hidden_hunter Posted January 1, 2022 Share Posted January 1, 2022 Does anyone know what fibre grease number 3 would be equivalent to today? The 22 cad calls for it on the universal joints Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloo Posted January 1, 2022 Share Posted January 1, 2022 I don't think you can buy it. There are 2 things about your description. The #3 is the thickness. The "fibre" probably means "long fibre" grease, which was the stringy wheel bearing grease of the old days that felt like it had hair in it or something. It didn't, but no modern grease feels like that. Almost any grease you can buy off the shelf these days seems to be #2 no matter it's composition or purpose. I've not seen #3 in any sort of "normal" grease in my lifetime, though it must exist for industrial purposes. Penrite Graphite Grease is #3, but it in no way resembles the old fashioned wheel bearing grease your description makes me think of. It goes in between leaf springs and things like that. I remember helping my dad mix up some semi-fluid grease for a brass era transmission using a recipe from the HCCA Gazette, around 1978. One of the ingredients was "one tube of long fibre wheel bearing grease". We checked every auto parts store, oil dealer, hardware, boat supply, etc. Nobody had seen any in years. Eventually a family friend pulled an unused tube out of his basement. It must have been 20 years old. it's weird stuff. It stretches out like caramel or something. Hopefully someone will have more encouraging news. If the u-joints are made in a way that you can clean them out completely, I think I would do that and then use some modern #2 synthetic extreme pressure grease. I like Redline CV2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brasscarguy2 Posted January 1, 2022 Share Posted January 1, 2022 I have fiber grease in 3 pound cans courtesy of WW2. My father bought and sold surplus after the war and we ended up with this wonderful WW2 fiber grease. I enjoy packing wheel bearings forcing the grease into the bearings by hand. This stuff sticks unlike the modern day garbage you get today. I have no idea where you would find fiber grease today, try Amazon or Google brasscarguy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hidden_hunter Posted January 1, 2022 Author Share Posted January 1, 2022 1 hour ago, Bloo said: Almost any grease you can buy off the shelf these days seems to be #2 no matter it's composition or purpose. I've not seen #3 in any sort of "normal" grease in my lifetime, though it must exist for industrial purposes. Penrite Graphite Grease is #3, but it in no way resembles the old fashioned wheel bearing grease your description makes me think of. It goes in between leaf springs and things like that. Penrite has an NGLI 3 which looks like it’s for industrial use, though their NGLI 2 product is the one that seems to be recommended for automotive use. Looking at the spec sheet it looks like it would work but doesn’t match the descriptions I’ve found of (or the ones here) of what it’s like physically but I guess the main qualities it would need is to not liquify or be thrown out 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hidden_hunter Posted January 1, 2022 Author Share Posted January 1, 2022 (edited) Anything has got to be better than the air that was in there previously… Edited January 1, 2022 by hidden_hunter (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avgwarhawk Posted January 1, 2022 Share Posted January 1, 2022 Lucas red and tacky #2. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexRiv_63 Posted January 1, 2022 Share Posted January 1, 2022 I remember reading that the fibers in the grease were the evil asbestos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryan95 Posted January 1, 2022 Share Posted January 1, 2022 A quick Google search brought this up. Looks like the Model T guys have discussed it. It doesn't sound like there are any actual fibers in it. If you can find a no 3 grease, that's probably plenty good. http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/708324/712735.html?1484323687 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhigdog Posted January 1, 2022 Share Posted January 1, 2022 My guess is almost any of today's EP bearing grease is superior to the lubricants of 50 years ago. Fibers or no.........Bob 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hidden_hunter Posted January 2, 2022 Author Share Posted January 2, 2022 2 hours ago, Bhigdog said: My guess is almost any of today's EP bearing grease is superior to the lubricants of 50 years ago. Fibers or no.........Bob My guess is that someone in the past used the wrong grease in it and it ran out Its easy enough to get to, so I’ll try a NGLI 2 or 3 and have a look after some miles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bimus Posted January 2, 2022 Share Posted January 2, 2022 I have been using this grease from NAPA on my military truck and trailers for everything . If I have a hub off doing brakes I can top off the wheel bearing with out mix different color or different brands because I can't find what I used last time 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Gregush Posted January 2, 2022 Share Posted January 2, 2022 (edited) The fiber grease is soap based, so is not waterproof. My understanding is; it is the molecules that make up the strands, not any fiber used in it. To be more clear in my above statement, RE soap based; I was talking about the older types, not modern types, as shown in the post below. Edited January 4, 2022 by Mark Gregush (see edit history) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hook Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 · STA-LUBE® SL3131 DRUM BRAKE HEAVY DUTY NON-FLAMMABLE WHEEL BEARING GREASE, 14 OZ CAN, SEMI-SOLID TO SOLID GREASE, DARK AMBER, FAINT/MILD PETROLEUM CRC Industries · QMPN: CRC 31310 · MPN: SL3131 · UPC: 072213313109 · Min. Order Qty: 1 · Qty. Interval: 1 · A sodium-based short fiber grease for autos & trucks with drum brake systems and slow speed industrial bearings. Meets most demands for economical wheel bearing lubrication. Good adhesive characteristics. · Sta-Lube® Wheel Bearing Grease, Drum Brake Heavy Duty Non-Flammable, 14 oz, Can, 14 oz Net Weight, Semi-Solid to Solid Grease, Dark Amber, Faint/Mild Petroleum, 428 deg F Flash, 0.9 Specific Gravity, Composition: Distillate (Petroleum), Hydro Treated Heavy Naphthenic, Distillate (Petroleum), Solvent Dewaxed Heavy Paraffinic Color : Dark Amber Composition : Distillate (Petroleum), Hydro Treated Heavy Naphthenic, Distillate (Petroleum), Solvent Dewaxed Heavy Paraffinic Container Size : 14 oz Container Type : Can Flash Point : 428 deg F Form : Semi-Solid to Solid Grease Net Weight : 14 oz Odor/Scent : Faint/Mild Petroleum Specific Gravity : 0.9 Type : Drum Brake Heavy Duty Non-Flammable 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewOldWood Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 McMaster has this, it's listed as an NLGI 3 grease. https://www.mcmaster.com/10195K623/ From the description, "Tackier than gear box grease, this grease sticks to open gears and roller chain. It resists moisture for corrosion protection and can lubricate under heavy loads." 