MaxProp grease

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Nograss

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I've been quoted £30 inc vat and delivery for a 400gram tube of MaxProp grease from the official MaxProp UK dealer. I don't recall paying that two years ago when I last ordered some (although having just bought the boat money was going out so fast I may not have noticed).

I think the important bits are: Calcium-based and NLGI 1 grade.

Can anyone point me to an alternative grease or supplier?

My Yorkshire genes are telling me there must be a better (i.e. cheaper) alternative!

Thanks.
 
Well my Devon genes have me reaching for the Morrison's waterproof grease off the shelf at the chandler for £7 a tub. I've been using that for the past decade with no ill effect that I am aware of.
 
"I've been using that for the past decade with no ill effect that I am aware of. "

In MaxProps?

"Morrison's waterproof grease" - Could you point me the direction of where I can find this for sale?
 
I bought the grease from Darglow UK two years ago, it was about £18 then.

As I sure you are aware, the Maxprop requires a very fluid grease and the manufacturer recommended grease is " Lubraplate 130 AA".

A grease gun is required, so it is easier to use a cartridge grease. I would also be interested in any suggestions.
 
And here is link to spec so that clever people here can recommend alternative:

Lubraplate 130 AA

I note that it gives the colour as "beige", so that is not what Darglow supplied as that was green.
 
Last edited:
Robih said:
Beg your pardon it is "Morris", not Morrisons, I believe the latter is a supermarket!

See here: https://www.morrislubricants.co.uk/k99-water-resistant-grease.html

Yes with a MaxProp.
Click to expand...

Thanks. Lubraplate 130 AA and the Darglow grease both have a NLGI of 1, whereas the Morris K99 has a NLGI of 2/3 making it a relatively harder grease.

Is your MaxProp fitted to a shaft or saildrive? Maxprops for saildrives have shock absorption built in and I'm wondering if the harder grease might affect that. Also, I wonder if the harder grease might cause the prop blades to rotate more slowly on the hub when going from forward to astern (and vice versa) and also if it might affect the feathering. Comments welcome.
 
Nograss said:
Thanks. Lubraplate 130 AA and the Darglow grease both have a NLGI of 1, whereas the Morris K99 has a NLGI of 2/3 making it a relatively harder grease.

Is your MaxProp fitted to a shaft or saildrive? Maxprops for saildrives have shock absorption built in and I'm wondering if the harder grease might affect that. Also, I wonder if the harder grease might cause the prop blades to rotate more slowly on the hub when going from forward to astern (and vice versa) and also if it might affect the feathering. Comments welcome.
Click to expand...

On a shaft. I have noticed no difficulties with its use, there is no delay in thrust from ahead to astern and the prop feathers with no difficulty.
 
Nograss said:
I've been quoted £30 inc vat and delivery for a 400gram tube of MaxProp grease from the official MaxProp UK dealer. I don't recall paying that two years ago when I last ordered some (although having just bought the boat money was going out so fast I may not have noticed).

I think the important bits are: Calcium-based and NLGI 1 grade.

Can anyone point me to an alternative grease or supplier?

My Yorkshire genes are telling me there must be a better (i.e. cheaper) alternative!

Thanks.
Click to expand...

FWIW, I swapped a back and forth a couple of times from 2blade to 3blade MP, of course opening the hub each time.
The cream coloured white lithium grease stays forever, when refilled through the two holes just a limited quantity goes in before it starts oozing out.
I used the translucid lithium grease (yellowy transparent), when refilled a little more goes in, what comes out is still translucid.
I also used the blue "marine" grease: a lot more must be pumped, and the old one oozing out is definitely like pale blue mayonnaise so it is a lot more sensitive to water.
In all cases the propellers worked very well for periods of about 200 engine hours between refills, sometimes more.

I witnessed with a friend catamaran, he filled only one of the two holes (sic), the propeller made some heavy clunk noises and then got stuck. We filled it with grease again and everything went back to normal.
 
Roberto said:
FWIW, I swapped a back and forth a couple of times from 2blade to 3blade MP, of course opening the hub each time.
The cream coloured white lithium grease stays forever, when refilled through the two holes just a limited quantity goes in before it starts oozing out.
I used the translucid lithium grease (yellowy transparent), when refilled a little more goes in, what comes out is still translucid.
I also used the blue "marine" grease: a lot more must be pumped, and the old one oozing out is definitely like pale blue mayonnaise so it is a lot more sensitive to water.
In all cases the propellers worked very well for periods of about 200 engine hours between refills, sometimes more.

