Do I need to get grease for rail?

[stratman]

The KG107A grease is apparently available from CRC Tasktron, see below.

http://www.crc-tasktron.co.uk/index.php?app=ecom&ns=prodshow&ref=QY90057

Perhaps I ought to get some myself.

Great job of sleuthing, Emu. It has been harder finding than hen's teeth. And it is on sale to boot!

I looked at over a dozen other web sites and all said the oil was discontinued or not available except for one site that wanted $94 and said it was refurbished oil.

 

[PeterBJ]

I suggest to buy the grease, The Molykote EM-30L might be a good substute, but the Floil KG107A is "The Real Thing". The price is much the same as I paid for the Molykote grease.

 

[kdsdata]

I would be inclined to lubricate even at the risk of some paper dust in the print room. A wipe every 6 months or so would get rid of the dust.

However I would never use 3-in-one oil. That stuff is generally the cheapest oil and needs to be replenished, because it does have a tendency toward drying, which leaves a gummy residue that is hard to clean because it also gets on the print head slides. And the older it gets the harder it is to clean (mind you probably not before the printer is kaput).

I have used lithium grease with success (so far), but make sure it is the thinner variety, because the stuff specific for gears may be of the less viscous type.

 

[Joe P]

Hello,

I'm new here. I'm in a bind and was hoping someone might be able to offer me some advice.

I was cleaning inside my Pixma MG7520, using distilled water. I opened the cover to the printer, unplugged it, and pushed the carriage to the left. This way I could try cleaning around the parking station with cotton swabs and distilled water. There was a lot of black ink gummed up on what I assumed were flexible plastic wipers, but it came up easily.

There is a metal rail, bar or guide that the print carriage (or whatever it is called), slides back and forth on.

It had black gunk all over it that I wiped off. It looked like black ink, though it was a little thicker like it was partially drying out. I got to thinking afterwards that I may have made a mistake. What if it was some kind of grease or lubrication? Come to think of it, I'm not quite sure how any ink might get onto that rail.

So I have two questions:

Was that ink or some kind of grease?

And if it wasn't ink, what can I replace it with?


I can order something (preferably from Amazon or eBay in the U.S.), or use something I have like:

White Lithium Grease Multi-Purpose Lubricant (good for gears, axles, outboard motors, etc). This was used to lubricate the shaft of our string trimmer.

I also have sewing machine oil, lawnmower oil, Wahl clipper oil for electric hair clippers, WD-40, a decades-old bottle of 3 in 1 household oil, olive oil.

What to do?

I just saw your posting of a few years ago, and did the same exact thing you describe: accidentally cleaned (removed existing grease form) a portion of the metal rail of my Canon PIXMA MX922, and am wondering whether I should fix by reapplying grease (and if so what kind), or leave as is. I was curious as to how you ultimately solved your problem, and now that a few years have gone by, what was the result. Hope you see this and are able to respond. Thank you!

Joe