baby lincoln grease/lubrication

[tohbi]

i've purchased a 1949 baby lincoln. if anyone has an owner's manual, i believe there is a chart listing the lubrication points. seems like there are 25-30 zerks on this car.  can you post it so i can copy? thx..

[vermontboy]

You might want to consider purchasing a shop manual. They are readily available and not that expensive. It's cost will be saved many times over the first few repairs in both time saved and sometimes parts saved from damage. 

[GARY F]

you cant beat the book

[John_Mc]

Hi, please also consider joining the LCOC, the Lincoln and Continental Owner's Club.

www.lcoc.org.

[tohbi]

i might do that, john, when i get her finished. right now, i just want to grease the car but can't remember all the lube points since i last did one of these 25 years ago.  

 

and look into a shop manual but i recall the owners manual had a chart of lube points.

Edited March 15, 2018 by tohbi
addition (see edit history)

[Rusty_OToole]

Look for a grease fitting anywhere there is movement or a bearing. Not only on the front end, universal joints can have them, I have seen them on the rear axle at the ends (axle bearings). Could be one on the water pump. Look around, you will find them.

[Grimy]

3 minutes ago, Rusty_OToole said:

Could be one on the water pump.

Dear Lord, do NOT put a grease gun on any water pump fitting or you'll blow the seals!  Substitute a grease cup to be turned down periodically.  And water pumps require a calcium-based grease, not chassis lube.

[pmhowe]

Grimy, I have owned several cars that came with Zerk grease fittings on the water pump.  I think the owner’s manuals usually had an admonition; “Don’t over-grease”.  I’m guessing that a proper approach would be to give a single shot of water pump grease at the recommended interval, using a hand-operated grease gun. Do most people replace the Zerk fittings with a grease cup?

 

[Grimy]

pmhowe, I'm glad you're asking, because my answer was too short.  First, 70 or more years ago there were multiple types of "grease" for various applications including chassis grease, wheel bearing grease, cup grease (for grease cups), and--of course--water pump grease.  And in the 1920s and earlier, there was "liquid grease" which was 600-W gear oil.  There were also various types of unusual-today grease dispensers, some of which delivered a very small quantity at relatively low pressure.  A typical lever-action (chassis) grease gun delivers product at about 3,000 psi. The dedicated water pump grease gun had a short tube (perhaps 5 inches long, maybe 1.5 inches diameter) with a T-handle that would be turned about 90 degrees to dispense a very small dollop of water pump grease.  I don't think I have one of those any longer, so I can't provide a picture.  Today we are accustomed to a single "multi-purpose" grease for chassis and wheel bearings and u-joints, but if you have ball-bearing front wheel bearings (vs. tapered roller bearings) as did my 1939 Cad (see below), I recommend the much thicker/stringier wheel bearing grease sold by Model A Ford suppliers.

 

1937-48 Cadillac V8s had a grease fitting on their water pumps, and I had a 1939 Cadillac 75 for 42 years, which is now in the hands of the perfect Next Custodian, o good friend and neighbor.  In the Cadillac Club I saw many owners replacing or rebuilding their water pumps because they used lever-action grease guns on that fitting.  In Cad circles, many would replace their water pump fitting with a turn-down grease cup for use but replace the fitting only for judging.

 

It's essential to use water pump grease, available from Restoration Supply  www.restostuff.com or I think (search the forums) NGLI #2 calcium grease is also water-soluble, whereas chassis grease is not.  A one-pound can will last you and a friend most of a lifetime:  like Brylcreem, "a little dab will do ya."

 

Non-water-soluble chassis grease in a water pump will eventually result in clogged radiator tubes, and inhibits heat transfer by coating the block.  If you find "sludge" in your radiator top tank, that's where it came from.  Hope the above helps.

[tohbi]

grimy, you must be the national expert on grease [hence the moniker?]. i only knew of car grease and boat trailer grease. i don't think the lincoln needs water pumps serviced. 

 

actually, this is my second '49 lincoln. the first is now a parts car that i "got for a song." really. back in my salad days i was an artist and [bad] poet. i met a fellow who owned a music publishing business in hollywood. sunset strip, penthouse, impressive for a country boy. anyway, he set poet lyrics to music, had it recorded a couple times and decided he wanted to own the whole thing, music and lyrics, so we traded the song for his lincoln. it had 54000 miles and a plaque that read "participant pikes peak hillclimb." this was in the seventies.

 

it came with the owners manual containing a lube chart but ive misplaced it.

[Grimy]

tohbi, that's a great story about getting a Lincoln "for a song"--literally!  I've always admired the 1949-51 Lincolns with the big 337 cid engine but never had one.

