# Oil for oil port hubs, grease otherwise?



## 3-speeder (Jan 6, 2018)

Hello. I'm looking for advice on the best practice for tuning up my bikes. I'm currently rejuvenating a pre-war CWC Roadmaster with a New Departure model D hub.  The last New Departure I worked on was from my '55 Schwinn Spitfire.  It did not have an oil port so I used Park Tool PPL-1 grease on all the bearings and WD40's High Temperature Grease for the disc brake area. I liked the WD40 high temp grease. It came in a tube for my grease gun and was a lot softer than some other high temp grease I have found. On this New Departure model D there is an oil port so I'm thinking "oil it", Right?  My thought is anything with an oil port needs oil. Even the bottom brackets with an oil port?  What about those 60's Komet hubs, etc?  I don't want to have to do anything twice.  Thanks for your thoughts.


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## Freqman1 (Jan 6, 2018)

grease on all bearings and oil on the brake discs and inside rear hub. I've never put oil in bottom bracket.  V/r Shawn


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## Boris (Jan 6, 2018)

I keep a medium sized prescription bottle filled with 30wt. oil. Drop disks in with a bent spoke hook though the center of the column, agitate a little, then pull 'em out.


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## jd56 (Jan 7, 2018)

I use a small hair brush I got from Hatbor Freight to apply the 30W motor oil to my discs and the hub tab slots.
Park grease on my bearings and races.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk


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## 3-speeder (Jan 8, 2018)

Thanks for the tips guys. Looking forward to getting this bike on the road. Love to hear 'em squeal when they hit the road after years of sitting around.


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## SirMike1983 (Jan 8, 2018)

For the New Departure coaster brake, I use Lucas Oil Green grease for the bearings and 90 weight gear oil on the discs through the port.


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## 3-speeder (Jan 9, 2018)

SirMike1983 said:


> For the New Departure coaster brake, I use Lucas Oil Green grease for the bearings and 90 weight gear oil on the discs through the port.



Thank you Sir.  I enjoy your blog. You're a real magician with those bikes. Absolutely beautiful collection.


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## 3-speeder (Feb 8, 2018)

Thanks everybody. I greased the ball bearings and oiled the discs through the port with a nice 50 weight racing oil. Man does this thing pedal nice. I had the hub finished and all the other bearings cleaned and regreased a few weeks ago. We had a short lived beautiful January thaw at the time and I was able to take it out for a ride. The seller had knobby mountainbike tires on it and I didn't like them.  My new tires just came today. Yay!  I'll put them on this weekend. I'll post some pictures soon. I really enjoyed that test ride. It's too short for me, and I originally bought it just for the wheels and parts but decided to keep it together because it's really in great shape. Maybe I'll add some tassels. Haha.


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## 3-speeder (Feb 24, 2018)

Here she is with the new tires. The flooding rains have washed all the salt from the roads.  Took a short ride to the flooded driving range by my house. Nice place to take pictures. Our River trail is under water so I kept the ride short. Super smooth rider. Really like my new tires.


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## Sven (Aug 11, 2021)

For some reason I couldn't find this thread this morning..so I went to this site.


So what you are saying is I should return this $19.02 bottle of Marine gear lube (not even oil), and get some 30w.



Cool.


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## 3-speeder (Aug 11, 2021)

Wow this takes me back!  On these discs I imagine the thicker the oil the better, it'll stay put better, but the 50 weight has held up fine for what, 3 1/2 years now,  dang.  "Not a bad record for this vicinity."


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## SirMike1983 (Aug 11, 2021)

The old manuals called for hypoid gear oil on the discs. A good quality, medium-heavy oil should be fine. I use 90-weight gear oil from the auto parts store. A 50-weight would probably work too. I stopped using thirty weight  some years ago because it kept running out of the hub and I had to keep oiling. The heavier gear oil stayed in the discs better. The bearings get grease.


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## Sven (Aug 12, 2021)

3-speeder said:


> Wow this takes me back!  On these discs I imagine the thicker the oil the better, it'll stay put better, but the 50 weight has held up fine for what, 3 1/2 years now,  dang.  "Not a bad record for this vicinity."





SirMike1983 said:


> The old manuals called for hypoid gear oil on the discs. A good quality, medium-heavy oil should be fine. I use 90-weight gear oil from the auto parts store. A 50-weight would probably work too. I stopped using thirty weight  some years ago because it kept running out of the hub and I had to keep oiling. The heavier gear oil stayed in the discs better. The bearings get grease.



Thank you gentlemen.  So is this 90w Marine lube is a no go? I don't care about returning it. It's just a bike ride. Which would you choose?




Thanks again


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## Junkman Bob (Aug 12, 2021)

Gear oil 👍


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## 3-speeder (Aug 12, 2021)

Gear oil.  3 years ago I used the 50 weight but for my next ND overhaul it'll be the gear oil.


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## Ernbar (Aug 13, 2021)

Isn’t W30 or even W20 what is most commonly used in these hubs for lube oil?


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## bloo (Aug 13, 2021)

I think it all boils down to how much drag you are willing to accept vs how often you are willing to put more oil in. The heavier the lubricant, the more it drags. I'm using 0w15 synthetic motor oil on the discs and synthetic grease in the bearings. The oil probably displaces the grease eventually. It spins nice and free. YMMV.


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## Ernbar (Aug 13, 2021)

bloo said:


> I think it all boils down to how much drag you are willing to accept vs how often you are willing to put more oil in. The heavier the lubricant, the more it drags. I'm using 0w15 synthetic motor oil on the discs and synthetic grease in the bearings. The oil probably displaces the grease eventually. It spins nice and free. YMMV.




That is the same thing I noticed when I tore down one of my ND hubs. I used grease on everything and assembled it then noticed drag so I removed the grease from the discs and used W30 oil on them and thru the oil port and it spun free and smooth.


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## vincev (Aug 13, 2021)

Sven said:


> For some reason I couldn't find this thread this morning..so I went to this site.
> View attachment 1461282So what you are saying is I should return this $19.02 bottle of Marine gear lube (not even oil), and get some 30w.
> View attachment 1461276
> Cool.



Yes. These are only simple bikes,not Lamborghini's.They were built using common oil and grease. Bearings hold up to fast cars and heat.Bikes dont generate much of either.


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## Boris (Aug 13, 2021)

I find that @fordmike65 's used hair tonic (Wildroot, no doubt) works wonders on these discs. And because he has vats and vats of the stuff, he's able to sell it at a very reasonable price.


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## 49autocycledeluxe (Aug 13, 2021)

if I were going to be in a skid contest after school with my buddies I'd want those discs dry.  I'm going with thinner the better to a degree until I find out otherwise.

I put 3in1 oil in a bike I just did and it stops extra great, though I did not go too far, I hit the brakes a bunch to see what they did. I was surprised. so I stepped up and bought 5W 30 oil like I put in my "late model" Blazer. very thin.


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## Herman (Aug 14, 2021)

I can't wait to see a test of the various methods on "Repack Road"


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