I also see some, what looks like white lithium grease, in some of my decks, on the plastic parts, gears etc.. as you suggest, and it seems fine, no issues with my 20 or 30 year old equipment. But still I like to look at the actual chemicals used in their data sheets 'cause sometimes something that looks like plain white lithium grease may have different ingredients, which are different from product to product and still they look the same.. Kinda like it says "yogurt" in store but still I like to read the ingredient list anyway, which may vary from product to product. Plus I'm kinda OCD about it and would like to be 105% sure it won't harm plastics.