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hook Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 (edited) 1 hour ago, NewOldWood said: McMaster has this, it's listed as an NLGI 3 grease. https://www.mcmaster.com/10195K623/ From the description, "Tackier than gear box grease, this grease sticks to open gears and roller chain. It resists moisture for corrosion protection and can lubricate under heavy loads." NLGI 3 is Lithium grease and not the old fiber grease used on wheel bearings like STA-LUBE SL3131. Amazon has STA-LUBE SL3131. Edited January 4, 2022 by hook left out (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hook Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 On 1/2/2022 at 1:12 PM, Mark Gregush said: The fiber grease is soap based, so is not waterproof. My understanding is; it is the molecules that make up the strands, not any fiber used in it. To be more clear in my above statement, RE soap based; I was talking about the older types, not modern types, as shown in the post below. In the 1960's Kendell sold the fiber wheel bearing grease and it was not water soluble. In fact, short of dynamite, it wasn't soluble with anything except gasoline. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hidden_hunter Posted January 6, 2022 Author Share Posted January 6, 2022 Based on the use case of a u joint that’s covered it looks like both would potentially work? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
39 LaSalle Posted January 15, 2022 Share Posted January 15, 2022 On 1/1/2022 at 12:17 AM, brasscarguy2 said: I have fiber grease in 3 pound cans courtesy of WW2. My father bought and sold surplus after the war and we ended up with this wonderful WW2 fiber grease. I enjoy packing wheel bearings forcing the grease into the bearings by hand. This stuff sticks unlike the modern day garbage you get today. I have no idea where you would find fiber grease today, try Amazon or Google brasscarguy About 3 years ago I picked up a 5lb. can of vintage Quaker State bearing grease on Ebay for about $20. I'm sure you could find plenty of it on Ebay still. Pretty sure my can will last well beyond my lifetime. Sure, there might be "better", more modern lubes, but it was what "was" used originally and should be more than adequate for any of our vintage cars. I rest quite comfortable in knowing that I have the correct grease, and have no questions about whether it is thick enough, thin enough, or is compatible with the components I have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hook Posted January 17, 2022 Share Posted January 17, 2022 On 1/15/2022 at 2:04 AM, 39 LaSalle said: About 3 years ago I picked up a 5lb. can of vintage Quaker State bearing grease on Ebay for about $20. I'm sure you could find plenty of it on Ebay still. Pretty sure my can will last well beyond my lifetime. Sure, there might be "better", more modern lubes, but it was what "was" used originally and should be more than adequate for any of our vintage cars. I rest quite comfortable in knowing that I have the correct grease, and have no questions about whether it is thick enough, thin enough, or is compatible with the components I have. Yes, that's fine, and in some cases the old stuff can still be found under different names. However, if you have an immediate need, most likely you won't be able to find it. They still make it and several places have it. Amazon for one sells it. (STA-LUBE SL3131). I've attached a photo of the grease so you all can see it. It's not quite as dark colored as the old grease, but that's just a color, the grease itself is the same consistency as the old Kendall grease I've used in the past. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newbie Guy Posted November 17, 2023 Share Posted November 17, 2023 On 1/1/2022 at 12:17 AM, brasscarguy2 said: I have fiber grease in 3 pound cans courtesy of WW2. My father bought and sold surplus after the war and we ended up with this wonderful WW2 fiber grease. I enjoy packing wheel bearings forcing the grease into the bearings by hand. This stuff sticks unlike the modern day garbage you get today. I have no idea where you would find fiber grease today, try Amazon or Google brasscarguy I’d LOVE to buy a can of that stuff off of you?!?! …Please let me know!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty_OToole Posted November 18, 2023 Share Posted November 18, 2023 Is that what they call sodium soap grease? Marfak? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloo Posted November 18, 2023 Share Posted November 18, 2023 Maybe? I would have guessed Lithium. I bought a bunch of "Marfak #2" I found in a bulk plant after it was discontinued so I could keep using it. I knew this stuff from my gas station days decades ago. Marfak was Texaco, and Marfak #2 is general purpose chassis lube, kind of brown/yellow/gray in color. This is the stuff that was normal in the 70s-60s and probably the 50s. OK for wheel bearings, and that was what we used, but it was not dedicated wheel bearing grease. It was high quality grease, but ordinary. Probably every other oil brand had something similar, and I imagine it had the same base as everybody else's chassis grease. It did look kind of different than the others. You weren't supposed to mix grease in those days, and this got squirted in the zerks of everything that came in for a lube job. "Long fiber wheel bearing grease" is very different, if you've had it in your hands you'll know. I mentioned in my post above how hard it was to locate any of that around 1978. Everybody still knew what it was, nobody had any. Short fiber wheel bearing grease has also been mentioned in this thread. I don't know what that is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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