If the ball bearings are new with factory grease I would not change anything, you could ask the the factory who made them. The milling spindle I have is stickered "greased for live" , sadly it does not say how long that live is. Niko.

Edited By speelwerk on 30/01/2014 14:56:04

Hi David,

Open cage bearings received in our stock are considered to be packed with a preservative grease, and marked with a preservative shelf life.

Prior to installation they are washed out in a hot oil bath, then a white spirit rinse to be followed by immersion in the medium to be used when installed.

The bearing is then placed in a heat sealed bag until required for use.

It would be normal to accept that all bearings cannot be lubricated with the correct medium for its particular application by the manufacturer and should therefore be 'primed' as above.

Obviously, this doesn't apply to sealed bearings.

I would say that for the clock bearings, a similar circumstance occurs there as with Hot Air/ Stirling Engines, if the bearings are sealed or shielded, remove the seal or shield, and remove the grease (I tend not to do this on my motors). On the other ones, if sealed or shielded, leave them, if not, grease them. Ian S C