Topic: is it o.k to mix different types of grease??

[richard head]

i am replacing my wheel bearings and wondering if it's o.k. to use synthetic grease without completely cleaning all existing grease.basically want to know if it will cause problems to combine regular wheel bearing grease and synthetic.

[DTB]

i am replacing my wheel bearings and wondering if it's o.k. to use synthetic grease without completely cleaning all existing grease.basically want to know if it will cause problems to combine regular wheel bearing grease and synthetic.

i dont see a problem with it

[brainlessfool]

i dont see a problem with it

X2

[KDXSR5]

Why not just get all the old stuff out? I have never found it difficult to do that. I would personally not mix it, but instead clean out the old stuff and put in all new stuff.

[DTB]

Why not just get all the old stuff out? I have never found it difficult to go that. I would personally not mix it, but instead clean out the old stuff and put in all new stuff.

well, ya thats what i meant too......thanks for clarifying

if you are REPLACING your wheel bearings, how do they have old grease in them? are you using used bearings?

[KDXSR5]

 

[84pickup]

i think he means in the rotor and hubs.

[KDXSR5]

Like I said, I would clean it out and replace it. I don't like having old grease with new grease. If you are going to take it apart, you might as well put new grease in. It isn't hard, grease isn't expensive, about the only reason why you would leave it in there is because you are lazy.

[84pickup]

about the only reason why you would leave it in there is because you are lazy.

That's Me!

[dt]

some grease is compatable, some is not,it should say on the can,I use slick50 grease, its marine grade,I think its silicone based,therefor displacing water and moisture and is compatable with high temperature disc brake grease and better in the rain,snow and fording small creeks

[dt]

but like the other guys mentioned,don't mix them,clean it out,force new grease through your bearings,never wash your bearings with solvents,but I have heard of people doing it with success,but your not supposed to

[KDXSR5]

Why not wash them out with solevents? That is how I learned to do it in auto shop back in the day. We used solevent, washed out the solevent with water, then blew it dry with an air nozzle. I personally use whatever brake cleaner I have laying around. My dad made one of the fancy stands that you put the bearing in, hook up a grease gun, and just pump away until all the old stuff is out. It is nifty, but I don't like it because it doesn't allow me to inspect the bearings.

[84pickup]

all i've done is clean my bearings out with solvent. although i've only cleaned them out with waterbased solvents. i just let them sit and dry out and then grease em up and put em in. i use amsoil high temp HD grease. it seems to hold up well even when my oil seals leak.

[DTB]

then blew it dry with an air nozzle.

make sure you use a low pressure air nozzle (under 30psi) or hold it further away...use care not to spin the bearing.....believe it or not this can be dangerous when the bearing explodes in your hand or u get a nice piece of debris lodged in your eye

[KDXSR5]

I know, the teacher told us to either let it air dry or use a low pressure nozzle, and not spin the bearings. A kid spun the bearings a few years before I took the class, and he had to go to ER because of all the damage it did to him.

[DTB]

I know, the teacher told us to either let it air dry or use a low pressure nozzle, and not spin the bearings. A kid spun the bearings a few years before I took the class, and he had to go to ER because of all the damage it did to him.

, i've done it myself before i knew this could happen!

it's really pretty exciting to watch the roller spin at 5 bazillion RPM's but you have to RESIST THE TEMPTATION!!!!!!

[dt]

solvents leave microscopic remains,if you force new grease through you don't have remains,in theory,you don't have to "clean them"just force new grease through them,Ive never heard of anyone having problems washing them out,but thats the way I learned,I have a stand for greasing my bearrings,but I use the palm of my hand

[RN37DD]

i must admit that that the tech training I've had over the years supports the don't use solvents to clean bearings. but having said that i have watched a ton of people clean them with solvents.
it's a quick way to clean old dirty bearings. but if i had bearing with just old clean grease, I'd just repack them with new grease. my 

[toyotanner]

i always just wipe the bearing clean with a rag and pump the new grease through and the old grease will come out and you just wipe the old grease off.