Assembly Lube?

[KevinG]

Just how important is the role of assembly lube in re-assembling a 911 motor?

If I recall correctly, Bruces book recommends a light coating of fresh oil on bearing surfaces, while Wayne says assembly lube.

Just what is it? Grease/oil based or silicone based? Can other lubricants be substituted effectively and safely?

I probably know better, but I forgot to order the assembly lube and I really want to begin re-assembly now that I have finished cleaning the parts.

[Wayne 962]

Motor oil can be okay, but only if you are assembling and running the engine in a few days. Assembly lube lasts for long periods of time. You can pick some up at any local auto parts store too...

-Wayne

[al lkosmal]

Assembly lube is usually a high pressure grease with moly/graphite, super slippery additives. Pretty cheap insurance.

[Doug Zielke]

Originally posted by Wayne at Pelican Parts
Motor oil can be okay, but only if you are assembling and running the engine in a few days. Assembly lube lasts for long periods of time. You can pick some up at any local auto parts store too...

-Wayne

Yeah. The store-bought stuff is cheap and readily available.

That said....the late, great 356 engine guru, Harry Pellow, liked to make his own. He used a mixture of STP and Moly-Slip. When I visited him one day, as he was building a Super 90 motor, he said nothing worked better.

[KevinG]

Thanks, all

[garibaldi]

You can use STP on everything, except the rods bolts, head studs and cylinder walls. Pick up a bottle for $3.00 at a parts store.

[Henry Schmidt]

We clean all bearings, rockers and moving parts with MEK (be careful, it's poison) then spay them with dry film MoS2. The parts are dried and a thin layer of motor oil is spread over the Moly. We use Mil Spec Dow Corning 321 lubricant.
Even if the engine sits for years the MoS2 is there waited to be put to work. Moly and oil lubes far better than any oil by itself.