Grease? gotta know in next hour

[pcmm]

Originally Posted by reed1v

Yup. Need marine grade. However, grease may not be the way to go. If you grease a winch, it will bind up and be hard to crank. Suspect the same with this situation.

light coat of grease on the splines will help prevent the prop from freezing on.

BTW greasing your winch is CORRECT maintenance. the gears get a light coating of grease and the pawls get machine oil. your winch won;'t bind up if you grease it.

[reed1v]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Reed, just what is the source of the heat that you are worrying about? This is just a splined shaft sticking through a splined socket. There is no relative motion, no friction, no combustion, no heat generating mechanism involved. The grease's sole role is to make assembly and disassembly easier. Very little risk to life or limb.. only to your imagination.

Jim

No friction then no need of grease. No heat, then clean metal will not need anything to disassemble.

[HappyMdRSailor]

Originally Posted by reed1v

No friction then no need of grease. No heat, then clean metal will not need anything to disassemble.

Until the strongest binding agent known to man fills the interface void adhering to both opposing steel components...

[exMaggieDrum]

I agree with some of the above posts and not so much with others. If it were my engine I would put on a light coating of a marine grease. I wouldn't use anti-seize although it would probably be OK. I have seen splines corroded to the point they were difficult to remove, so much in a couple of cases that the splines had to be replaced.

The mention of potential suction seems like excellent advice. But in any case a very light coating wouldn't cause that IMO.

Over time thick grease can dry out, get dirty, get salty and clump. It will happen on winches more often since they are exposed to everything outside. I have taken apart winches that I inherited and found them in dire need of cleaning and re-greasing. A winch should have a light coating of the proper grease (I use the manufacturer's recommended grease if I have it or another manufacturer's winch grease if I have it - e.g. Lewmar on Harkin gear). Every moving part in a winch should be greased - except for the pawls and pawl springs. They should never be greased - light oil only. Winches should get at least a clean/lube every other year and annual for cruising. Just my opinion. I'm sure others do it different. Not something you do every 5 years though.