Nylon Bushings and Grease, and etc.

[Steam Driver]

Still messing with the fuel lines on my SC today (still can't get the old return line out for some reason) I have also found some other interesting things.

One of them is that the nylon bushings that the accelerator rod runs in are are all disintegrated, and all had been greased with what appears to be plain old chassis grease like was used on grease fittings in the old days. Isn't this sort of lube detrimental to nylon (or whatever these things are made of)? Seems to me I read somewhere in the past not to lubricate this type of bushing. Right or wrong? Same question about the shift rod bushing and the ball socket on the bottom of the shifter.

I also found that the P/O had installed a quick shift kit of same variety. and when I removed the steering wheel for some working room I found the upper column bearing disintegrating. Fun stuff.

[HawgRyder]

I have used Dow 111 in the past...a silicon based lube...it doesn't seem to pick up too much dirt...and is waterproof for the most part...works for me.
Bob

[Trackrash]

Yea, those bushings will just self destruct sometimes. Strangely, I replaced all my cars bushings in the '80s when I restored my car, and they are all still good. Strange, considering the original factory ones were toast.

I was told don't use grease on them. Well after much squeaking and hard shifting, I gave up and used CV moly lube on them all.

20 some years later they are still good.

[Steam Driver]

The Dow 111 sounds good to me. I have a large and practically antique tube of it that I use on "O" rings and the like. One tube lasts a long, long time at that rate!

[Charles Freeborn]

Yes, those parts age out. Shifter bushings, throttle linkage bushings and so on. I use White Lithium grease on them.
-C