Installed Corn Head Grease in my new Luna Z1 Bafang Ultra Mag

[Tom@WashDC]

My Luna Z1 with Bafang Ultra Mag arrived the 2nd week of June, I have about 600 miles on it. I was surprised at the noise level of the Ultra when compared to my Luna BBSHD. I Saw some YouTube videos about the benefits of using Corn Head Grease and figured I would give it a try. When I opened the motor there was really no grease on the gears (see pic). The small amount of grease from the factory was stuck to the sides of the inner casing. The gears had essentially no grease. Corn Head Grease is supposed to liquify or soften and circulate through the gears, at least that's the theory. Put everything back together and took the Z1 out for a spin. Tonight the motor is about 50% quieter than before. We'll see what happens over time.

 

[Imagineaudio]

Still feel it was worth doing? Still seem quieter? No issues?

 

[Tom@WashDC]

Yes, much much quieter. I'm going to disassemble out of curiosity and see what it looks like.
Should report back with pics in a week or so. But yes, considerably quieter.

 

[tomjasz]

Yes, much much quieter. I'm going to disassemble out of curiosity and see what it looks like.
Should report back with pics in a week or so. But yes, considerably quieter.

Does no other grease quiet the gears down? I’m always a little skepitcal of these internet discoveries and claims. Like Mobile 28 and BBSxx “peanut butter” plastic gear…

 

[Tom@WashDC]

I'm sure there are many lubricants that work well. Since there was almost no grease in my new motor when I opened it up, I think packing it with any grease would have made it quieter.

The "theory" behind the corn head grease is interesting in that it does not just stick to the walls, it may recycle itself back onto the gears. I am not sure this is true, and I will have pics soon. I do know that my motor is about 70% quieter than when I got it. More importantly I would encourage everyone to grease their new motor asap, or pay a dealer to check the grease, and then grease the motor at regular service intervals. I'm less concerned about noise than I am about maintaining the motor. I opened my BBSHD after 2,000 miles and it sorely needed grease.

My riding buddy has a Sonders Rockstar with the same motor. His motor is still significantly louder than mine after adding corn head grease to his motor. We theorize that his aluminum frame resonates and amplifies the motor sound more than my carbon fiber frame. Maybe?

The BBSHD spoiled me. It is very quiet.

 

[m@Robertson]

Real curious to see what this looks like inside. I've heard of others using cornhead grease on BBSHDs and later teardowns have shown it pools in the bottom of the secondary housing and sort of bathes that big gear.

Since its never let me down, I'm sticking with Mobil28. Recently installed two Lekkie motor covers with grease ports and that feature seems to work well, based on my loading in grease with a tiny gun and then opening it up after a couple weeks. Made sure the motor was running while I applied and that seems to have helped distribute it.

 

[Marcela]

When the reference is to corn head grease, grease has different nlgi grades. Here is some info for reference.

NLGI consistency number - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Bubba zanetti]

Real curious to see what this looks like inside. I've heard of others using cornhead grease on BBSHDs and later teardowns have shown it pools in the bottom of the secondary housing and sort of bathes that big gear.

Since its never let me down, I'm sticking with Mobil28. Recently installed two Lekkie motor covers with grease ports and that feature seems to work well, based on my loading in grease with a tiny gun and then opening it up after a couple weeks. Made sure the motor was running while I applied and that seems to have helped distribute it.

Grease port? You mean a grease nipple Or what some call a zerk ?

My Rize had about a teaspoon and a half of grease and looked identical to the OP’s pic. I probably put in about Two 1/2 Tbsp of Mobil 28.

 

[rich c]

Grease port? You mean a grease nipple Or what some call a zerk ?

My Rize had about a teaspoon and a half of grease and looked identical to the OP’s pic. I probably put in about Two 1/2 Tbsp of Mobil 28.

A tablespoon is a ton of grease. The gears only need a light film on them. Grease on the case does nothing.

 

[tomjasz]

Mobil28

Why clay based rather than lithium based? SCH100?

 

[tomjasz]

Grease port? You mean a grease nipple Or what some call a zerk ?

Yup that’s what the Lekkie kit uses. A zerk.

 

[tomjasz]

Mobile 28 is another of those because everyone says so products. Except for Mobile techs.

 

[JRA]

Real curious to see what this looks like inside. I've heard of others using cornhead grease on BBSHDs and later teardowns have shown it pools in the bottom of the secondary housing and sort of bathes that big gear.

