Variable Pitch Propeller - What Grease?

[Mandofish]

Hi,

Newly acquired boat has a Sabb G diesel with variable pitch propeller. The propeller assembly is lubricated by way of a grease cup, regularly turned by hand to lube. Anyone have a similar setup who can tell me what the recommended grease is for use in the cup?

Thanks!

[atoll]

Originally Posted by Mandofish

Hi,

Newly acquired boat has a Sabb G diesel with variable pitch propeller. The propeller assembly is lubricated by way of a grease cup, regularly turned by hand to lube. Anyone have a similar setup who can tell me what the recommended grease is for use in the cup?

Thanks!

any water resistant grease will do,such as trailer wheel waterproof bearing grease

[sy_gilana]

Hello.


I have a Hundested CPP. The mechanism inside the boat has a Butress thread operating a pin that pushes and pulls an internal shaft that is connected to a plate in the hub that changes the pitch. There is a grease cup on the rear part of the inline coupling.

The grease they insist on using is water soluble grease, and use of water proof grease will void any warranty.

Atolll is correct so many times, I think he might be confused by the distinction in your post, between a feathering, or furling prop vs. a CPP.

Here is what the manual says inter alia.

Using a waterproof grease will void the warranty as there will be bands of well lubricated and un-lubricated metals within the system as the water can repel the grease as the grease repels water. A water soluble grease (2%) will turn into a gruel and as it nears the hub it will still be supplying sufficient lubrication before it finally dissolves into the ocean.


Contact the manufacturer if you are in doubt.

[Nicholson58]

Originally Posted by sy_gilana

Hello.


I have a Hundested CPP. The mechanism inside the boat has a Butress thread operating a pin that pushes and pulls an internal shaft that is connected to a plate in the hub that changes the pitch. There is a grease cup on the rear part of the inline coupling.

The grease they insist on using is water soluble grease, and use of water proof grease will void any warranty.

Atolll is correct so many times, I think he might be confused by the distinction in your post, between a feathering, or furling prop vs. a CPP.

Here is what the manual says inter alia.

Using a waterproof grease will void the warranty as there will be bands of well lubricated and un-lubricated metals within the system as the water can repel the grease as the grease repels water. A water soluble grease (2%) will turn into a gruel and as it nears the hub it will still be supplying sufficient lubrication before it finally dissolves into the ocean.


Contact the manufacturer if you are in doubt.

.

Correct advice on all counts. I also have a continuously variable pitch prop, Hundested, 1984. Use only water mixing type grease and pump more in per the manufacture’s timing recommendations. Absolutely get the maker’s recommendation and service manual. These things are great additions and extremely durable if cared for. Screw it up and it’s big money.

[CarinaPDX]

My last engine was a Sabb. I used waterproof (boat trailer) grease in the prop, which served well. On many occasions over the years I had to open the hub and always found it filled with grease and all surfaces lubricated. Unsurprisingly, it was more resistant to being washed out than the regular grease I started with. The downside was that it was resistant to being removed from hands and clothing... I can't speak for the other manufacturer's hub, but for the Sabb I think waterproof grease is the way to go.

You should have two grease cups, one for the hub and one for the aft side of the stuffing box. I found the grease cups to be just too messy, so I replaced them with grease fittings and a grease gun that uses standard cartridges. The hub is connected to a remote cup with copper tubing; the stuffing box cup mounts there but IMHO should also be mounted remotely with copper tubing. I had both grease fittings mounted underneath a removable step at the front of the engine where I could easily get to them. The grease gun provided ample pressure to drive the grease aft.

Be aware as you work on this engine that the threads are usually British, not SAE or metric. On my H series there were some metric parts as well, and the occasional SAE just to keep things interesting (the SAE were with local additions).

Greg

[Singleprop]

My manual for the Korsoer CPP (exactly the same design as Hundested) says to use Mobilux EP2 or equivalent grease....it resists washout, but is not "waterproof" so I guess it complies with the Hundested manual.

https://www.mobil.com/en/industrial/...s/mobilux-ep-2

[Mandofish]

Thanks all for the replies, particularly CarinaPDX as its good to hear from other Sabb owners. Love this engine but without replacement parts much available, the pucker factor is high through my learning curve on this engine.

[Singleprop]

Here is Hundested's grease info page:

http://www.hundestedpropeller.dk/dow...rease_list.pdf