Just curious to know if anti-sieze (the silver paste) has any lubrication properties and if so would it be a good thing to use on ball link ends of throttle linkage? I've just never thought of it as a lubricant.

Comments?

Thanks.

Tom

That stuff seems to get kinda hard and chunky over time. Works great as intended but I wouldn't use it for your purpose. Motor oil, white grease, etc. work fine. RT

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I would actually be concerned it might eat away the plastic inserts. White lithium grease works better I think.

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1984 300TD

Thanks.

I guess I thought that as it dried, what was left was a thickened 'base' that continued to lubricate two adjacent components?

Most anti-sieze products use a base metal to keep non moving parts from bonding together. I would not use it as a lubricant and have never heard of it being used as one. There are so many lubricants for every purpose these days. I would use one specific for the application.

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Dave
1983 300D Daily Driver

Can't comment on lubrication but can say that it reduces friction and therefore should not be used on any torqued bolt unless specifically specified by the engine manufacturer. Ignoring will result in over-torquing.

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Terry Allison
N. Calif. & Boca Chica, Panama

09' E320 Bluetec 77k (USA)
09' Hyundai Santa Fe Diesel 48k (S.A.)

Thanks, for the comments.
I have used white lithium spray pretty much exclusively on things such as the throttle ball links. It just seems to be a magnet for dust and other debris. I recall that LPS has a great spray lube for the purpose. It even has a MIL-SPEC number on the can.

Anti seize is pretty much a zinc compound suspended in a carrier lubricant to get it spread throughout a part. The zinc then acts mostly as a corrosion inhibitor and very mild lubricant due to zinc's soft lead-like nature. I will say I've used it on the screw shaft of my balancer puller to ease turning and help prevent galling and stripping threads, and it has really worked well on it. Granted the stuff makes one major mess if you get some on you and don't catch it right away...gets into everything in no time..

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Chris
64 190D R.I.P.
80 240D W/617 engine -for sale
82 240D -for sale

That's what I was looking for...the lubricating property of the zinc. The carrier solvents evaporate, leaving the thick paste behind and the zinc does the lubricating. Does that sound right?

Well, some lube is better than nothing
But the linkage ball joints can gunk up with the silver anti seize which BTW is made of Moly Di Sulphide, or in some cases copper. The stuff doesn't seem to dry out so much as it fills the space but doesn't really seem to lubricate, after all it was designed to prevent galling on threads under compression.
The factory recommends ATF on them, I like TriFlow, a spray lubricant with Teflon in it, it stays put pretty well for a liquid.
The white Lithium grease is really the worst I've ever used, it really cakes up bad.

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'95 E320 Wagon my favorite road car. '99 E300D wolf in sheeps body, '87 300D Sportline suspension, '79 300TD w/ 617.952 engine at 367,750 and counting!

I wouldn't say it could lubricate. I'd imagine its more like a grinding paste than anything.

I use bearing grease.

Don't forget that the plastic levers on the valve cover (If you still have them) are supposed to be dry.

Hadn't thought about bearing grease. Certainly heavy enough to keep its suspension. I'll give it a shot.

+1
You can just pull the linkages and scoop the grease right out of the container and pop them back on. Bearing grease is the way on the linkages.

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let me put it this way, your lubricating something with a soft metal. what lubricates better. metal or oil?

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1981 240d (engine donor 1983 240d) recently rebuilt engine hurray! - No more.. fought a tree and the tree won.

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