Since its never let me down, I'm sticking with Mobil28. Recently installed two Lekkie motor covers with grease ports and that feature seems to work well, based on my loading in grease with a tiny gun and then opening it up after a couple weeks. Made sure the motor was running while I applied and that seems to have helped distribute it.

I have had my case split since installing the corn head grease and didn't notice any pooling but an even coverage. YMMV.

 

[m@Robertson]

Grease port? You mean a grease nipple Or what some call a zerk ?

My Rize had about a teaspoon and a half of grease and looked identical to the OP’s pic. I probably put in about Two 1/2 Tbsp of Mobil 28.

Nope not a zerk. Its just a teeny hole at the bottom of a conical receptacle that matches the Park Tool (and similar) bike-sized mini grease gun. Its capped with just a basic (and super tiny) countersunk phillips head screw. Maybe an M2 size.

EDIT: Here's a pic of the motor I am installing next month on my current project (click to embiggen). See the little countersunk phillips head screw at about 10 'o'clock? Unscrew that and there's a hole at the bottom. It fits a Park Tool grease gun tip perfectly.

Why clay based rather than lithium based? SCH100?

Its been in wide use on BBSHDs for years, and besides internet forum arguments, it has never been shown to do anything bad. I know all the stuff about clay based etc. and it seems to be a pointless debate over what is preferable reading the spec sheet vs. something that has essentially a perfect field record.

Only reason I haven't spent the money on SHC100 is I still have at least a half tube of M28. More if I round up all the little pill bottles stuffed with it here and there. I've even used M28 on my geared hubs and found it lasts longer than white lithium, and makes the motor run noticeably quieter - with no ill effects after a few thousand miles. I usually regrease a geared hub motor after about 3000 miles and found white lithium literally seems to evaporate and leave the gears lightly moist at best, while M28's presence is reduced, but I'm not looking at almost-dry (never scarily so) gears.

When its time to blow $50 on another tube of replacement grease, I'll probably go with SHC100. But thats a couple years away and I'm already a few years into successful use of M28.

 

[m@Robertson]

I have had my case split since installing the corn head grease and didn't notice any pooling but an even coverage. YMMV.

I have seen others who use it post that result with pics. As far as I'm concerned a pool that bathes the grease is a good thing so long as it stays where its supposed to be and doesn't migrate outside of the secondary gear housing, which is what I'd be worried about. The stuff I saw was essentially black. I *think* it was John Deere brand.

 

[tomjasz]

Let me repeat, why clay based over lithium based?

 

[Marcela]

What a person really needs to do is clean all the old grease out after the gears have deburred theirselves.

 

[tomjasz]

SHC100

My only point is that I’m not as smart as Mobil techs. And yes it seems M28 has no issues. Mobil tells me it isn’t an ideal mix with lithium and Bafang uses a lithium grease. We saw no repair problems with M28. I’m just one of those fellows that tends to trust those smarter than me and when a product ticks more suitability boxes, I’m in. BTW ALL my BBSxx motors 7 so far, except my newest are lubed with M28. Newest was completely cleaned and redone with M100. Retirement gives me lots of time.

 

[tomjasz]

What a person really needs to do is clean all the old grease out after the gears have deburred theirselves.

You’d think as sloppy as Bafang sometimes seems to be, especially with adequate grease, that would be and issue. But our repair shop and my 8 motors never saw a burr issue. I’m thinking I read an obscure post once but if so it’s quite rare IME.

 

[m@Robertson]

My only point is that I’m not as smart as Mobil techs. And yes it seems M28 has no issues. Mobil tells me it isn’t an ideal mix with lithium and Bafang uses a lithium grease. We saw no repair problems with M28. I’m just one of those fellows that tends to trust those smarter than me and when a product ticks more suitability boxes, I’m in. BTW ALL my BBSxx motors 7 so far, except my newest are lubed with M28. Newest was completely cleaned and redone with M100. Retirement gives me lots of time.

One of the things I think you are supposed to do is clean out all the black lithium first and not mix with M28. I have actually cheated on this on one motor (a hub) as a test to see what happens - one of the advantages of having a bunch of motors to play with. The lithium mixed with the M28 created what at least appeared to be a 'lighter' grease that, oddly enough, seemed to work a little better on the geared hub (counterintuitively, it seemed to stay on the gear surfaces better). But not enough for me to risk taking the experiment further.