Front A arms/zerk fittings grease

[WackyDan]

Update: Been digging around... it looks like just about any common grease today, even the marine grease is lithium/lithium complex... so most should be compatible. Marine greases specifically for salt water look not to be... Looks like you should avoid mixing Moly fortified grease with lithium greases and most moly comes in tubs, not tubes for grease guns and zerks.

Was told by my dealer that they come from the factory with a marine grease and that is what they use when the dealer greases those fittings.

So... What say the Spyder masses? I'm going to check the manual but I thought it called for a standard lithium chassis grease.

I found some compatibility tables here and here:
http://www.finalube.com/reference_material/grease_compatibility_chart.htm

http://www.mobilindustrial.com/IND/English/Files/tt-grease-compatibility.pdf

Of course, this link says you can't rely on compatibility charts...

http://www.machinerylubrication.com/Read/1865/grease-compatibility

I've heard time after time not to mix greases - specifically marine types greases for boat trailer axles/hubs, and standard Chassis type lube that you would use on a ball joint. True stories or myths... of the two greases reacting and turning caustic, or liquifying, etc...

The info out there on the web is confusing as determining the exact make up of your grease is hard enough, much less knowing what grease the shop used on your machine.

 

[NancysToy]

The manual calls for XPS Synthetic Grease. That is a waterproof (marine) grease.

 

[WackyDan]

I found there is two types of BRP grease. One is chassis lube for atv and snowmobiles and the other is for watercraft. Only found a datasheet on the chassis lube, but no info in the sheet about the composition ie; thickener used. Found a comment that one of them had a clay based thickener.... Probably holds up better in salt water for the SeaDoos.

So, yeah... It is still mystery. -Unless you only use the BRP grease. The part # specified is #293550010 which is the marine grease.

That BRP grease is $15 to $20 a tube... :yikes: Now... In my short quest.. I found that Grease with Clay based thickeners tend to be in that price range where as a Lithium Chassis grease falls in the $3 to $9 range... So that may be another indicator the BRP stuff is clay thickened. I have found numerous sources saying you can mix, and not mix these greases.

On another note... Marine grease can be a grease using any of the thickeners in the charts, so it is possible to find compatible greases if you actually know the thickener used in the BRP grease... Which we don't cause BRP won't publish it.

 

[NancysToy]

Yea, trying to find a compatible grease is a huge chore. Without data, it is impossible. I am not a fan of BRP's unlabeled lubricants. No other trustworthy manufacturer sells and specifies their lubricants that way.

This is just a wild guess, but I suspect you are right about the clay base of the BRP grease. The color is not the same as the lithium-based greases. I know that is not scientific, but that is my gut feeling. I avoided the controversy altogether, and used Mobil1 Synthetic Grease. I flushed out the old grease until no trace of it came from the bushings. I have had no problems.

 

[WackyDan]

Yea, trying to find a compatible grease is a huge chore. Without data, it is impossible. I am not a fan of BRP's unlabeled lubricants. No other trustworthy manufacturer sells and specifies their lubricants that way.

This is just a wild guess, but I suspect you are right about the clay base of the BRP grease. The color is not the same as the lithium-based greases. I know that is not scientific, but that is my gut feeling. I avoided the controversy altogether, and used Mobil1 Synthetic Grease. I flushed out the old grease until no trace of it came from the bushings. I have had no problems.

Scotty, In theory the Mobil1 is not compatible as it is a lithium complex soap. Given those joints are not high speed bearings and probably don't heat up much at all, pumping enough of any grease in them would probably do the trick.

I also used the red Mobil1. I have a few of those bushings that I can't really get grease to squeeze out of... Not sure it is just the way the spyder is sitting or not. I know several other owners that used regular chassis lube/lithium grease and there seems to be no issues that have popped up.

This is what happens when I'd rather play with my spyder than work.

 

[NancysToy]

Scotty, In theory the Mobil1 is not compatible as it is a lithium complex soap. Given those joints are not high speed bearings and probably don't heat up much at all, pumping enough of any grease in them would probably do the trick.

I also used the red Mobil1. I have a few of those bushings that I can't really get grease to squeeze out of... Not sure it is just the way the spyder is sitting or not. I know several other owners that used regular chassis lube/lithium grease and there seems to be no issues that have popped up.

This is what happens when I'd rather play with my spyder than work.

You are right, it is certainly not compatible. That is the reason to flush thoroughly. I follow up by greasing moire frequently than the spec calls for, too. I've had a couple of tough bushings, too. Had to play around to get them to go. Very irritating!

 

[Firefly]

I bought some greenish synthetic stuff at the farm store. Not too worried about it.

 

[gypsy_100]

BRP Greases

Yep, the shop manual for my 2011 RT specifies 293 550 010 grease for the front end. BUT, if you search the BRP websites for their various recreational products, you find that ...010 is sold as a maintenance lube for their Sea Doo's. It's labeled as "XP-S Synthetic Grease" described as good for marine applications. $20.49 USD

If you look up BRP maintenance products offered for sale for their Ski Doo's, ATV's and Roadsters, they all feature maintenance lube 293 550 033 which is labeled as "XP-S Suspension Grease". $9.50 USD

Draw your own conclusions. My conclusion is that the ...010 is a typo error and the ...033 is the correct grease -- the description makes more sense and it's shown for all the non-marine recreational products. Price is right, too. Which hopefully also means it's a typical lithium-based automotive product and compatible with other lithium-based automotive greases. Flushing out is always a good idea, however, and certainly the safest way to go.

 

[Sarge707]

I use the Green synthetic Grease (Auto Zone) in the Spyder, Jet Skies and Trailer hubs with no problems.