 

My moniker comes from a mod to my unusual (family) middle name coupled with my spending a lot of time on old iron, and friends had that moniker engraved on my Army organizational mug almost 50 years ago.  Thanks for the kind words about my greasy knowledge :-) but I've found it necessary to see what certain terms meant at the time a particular car was built.  For example, Pierces 1925-28 have zerks (new at the time) on the steering box fill, but chassis grease will destroy the gear in short order and a lever-action gun will blow the seals. Each car came with a pistol grip "grease compressor" which when pushed dispensed a small short of 600W gear oil--and that was also used on chassis fittings [but I use modern chassis grease on the latter].  And usually Pierce referred to 600-W as "Special Compound" -- where the heck do you get THAT?  So some research is in order, best done thru a club specializing in the particular marque and model year range.

 

Strongly suggest you track down a factory shop manual, either original or reprint.  Not only will it answer a lot of yet-to-be-asked questions AND will have the lube chart, but such manuals usually show what types of lube equipment in use at the time the car was built.

 

I've had my pre-war cars' (all but the 1918) grease-cup pumps rebuilt with modern materials (sealed bearings replacing bushings + modern lip seals) so that there is no more packing and the grease cups are only decorative.  And the Jeepster has a modern sealed bearing pump from the factory.  But in all my cars I use Pencool coolant additive, a big rig product, Pencool 2000 if you have no anti-freeze or Pencool 3000 if you use any amount of anti-freeze.  Initial dosage is 1 oz per quart of cooling system capacity.  It's hard to find in stores, but Amazon has best price, and I find the half-gallon (64 oz) jug the most convenient.  Anti-freeze (use only green ethylene glycol [EG]) retains its freeze protection indefinitely, but its anti-corrosion and water pump lube properties disappear with time (2-3 years).  I have no connection with Pencool other than as a happy customer, but have discussed which product to use with their chemist.  My top-off gallon jugs have 4 oz Pencool before adding water, so this substitutes for the "make-up dose" on the label.  In the 10-15 years I've been using this product, my cooling systems remain clear and clean.

 

Please post some photos of your car!

 

VBR, George AKA Grimy

[tohbi]

thx for the info grimy. i'm going to pickup a manual. how do you feel about synthetic oil in this car, trans, diff and engine?

[Grimy]

tohbi, there are weekly discussions, sometimes heated, on this forum about suitable motor oils for our old iron.  I use Shell Rotella T 15W-40 oil in all my fleet for the following reasons, with which some will not agree:

1.  Multigrade for fast flow on cold starts when wear is greatest.

2. Diesel cross-over oil (also approved by API [American Petroleum Institute] for gasoline engines has more zinc and phosphorus than gasoline-only oils, not THAT important unless you're working the engine really hard. Rotella has a bit more than Chevron Delo.

3. Synthetic may leak more than dino oil if you still have original type seals, AND the cost:  I change my oil every 12-15 months, usually at the end of the touring season, irrespective of mileage, because oil filters don't remove liquid contaminants like water and acid.  By changing the oil more frequently--and always do it HOT after a 45-minute run and let it drain for 30 minutes, you get rid of the liquid contaminants.  I agree that synthetic affords incrementally better lubrication, but it gets pricey if you change it as frequently as I do.  And today's oil is infinitely better than what was available almost 70 years ago.

[Grimy]

tohbi, my comments above are limited to engine oil and I didn't answer your question about transmission and differential oil.

 

For the diff, use GL-4 gear oil (O'Reilly carries it) which is for Extreme Pressure (EP), not the usually-found GL-5 (for limited slip but not as friendly to yellow-metal components which you should assume for now that you have).  Your choice of weight, 90 or 140, or make a half-and-half mixture of the same brand and type.

 

Transmission:  This assumes you have stick (and hopefully overdrive) rather than Hydramatic.  I use GL-1 (straight mineral oil, not EP) in transmissions and overdrives.  Sulfur in GL-4 and especially in GL-5 (you can smell it in the product) is not friendly to yellow metal (brass and bronze) such as synchronizers.  My Jeepster owner's manual (it too has Borg-Warner OD) is explicit to use "straight mineral oil" (i.e., GL-1) in the trans and OD, but EP oil (i.e., GL-4) in the differential.  I know a lot of people who have run GL-4 in trannies and ODs for years with no apparent ill effects--even me, years ago, but I feel safer with the right product.  You may have to special order GL-1.

[tohbi]

grimy, i should pay you for this primer. anyone try the hemmings synthetics?

[Rusty_OToole]

Have heard of using outboard motor lower end grease when water pump grease is not available, thoughts?

[pmhowe]

I hesitated making my post on this thread, as I thought I might hijack the thread. It appears that has happened. Tohbi, your’s is a neat thread, and it deserves to stand alone. I apologize.

 

Is there a way to move all the posts regarding grease, starting from mine and following, to a new thread? Perhaps “Water pump grease issues”. Moderators, can you help? 

 

I’d like to read more about the baby Lincoln – a lovely car -  and I would like to explore the grease issues, as a function of car manufacture data.

 

Phil

[Terry Bond]

When I first spotted the title I thought you'd be talking about Model T Fords!   There was a dress-up kit available in the 20s that could be installed on a Model T to make it a "baby Lincoln."  There was a set of disc wheels with special hubcaps, drum shaped headlamps, and a neat dogbone radiator cap with a shield on front that said "Baby Lincoln." 

