Jukebox Lubrication

Ron Rich and I have "chatted" about this a little bit thru some PM's and we decided a sticky was in order. It seems improper or lack of lubrication is probably the number one cause of grief for the new jukebox owner. It will be the intent of this sticky to help clear up some of the misconceptions about what to oil, where to oil, and probably most importantly, what kind of oil to use. This is a work in progress, so please be patient as we get the formatting down. Feel free to comment as well.

Ron has mentioned this a million times: the proper oil to use (based on his years of experience) is 3-In-One Motor Oil. I'm sure immediately every one is going to go, "Oh yeah! I have a can of that right here." and they grab for the little red can/bottle(now black). Bad mistake. You need to make sure you have the Motor Oil variety. It comes in a blue plastic bottle and has a picture of an electric motor on the front. Maybe this picture will help you keep things straight in your head when you're at the hardware store:


3-In-One Motor Oil will most likely handle 95% of jukebox lubrication requirements. There are some greases that are required and I will let Ron go into detail on those. Maybe we should come up with an acronym for 3-In-One: TIOMO. If Rachael Ray can have EVOO, then I think TIOMO is fair game, no?

One of the products you should stay away from is WD-40. Ron has also mentioned this a million times: "WD-40 should not be anywhere near a jukebox!" It has limited lubrication properties as its primary purpose is to displace moisture. It is also very difficult to control the application. It tends to cover everything, even when using the little red plastic hose.

Occasionally you may encounter a jukebox that has a build up of goo due to an ancient lubricant or from a previous owner using the wrong oil. Personally I have had good luck with Kano Labs Kroil or Aerokroil, applied sparingly to sticky parts. There's enough solvent in it to dissolve the old gunk, but also a light oil that will help the TIOMO get to where it needs to go. I have a gallon sized can of Kroil and I use it with a syringe(hypodermic tip ground off) to get more precise application. Same thing with the TIOMO: I'll fill a 5cc syringe with it to get it right where I need it to go. If the lube point is really down inside the mech, I attach a short piece of teflon tubing(used for insulating electronic component leads) to the hypodermic needle.

I can only add that 3inOne motor oil is available, under different brand names as SAE 20 wt. ND oil, in quart bottles, at GOOD auto-parts stores--as for grease, it has been my (sad) findings that most of the time, one must use the exact same type as was used previously, or it will soon turn to glue, Or, totally remove any old stuff before applying any. I use a graphite based grease--only. Ron Rich

Ill add to the lubricant list: Zoom Spout Turbine Oil.
This lubricant comes in a clear plastic squeeze bottle with a long, flexible, retractable applicator tube in it.
It's a light-weight non-gumming oil specifically made for high-speed bearings and excellent for small clock mechanism lubrication, including those tiny synchronous motors.

On some motors, particularly the weaker 2-pole induction motors used in record changers, the sintered (porous) bearings become viscous "brakes" from old lubrication, and cause a slowdown of speed.
This makes the shaft rotational speed slow on these devices, perhaps until the motor warms up enough.
Those sintered bearings need a careful overhaul if not worn out - heated to boil out the old sludge, flushed to clean out the residue with a proper de-greaser (CRC, Big Bath, etc), and re-lubricated with the Turbine Oil, saturating the porous nooks & crannies in the bearings, as well as the felt oil reserve pads.
Any other method of overhaul simply won't last long, and the sluggish cold-starts soon come back.

Another ideal lubricant is Super Lube with PTFE (teflon) grease.
Comes in a grey squeeze tube or container depending on the size, and even by the bucket if desired.
It's a clear, very slippery high-temp grease that stays where you put it, and the Teflon makes sliding parts move really smoothly.
And you don't need a lot, just a smear of it works wonders.
Of course the old grease must be cleaned out beforehand for best results.

Being in the service business for decades, I've been through plenty of lubricants, and made my choices due to the performance level I've seen.
So I highly recommend the above, from experience.

Hi Matt, and All,
I strongly dis-agree on using "Zoom-spout" on a jukebox ! Might be OK for the small "display motors" used in some jukes, but NEVER in/on any part, of the Seeburg Mechanism. Ron Rich

Ron Rich wrote:Hi Matt, and All,
I strongly dis-agree on using "Zoom-spout" on a jukebox ! Might be OK for the small "display motors" used in some jukes, but NEVER in/on any part, of the Seeburg Mechanism. Ron Rich

And that's why I mentioned using "Zoom" on *small* motors, Ron.
Those big horsey motors used in jukes should require a 20wt oil.

Hey guys. I have been using Liberty Synthetic oil (see attached photo) on my Wurlitzer 412 Juke. It works very well to quiet the motor, but quickly wears off leaving the motor noisy again. Do I need to use a thicker oil? It sounds like horses walking on pavement.

-Tony

Color jockey wrote:Hey guys. I have been using Liberty Synthetic oil (see attached photo) on my Wurlitzer 412 Juke. It works very well to quiet the motor, but quickly wears off leaving the motor noisy again. Do I need to use a thicker oil? It sounds like horses walking on pavement.

-Tony

That bottle looks like something made in china - and anything from there is crapola.
Further research says that oil is a cheap knockoff with a stolen brand name. - sold on Epray.
Toss that crap in the garbage and get some decent lubricant.

Tony,
Please READ the posts above this one--and you will see a "consensus" of opinions--IMHO, that "stuff" is, as Matt noted "crapola", and has no use anywhere--and besides--have you calculated the price per quart, or gallon, of it ??? WOW--it's PURE profit, for the seller, especially if it "wears off quickly---"
BTW--he pedals this stuff, all over, as the "Best" for everything--I would sell it only as, "Gen-U-whine, snake oil"
Ron Rich

I use a can of lubrication spray from Wurth. I'm to lazy to go fetch it to find out the exact name . It's easy to apply and does the job for me.

I don't know who-what "Wurth" is, but I sure would not use a "can of spray", of ANY type, on any jukebox !!
Ron Rich

It's a German manufacturer of industrial grade "mechanical stuff". It's pretty high quality.

Hi Carmen,
If a "spray"--how do you assure it won't get on parts that should not have lube., of any kind on them ??
Ron Rich

Well, it could get sloppy if your not careful, but it can be done right since the spray jet is focused, not pulverized.

So..............
I've been using the 3n1 oil in the red can for my Seeburg AY160 for the last year or so.
I now understand that is bad and need to switch. Exactly why is it bad, and I am wondering what damage I have done. Do I need to check and/or repair anything for its use?
Thanks in advance.