Door latch grease
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 912
Likes: 47
From: Kansas City MO
Door latch grease
Hey guys. Just finished soaking the door latches from my 71 in some ZEP cleaner for the last two weeks and they came out looking almost new. Was going to grab some generic white lithium grease from the local parts store to spray the moving parts inside the latch assembly before reinstalling back into the doors.
Before I do so, I was just curious if any of you had any preference on what works best? CRC, Permatex, Liquid Wrench, 3M, etc.? Do you prefer the spray application or one in which the grease can be applied with a brush? Is white lithium grease the best to use or would another type of grease be more suitable for these latches?
Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!
Before I do so, I was just curious if any of you had any preference on what works best? CRC, Permatex, Liquid Wrench, 3M, etc.? Do you prefer the spray application or one in which the grease can be applied with a brush? Is white lithium grease the best to use or would another type of grease be more suitable for these latches?
Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 1,216
Likes: 66
From: Killeen Texas
Hey guys. Just finished soaking the door latches from my 71 in some ZEP cleaner for the last two weeks and they came out looking almost new. Was going to grab some generic white lithium grease from the local parts store to spray the moving parts inside the latch assembly before reinstalling back into the doors.
Before I do so, I was just curious if any of you had any preference on what works best? CRC, Permatex, Liquid Wrench, 3M, etc.? Do you prefer the spray application or one in which the grease can be applied with a brush? Is white lithium grease the best to use or would another type of grease be more suitable for these latches?
Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!
Before I do so, I was just curious if any of you had any preference on what works best? CRC, Permatex, Liquid Wrench, 3M, etc.? Do you prefer the spray application or one in which the grease can be applied with a brush? Is white lithium grease the best to use or would another type of grease be more suitable for these latches?
Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!
They look great...
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 912
Likes: 47
From: Kansas City MO
Anyway, I purchased the ZEP Commercial Heavy Duty Orange Citrus Degreaser from Lowe's. It came in a 128oz jug that sells for $9.97. I just dumped the entire jug into a small bucket and dropped both latches in so they were completely submerged, put the lid on and let it soak for two weeks. I didn't dilute it at all with water. Another member here on the forum (rogman16) had recommended it as he had used it for one of his projects and was happy with how well it worked.
I too was very surprised at how well it worked. You should give it a try!
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 1,216
Likes: 66
From: Killeen Texas
Thanks Tim! Too bad I forgot to take some before photos. They actually looked so bad that I had considered throwing them away and buying new ones. Glad I didn't because these look brand new now!
Anyway, I purchased the ZEP Commercial Heavy Duty Orange Citrus Degreaser from Lowe's. It came in a 128oz jug that sells for $9.97. I just dumped the entire jug into a small bucket and dropped both latches in so they were completely submerged, put the lid on and let it soak for two weeks. I didn't dilute it at all with water. Another member here on the forum (rogman16) had recommended it as he had used it for one of his projects and was happy with how well it worked.
I too was very surprised at how well it worked. You should give it a try!
Anyway, I purchased the ZEP Commercial Heavy Duty Orange Citrus Degreaser from Lowe's. It came in a 128oz jug that sells for $9.97. I just dumped the entire jug into a small bucket and dropped both latches in so they were completely submerged, put the lid on and let it soak for two weeks. I didn't dilute it at all with water. Another member here on the forum (rogman16) had recommended it as he had used it for one of his projects and was happy with how well it worked.
I too was very surprised at how well it worked. You should give it a try!
Thanks
Tim
Advanced
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 67
Likes: 8
From: Brighton Michigan
Wow those turned out great! Good thing you did not throw them away! I just did this about a month ago and my recommendation would be to use white lithium grease in the tube and apply with a brush. I also used the spray for hard to reach places to make sure I got all the moving parts. Mechanism works great now and the doors are no longer a struggle to get open.
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,118
From: Crossville TN
Spray can lithium grease cannot do justice to those door locks. You need to get white lithium grease in a tube. There is no comparison between the two. Since you have the locks out, do the job right. Otherwise, you will be having to shoot spray can junk into those locks about every month or so.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 912
Likes: 47
From: Kansas City MO
Thanks for the responses guys. For those of you that prefer to use the grease from a tube, do you have a preference on the brand you use or feel that works best for these matches? Liquid Wrench, Permatex, 3M, CRC?
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Advanced
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 67
Likes: 8
From: Brighton Michigan
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 1,216
Likes: 66
From: Killeen Texas
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 1,113
Likes: 35
From: LaUgH, mOrE!
I cleaned mine up by soaking. Then, I first sprayed the inner workings with DuPont Teflon Multi-Use Lubricant. This lubricant I've used on other metal to metal surfaces, including bike chains, etc. It's fantastic and doesn't collect dust or dirt. Then I also sprayed some White Lithium grease specifically in the areas of the latch mechanism that move against each other. Put it all back together - works quietly and properly.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 19,294
Likes: 2,754
From: Charlotte NC
YES.
I use many of the ZEP products. And what I use on the latch mechanisms is the ZEP 2000 spray grease. It is clear and I can spray the latch mechanism down really well. Let the solvent flash off of the latch mechanism and there is a good film of lubricant left behind. And it last for long time due to getting into Corvette that I have done this to years earlier and they are just as I installed them. AND...I also make every attempt to make sure the black plastic water diverter shield is installed so no water flows directly down on the latch mechanism.
http://www.zep.com/ZepSearch/default...xact&country=U
DUB
I use many of the ZEP products. And what I use on the latch mechanisms is the ZEP 2000 spray grease. It is clear and I can spray the latch mechanism down really well. Let the solvent flash off of the latch mechanism and there is a good film of lubricant left behind. And it last for long time due to getting into Corvette that I have done this to years earlier and they are just as I installed them. AND...I also make every attempt to make sure the black plastic water diverter shield is installed so no water flows directly down on the latch mechanism.
http://www.zep.com/ZepSearch/default...xact&country=U
DUB
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 912
Likes: 47
From: Kansas City MO
Thanks for all of your suggestions guys. Ended up purchasing a can of the ZEP 2000 off eBay like DUB uses. It sprayed on really well. It was a bit runny at first, but then flashed over and left a nice coating over the all of the internal mechanism. I didn't get too carried away when spraying it since I wasn't sure how it would work out, so I'll probably spray a little more inside each mechanism tomorrow. Overall really satisfied with it. Guess time will tell on how long it will last...
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 912
Likes: 47
From: Kansas City MO