How to replace lubricant for the oil seal of a washing machine?
When changing the bearings and drum seal, be sure to treat the components with a special lubricant. This is necessary to prevent water from entering the unit. If you neglect this point, rapid wear of parts cannot be avoided. You cannot replace the lubricant for the washing machine oil seal with improvised means, for example, grease. It is better not to skimp on the lubricant, otherwise it will lead to undesirable consequences. Let's figure out which compounds are best to use when servicing automatic machines.
Professional lubricants
Today in specialized stores you can find a variety of lubricants that differ in characteristics, cost, and purpose. To repair and maintain washing machines, you need to buy professional products approved by the equipment manufacturers. What lubricants are we talking about?
The Indesit brand recommends the professional composition Anderol. The lubricant meets all quality standards and has different release forms: in 100 ml cans and syringes for one-time use. Indesit also produces Ambligon for rubbing oil seals; its characteristics are very similar to the previous substance.
Silicone lubricants are excellent for modern washing machines. They do not allow water to pass through, withstand sudden temperature changes, and are not washed off with washing powders. Silicone formulations differ from each other, so carefully study the information on the product packaging to choose a product that meets your requirements.
Titanium professional lubricants have performed well; they are also approved for servicing automatic machines.They are even suitable for machining highly loaded oil seals. Such compositions are not afraid of temperature changes, and their properties do not decrease throughout their entire service life.
Good substitutes
If you cannot find an original lubricant recommended by washing equipment manufacturers, you can find a worthy replacement. Fortunately, today the market is replete with professional tools for servicing machines.
The lubricant must be resistant to high temperatures, of high quality, not harm equipment, and retain its properties throughout the entire period of operation.
You can pay attention to the following products:
Grasso is a silicone-based lubricant with good water-repellent characteristics. The composition is completely suitable for processing seals and bearings of washing machines of any brand.
A German development by Liqui Moly, which has earned the trust of washing machine repair specialists. The lubricant can perform its functions at temperature changes from –40C° to +200C°. Practically cannot be washed off with water.
The universal lubricant from the Russian manufacturer Litol-24 is characterized by increased water resistance and can withstand chemical and mechanical influences. Does not lose its properties during its service life. Excellent resistance to temperature changes.
"Litin-2" is produced by SHELL, which indicates the high quality of the product. This highly specialized formulation was originally developed for use in harsh environments. The lubricant is considered a worthy alternative to products made to coat seals and bearings of washing machines.
"Ciatim-201" is an anti-friction lithium grease developed back in the USSR. The product can be used when servicing automatic machines.The composition is still used in the aviation industry, so the quality of the product is beyond doubt. The substance will withstand high thermal stress and will not lose its properties throughout the stated shelf life.
If it is necessary to process the parts of the washing machine, it is allowed to use the specified lubricants. The quality of the described compositions is undeniable. They will reliably protect bearings from the harmful effects of moisture and premature wear.
Lubricants to Avoid
Today there are craftsmen who believe that they can make the lubricant themselves. Moreover, in their opinion, the homemade substance is in no way inferior in characteristics to professional products. In reality, everything is not so simple. Manufacturers test their product many times, prove its reliability and protective properties, test numerous samples in order to ultimately offer customers a worthy product.
Also, newcomers to the repair business try to treat washing machine parts with automotive lubricant, but in this case it is even worse than homemade lubricant. Any compositions based on petroleum products are categorically unsuitable for servicing washing equipment. This is due to several factors:
The average service life of such lubricants is 1-2 years. After this, you will have to disassemble the machine again and lubricate the oil seal. Why complicate your life when you can immediately treat the bearings with a decent and “long-lasting” product;
Automotive lubricants are unstable when exposed to detergents.
Automotive grease will quickly wash out, leaving the bearings and oil seal unprotected.
If there are a few more products that experts do not recommend using for treating washing machine components.
Solid oil, lithol.They are prohibited from being used when servicing washing machines. Some “craftsmen” still use the means, and then wonder why the bearings, after a short period of time, failed again. These compounds perform their functions only under certain loads characteristic of washing machines. In automatic machines, the working conditions are completely different, and grease and lithol simply become powerless and do not protect the parts.
Cyatim - 221. Although this is a professional lubricant, it is characterized by low hygroscopicity, that is, it loses its properties upon prolonged contact with water. The interaction of the seal with the liquid is inevitable, therefore this composition is not recommended for treating washing machine components.
So, you should not save money by using grease, lithol, or homemade lubricant. It’s better to pay once for a high-quality composition and forget about problems with the oil seal and bearings of the automatic machine for a long time.
Lubricant characteristics
When choosing a composition for treating oil seals, carefully study the information about it. Having purchased a low-quality product, you will quickly have to repair the equipment again. Lubricant for washing equipment elements should be:
moisture resistant. This tells how quickly the substance is washed away by water. The slower this happens, the longer the bearings are protected from moisture;
resistant to temperature changes;
safe for the seal. It should not contain aggressive components that can corrode rubber;
viscous. This will allow the product not to spread throughout its entire service life.
High-quality lubricant that meets all quality standards cannot be cheap.
It is better to purchase lubricants in specialized stores or service centers for servicing washing machines. For a one-time repair, it is not necessary to buy a whole jar of the product; some manufacturers produce lubricant in small syringes. This volume is just enough for home use, and the price for a small package is much more pleasant for the buyer.
Apply lubricant correctly
When the washing machine tank is disassembled and the bearings are removed, you need to remove dirt from the hub and remove rust. There should be no debris left on it. Only after thoroughly cleaning the seat can it be treated with lubricant.
Next, the bearings are lubricated. To do this, remove the protective cover from the part and “fill” the space with the composition. When the bearing is non-separable, pressure should be artificially created and lubricant pushed into the cracks. The treated metal rings are “hammered” into place.
Lubricating the oil seal is even easier. The composition is applied to the inside of the rubber seal (in contact with the shaft) in a thick, dense layer. The gasket is then installed over the bearing. All that remains is to assemble the machine and run a test wash to check the operation of the equipment.
When changing the bearings and drum seal, be sure to treat the components with a special lubricant. This is necessary to prevent water from entering the unit. If you neglect this point, rapid wear of parts cannot be avoided. You cannot replace the lubricant for the washing machine oil seal with improvised means, for example, grease. It is better not to skimp on the lubricant, otherwise it will lead to undesirable consequences. Let's figure out which compounds are best to use when servicing automatic machines.
Hello. MOBIL Mobilgrease XHP 222 lubricant, is this possible?
It is forbidden to use Cyatim 201 in parts where water gets in and where there is high humidity, over 80%. - How can this be?