Using older "new" grease

[ia-k]

A number of years ago my mother in law was cleaning out my father in law's shop after he passed away. She gave me several boxes of oil, grease, and other automotive maintenance fluids. The oil ranged from older stuff in carboard cans to newer "SM" rated plastic bottles. The older stuff I am using in my lawnmower, snow blower, etc... Newer stuff in my vehicles.

 

The question I have is about the partial case of tube grease that goes in grease guns. It is AMOCO brand "high performance lubricating grease" and the type on the top lid is "super permalube grease".  No "NLGL" rating or type that I can find. Red, white, and blue cardboard tubes.

 

Today I was putting my snow blower away for the season and my grease gun ran out of grease. Would it be okay to use this older grease? I would use it in everything I use a grease gun for including grease zerks for my snow blower, mowers, older cars chassis, etc....

 

Seems a shame not to use it if I can, otherwise will be stopping at the store after work tomorrow to get tube of the "new" stuff.

 

 

[Bhigdog]

I would............Bob

[JFranklin]

Is it litium or moly base? I don't mix those two. Otherwise I use up old supply as you are doing.

[Bloo]

I don't know what I would do on a snowblower, I probably wouldn't be too concerned. Years ago we were always taught never to mix grease bases, as @JFranklin says, due to chemical reactions that can occur. You should still heed that warning today. I think the reason we don't hear that anymore is that literally everything in the stores is Lithium (and NGLI-2 for weight) no matter what color it is, what gimmick it is pushing, or what purpose it is sold for. Just try to buy anything else without ordering it online or ordering a box of it from a bulk plant, I dare you.

 

I understand there is a new class of grease made of polyester or something. I don't know if that mixes with lithium or not, I haven't seen any of that yet.

 

On my own stuff, If I have cleaned it all out and rebuilt it I use modern synthetic grease only, and stick to the same one. I like Redline CV-2. It is still Lithium, by the way and NGLI-2. For general lube on older cars I bought up the local bulk plant's last boxes of Texaco Marfak #2. This is discontinued, but is what every greasable car got in Texaco gas station lube jobs back in the day, so it should be fine for that purpose.

 

If that AMOCO grease looks and feels ok, I see no reason not to use it up. I would.

 

[Marty Roth]

4 hours ago, Bhigdog said:

I would............Bob

Me too !

Especially for such as chassis lube, etc

[rocketraider]

IIRC Permalube was an Amoco marketing trademark, same as Gulf's Gulflex and Gulflube, Shell's "Shellubrication" and Texaco's MarFak. Never knew exactly what MarFak stood for, but I well remember Texaco stations with "MARFAK LUBRICATION" proudly emblazoned above the station's lube bay.

 

Always liked old service stations, esp the ones with porcelainized steel exterior panels.

 

But yes, if your old grease hasn't dried out and solidified or separated, I say use it.