I witnessed with a friend catamaran, he filled only one of the two holes (sic), the propeller made some heavy clunk noises and then got stuck. We filled it with grease again and everything went back to normal.
Click to expand...

Roberto, both the Lubraplate 130 AA and the Darglow grease are calcium greases. I understand that these are more water resistant to lithium grease but perhaps it also depends on the viscosity - thicker greases being less likely to ooze out of the small gaps in the propeller hub and hub/blade joint.

Any idea which specific greases you used - other than cream coloured, yellowy transparent and blue?!
 
ithet said:
And here is link to spec so that clever people here can recommend alternative:

Lubraplate 130 AA

I note that it gives the colour as "beige", so that is not what Darglow supplied as that was green.
Click to expand...

Color might be off white, but that IS the only recommended grease for the Max Prop (also for the Auto Stream feathering props).
When I could not find a tube at a chandler or an auto parts store, I ordered it from the US agent, PYI.
http://www.pyiinc.com/max-prop-accessories.html#greasekits

Hope you find it closer to home...
:)
 
ithet said:
Ramonol Advanced has been recommended on a previous thread. It seems to have a closer spec to Lubraplate 130AA.

See post 19 here, also has the link to spec sheet:
http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?477209-grease-for-propeller/page2
Click to expand...

Zing said:
I’ve used it for 4 years now. Seems fine.
Click to expand...

Ramonol Universal grease is probably suitable, but is a grade 2 grease

https://www.gruebb.com/controlpanel/shoppics/pdfs/GruebbRamonolUniversalTDS2016pdf.pdf

Ramonol Advanced grease may be better

https://www.gruebb.com/controlpanel/shoppics/pdfs/GruebbRamonolAdvancedTDS2016pdf.pdf

Both are readily available from "popular" chandlers, eg Force4 at £17.95/ 500g.
 
I turned to this thread with interest, as the new to me boat came with one of these impressive things.

I need all the help I can get. The prop apparently needs its own special grease gun fitting, which in our case we have not got, and Martin Evans (surveyor) has suggested that I might usefully improve the shining hour by replacing the cutless bearing, which would involve taking the prop right off...

Where do I go for (a) advice (b) grease (c) grease gun fittings...
 
Thanks all.

Out of all the suggestions the spec for Ramonol Advanced looks like it is the most similar alternative to the Lubraplate and Darglow greases. It is very slightly harder but not by much and reports of MaxProps working correctly with this grease (and others) are encouraging enough for me to investigate further.

I'm sure I have a tub of Ramonol grease on the boat although off the top of my head I can't remember if it's the Universal or Advanced. If not Advanced I'll pick up a tub and compare a sample to the Darglow grease before deciding what to do.

I have maybe half a tube of Darglow grease left which should be enough for one prop so as I have two MaxProps if I'm happy with the Ramonol I could put that in the other one for a side-by-side comparison. What could possibly go wrong? ;)
 
Minn said:
I turned to this thread with interest, as the new to me boat came with one of these impressive things.

I need all the help I can get. The prop apparently needs its own special grease gun fitting, which in our case we have not got, and Martin Evans (surveyor) has suggested that I might usefully improve the shining hour by replacing the cutless bearing, which would involve taking the prop right off...

Where do I go for (a) advice (b) grease (c) grease gun fittings...
Click to expand...

The Darglow website has manuals for the MaxProps you can download.

Grease - officially in the UK - Darglow. Unofficially - read this thread.

Grease gun fittings - available from Darglow - screw in grease nipples called Zerk fittings (or something similarly obscure).

Most MaxProps have two very small hex-head bolts that you undo one at a time, screw in your Zerk and pump away with the grease gun. Apply grease to the forward fitting first and work the prop blades back and forth with each pump of the grease gun. When grease oozes out the gaps in the hub / propeller roots you know you've filled the hub.
 
Nograss said:
The Darglow website has manuals for the MaxProps you can download.

Grease - officially in the UK - Darglow. Unofficially - read this thread.

Grease gun fittings - available from Darglow - screw in grease nipples called Zerk fittings (or something similarly obscure).

Most MaxProps have two very small hex-head bolts that you undo one at a time, screw in your Zerk and pump away with the grease gun. Apply grease to the forward fitting first and work the prop blades back and forth with each pump of the grease gun. When grease oozes out the gaps in the hub / propeller roots you know you've filled the hub.
Click to expand...

Thanks very much. I've found the hex head bolts, so that's a start. It looks as if a new anode might be a good plan, also - Darglow again?
 
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