YK motor grease

[chillerguy81]

What kind of grease are you guys using? The book calls for Texaco premium RB 1939, I'm having a hard time finding that here locally. Anyone know where I can purchase that perticular grease or know of an exceptable cross to another brand?

[cperk]

Any polyurea based grease. We use Chevron SRI 2. Good stuff.

[not harry]

Yes or Unirex, both are hard to find. Just got a case of Chevron SRI cause that was minimum order.

[chillerguy81]

Thanks for the replies, I'll have to look into the Chevron.

[bullgear420]

Mobil polyrex EM.

available at grainger.

[klove]

Texaco Premium RB is not polyurea based. It's lithium. Polyrex and SRI are both polyurea. Don't mix them. Unirex is lithium. Any good lithium base NLGI2 grease will do, but the RB has better results in my opinion. There is a noticeable difference in it's consistency and the others. Or, pull the bearings, clean them and reinstall using Polyrex EM (if you're feeling ambitious).

[york56]

Here is the red letter also take note of the motor size hp the grease will be different.

[turbomaster]

If you have any of those Reliance motors that require the Texaco RB under your belt you would be wise to follow the manufacturers guidance, especially if they are under warranty.

[chillerguy81]

Thanks Klove and 56'. After reading the SB it looks as if it could be either grease depending on the motor. I'll check the motors before I purchase anything.

[chillerguy81]

Ok guys, yet another question about this. I checked the chillers in question and they are equiped with 306 h.p 447TDZ frame motors, York p/n 024-26513-459, nowhere on the motors could I see who they are actually manufactured by. The SB that 56' was nice enough to post states this:

Nearly all York YK, YT, and YS chiller motors utilize polyurea-based bearing grease, such as Chevron SRI #2, or
Exxon Polyrex EM. One exception is chillers above 790 HP with Reliance Q5808 and Q5810 frame motors.
Reliance Q-frame motors require a lithium-based grease, such as Texaco Premium RB, as indicated on the motor
itself, and detailed in a February 1998 Service Bulletin, 160.48-N1 (SB1).

So it sounds like my bearings should require polyurea based grease, unless there are other exceptions???

[klove]

Use Polyrex EM if it's polyurea based. The issue is that you said "the book says to use.....".
What book are you talking about? What has been used to date? What color and consistency is the grease in the bearings now? When were the chillers installed? What are the model #'s?
Are the motors more square than round (Ram mfrd)?

[chillerguy81]

Klove,

These chillers around '02 or '03 vintage. M# YKCDDDG44-CME, the book I was referring to is the O&M for these E style machines. Unfortunatly I'm not sure what has been used prior to this as we just took over the contract, which is why I began looking into this. The previous contractor kept everything pretty clean so I can't see any visual sign of what kind of grease they used. Next time I'm onsite I try pulling the relief plugs and see if I can tell anything. Oh and yes the motors look more square than round, square on the sides, round at the bearing ends. Thanks for the response.

[klove]

The Texaco RB was only used in the large frame Reliance motors, what you have sounds like the Ram motor in which Polyrex EM is the lubricant of choice. Get a little out of the bearing relief cavity. If green - Texaco, if blue - Polyrex.

[chillerguy81]

Thanks again for the info.

[turbomaster]

Instead of pulling the relief plugs, pull the grease fittings and see what they have been pumping in there.

[chillerguy81]

Instead of pulling the relief plugs, pull the grease fittings and see what they have been pumping in there.

Good idea thanks!

[dave50]

How long will it take one of those big reliance motors to eat bearings with the Polyrex i it?

[klove]

How long will it take one of those big reliance motors to eat bearings with the Polyrex i it?

How many dogs will fit in a doghouse?

Nobody can predict failure time on anything that is running under abnormal conditions other than to say that premature failure is imminent. But are the conditions really abnormal? When I replace bearings in one of those, I go back with Polyrex from the beginning. It's not the type of grease used that matters (as long as the specs are correct for the application) so much as the mixture of greases with different characteristics.

[dave50]

Nice. I figured that. Ive got a 1700 ton that the customer brought an electrical contractor in on because it was eating bearings. I think they as on their 4th try now and it ran for a good 2 1/2 hrs before smoke started rolling. Chiller looked good while it was running though. I got stuck in there when they bought a new coupling from us. They are scrambling for answers and the grease was quite a stretch I thought.

[klove]

Nice. I figured that. Ive got a 1700 ton that the customer brought an electrical contractor in on because it was eating bearings. I think they as on their 4th try now and it ran for a good 2 1/2 hrs before smoke started rolling. Chiller looked good while it was running though. I got stuck in there when they bought a new coupling from us. They are scrambling for answers and the grease was quite a stretch I thought.

Sounds like they need to stop, regroup, and get someone that knows the motor to do the work. Not all, but the majority of, electrical contractors pull wire and mount devices. They aren't necessarily the folks that should be inside the motor.

From what you say, it sounds as if there are other issues that desperately need to be addressed, but they have to know what questions to ask first.