Beware of Lithium Grease (Dave Forlano, Alpha Tech)
This year I have come across dozens of games that we have received as trade-ins or purchased from other game operators where white lithium grease had been used as a lubricant. These games did not earn well mainly because they did not work properly and lithium grease was certainly a major contributing factor.
Some game techs use lithium grease to wipe down pusher playfields to remove dirt and make the coins slide easier. The grease gets on the coins and gums up the hoppers. Recently I came across a 2 Minute Drill where lithium grease was used to lubricate the friction point between the target magnets. The grease eventually dried into a paste. This prevented the magnets from sliding, essentially gluing them together, resulting in one of the target motor gear boxes getting shredded (a costly repair).
When it is necessary to lubricate friction points other than bearings and gears, my recommendation is to use good old pinball playfield wax. Apply it and then wipe it off completely. It leaves a nice, slick surface. For bearings and light gears, 3 in 1 oil is all you need.
