Unfortunately, my hinges are all in place so I can't easily take advantage of
the teflon tubing suggestion. In considering what type of lubricant to use on
the hinges I would like something to prolong the hinge life which seems to be
limited by a combination of frictional wear and vibration.
I tried dissolving some "lithium EP moly" grease in gasoline with the concept
that this mixture would penetrate along the hinge pin, the gas would
evaporate, and the grease would be left. My hope was that the deposited grease
would be viscous enough to cushion the hinge against vibration thus minimizing
wear from that effect, while the moly should reduce frictional wear.
As a test I left the grease/gas mixture over night in a paper cup and the gas
evaporated as expected. However, the grease seems different than the original
grease in that it does not form a long string when touched and also seems
slightly thicker than the original. Perhaps a different solvent would work
better? Or a natural long fiber grease rather than a lithium fortified
product? Perhaps the paper cup upset the experiment by absorbing something
---From the mixture? Seems like there are more variables than I originally
expected.
So, what are others using for hinge lubricant on the existing Europa's? And
how often do the hinges need to be re-lubed? Any other details would be
appreciated.
John A044 Newtown, CT
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