[MCHinson]

53 minutes ago, pmhowe said:

I hesitated making my post on this thread, as I thought I might hijack the thread. It appears that has happened. Tohbi, your’s is a neat thread, and it deserves to stand alone. I apologize.

 

Is there a way to move all the posts regarding grease, starting from mine and following, to a new thread? Perhaps “Water pump grease issues”. Moderators, can you help? 

 

I’d like to read more about the baby Lincoln – a lovely car -  and I would like to explore the grease issues, as a function of car manufacture data.

 

Phil

 

Since his original question was regarding lubrication, the grease discussion is appropriate. I will make the title a little more appropriate and he can start another generic discussion about the car if he wishes to do so. 

[Spinneyhill]

Just note that not all GL-5 gear oils have EP additives that attack copper (and hence brass and "yellow metal"). Any oil worth a place on the shelf should have a Copper Strip Corrosion Test ASTM D130 result, often on the SDS. If the result is 1a, it is fine with copper. 1b is almost as good. Any other result indicates the oil is one to avoid.

 

So you don't have to hunt for a GL-4 if the GL-5 oil you have lined up has a 1a (or 1b) ASTM D130 test result.

 

As for synthetic oil, ANY synthetic oil is better than ALL mineral oils at reducing engine wear. With a little searching you can find wear test results on the www.

[tohbi]

• i've had good luck with the mobil 1 engine oils. although not straight synthetic, it seems a good compromise between lub quality and price. often, i add a quart of motorcycle synthetic because it contains added potassium and zinc.

i'm going to print grimy's comments and the one from spinney and keep them with the car. very informative and thx guys. btw grimy, my penncool 3000 just arrived. i used to put water pump lube in my cars but haven't been able to find it recently at auto stores. i have a rebuilt engine [less than 200 miles] in my parts car but the water pumps again need rebuilding from inactivity.

 

i'll try to make pics of the car but i'm not very computer literate and will have to dig out a digital camera. every time i use one of those things i have to relearn how.

 

i'm a bit crippled and have to hire work that i would have done myself in the past. for instance, i intended to bring back my "parts car" but find i can't do the body work. hence, buying another same model in better shape. nice having a parts car. next project is some wiring, pulling the steering wheel to put on a horn ring, repair the plastic and put on a leather cover, then upholstery. wondering if i should buy the cover or find a pro who can install the leather. finally, i may change the color from it's now metallic red [looks good] to an original cream color.

 

i'm thinking of using a latigo leather hide for each door panel, waxed for protection. trying to figure out covering and attaching the armrests. you know, these lincolns have nicer appointments than the mercs but a merc is worth more money.

[tohbi]

ps: found dear old dad's "motors manual." still looking for an original shop manual but this is helpful.

[Grimy]

7 minutes ago, tohbi said:

i have a rebuilt engine [less than 200 miles] in my parts car but the water pumps again need rebuilding from inactivity

Thanks for the compliment, tohbi, that you're keeping our recommendations as a refernce  If your water pumps were rebuilt at the same time as your engine, I don't think there's a need to rebuild them again.  I would, however, give them a bit of water pump grease either by (1) grease cup as the flathead Cad folks do, or (2) remove fitting and push some water pump (water soluble) grease in with a finger, screw in fitting, and repeat--just a little to provide initial lube.

 

MoToR manuals are excellent but there's just no substitute for a factory shop manual given all that you're planning to do.

[tohbi]

yes, agreed, but the motors manual does give specs and a good overall. seems most cars of the era used similar technology.

 

the water pumps are froze solid. afraid i'll break something if i try to force them. of course, the ones on the new purchase are good.

 

btw, i think the original carb is a holley. my first lincoln had an aftermarket rochester two barrel, they were trying for better gas mileage. anyway, the original air cleaner has a canister thingie between the carb and air cleaner. i've seen similar elsewhere. anyone know what is the purpose?

 

[is "thingie" allowed terminology here?]

Edited March 24, 2018 by tohbi
spelling (see edit history)

[Grimy]

2 minutes ago, tohbi said:

the original air cleaner has a canister thingie between the carb and air cleaner. i've seen similar elsewhere. anyone know what is the purpose?

That's an oil bath air cleaner and the canister is the silencer, which does not come apart.  Do you have the whole thing?  See the "air cleaners" section in the front of your MoToR manual.  Clean out the detachable trough, add 30 or 40 single weight oil (see manual), and wash out the copper gauze in kerosene.  These are very effective. 

[tohbi]

"silencer"? never heard of such a thing [thingie].

[tohbi]

oh, and yes it's all there

 

[Grimy]

1 minute ago, tohbi said:

oh, and yes it's all there

Read the air cleaner section of your MoToR manual pertaining to "oil bath" air cleaners.  Doesn't have to look exactly like yours, the principles and procedures are the same for all oil bath cleaners.