Greasing

What is Greasing?

Greasing is the process of applying lubricant to reduce friction, wear, and corrosion in industrial and automotive applications.

How Often Should I Apply Greasing?

• You can grease the tether connection as needed, approx. every 10-20 dives. 

• Grease screws if needed after removal/upon installation.

What does Greasing do?

The addition of grease on O-rings and external fasteners adds a second layer of water protection as well as extra corrosion protection. Deep Trekker Inc. uses MOLYKOTE® 111, a proven product for marine greasing applications.

MOLYKOTE details:

• Odourless

• Colourless, stabilizes white to light grey

• Excellent for O-ring greasing and will not leave particulate residue from drying

• Meets several global standards for water contact, including NSF 51, NSF 61, FDA 21 CFR 175.300

• Safety Data Sheet

• Usable life & storage: When stored between 0 and 40°C in the original unopened containers, this product has a usable life of 60 months from the date of production. 

O-ring Greasing

• A small amount of MOLYKOTE is needed to grease o-rings depending on the size of the o-ring

• Apply the MOLYKOTE with bare fingers or wearing black nitrile gloves

• Distribute the MOLYKOTE evenly around the entire O-ring while also checking the O-ring for defects

Example of acceptable MOLYKOTE application:

For Tether O-rings, and other harnesses, do not remove the O-ring to grease unless you have a new spare available, removing the O-ring may damage it if not done carefully. 

External Screw Greasing

External Screws

• Apply a small amount of Molykote around the threads ½ way down the length of the screw and around the screw head using either fingers or a silicone brush

• When the screw is torqued down in the hole, there should be a small ring of Molykote around the screw head.

External Screws in High Vibration Areas

• Screws that will be subjected to high vibration (i.e. thrusters) during normal operation of the ROV will need both Loctite and Molykote applied to them.

• Apply blue LOCTITE to the bottom threads of the screw.  Then apply a bead of MOLYKOTE on the remainder of the dry threads. When the screw is torqued down in the hole, there should be a small ring of Molykote around the screw head. 

Port/Connector Greasing:

• Grease the O-rings with MOLYKOTE before installing them onto the connector. Install the connector cap afterwards. 

• DO NOT pack ports with MOLYKOTE unless a work instruction step says to do so.