Grease for older Porter Cable Circular Saw

[streetcore]

I have a Porter Cable Circular Saw model 617 that I bought new back in the '90s. I used it a bit back then, but it was been sitting unused in the case for a long time.

This saw has a grease cup at the rear of the gear housing and the manual says that every 50 hours it should be filled with "Porter-Cable Gear Lubricant Catalog No. 801945". Then "install the cap on the grease cup body and screw it on as far as it will go to force the lubricant into the gear chamber."

It looks like the PC part number 801945 has been discontinued and possibly replaced with 878499, but I'm wondering if there is a more readily available alternative that I could use.

Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[onarant]

Skil has a gear oil that will work. I got it from amazon but don't remember the number. Should not be hard to find though.

 

[sselander]

Porter Cable's service site states that 878499 Tube Grease is the correct substitute for 801945 and is readily available.

http://servicenet.portercable.com/Parts/Detail/231167

 

[streetcore]

Porter Cable's service site states that 878499 Tube Grease is the correct substitute for 801945 and is readily available.

http://servicenet.portercable.com/Parts/Detail/231167

Thanks for the replies. I'm in Canada and that site doesn't appear to ship here. I did find part number 878499 on amazon.ca, but it still ships from the states. I may order a tube to be safe, but I was hoping there might be a substitute I could find a lot easier and cheaper at a local hardware or auto parts store.

 

[KnurledNut]

The Skil worm drive oil is NOT what you need.

Power tool grease is typically a NGLI No. 1 grease.
It has a thinner consistency than "common" NGLI 2 grease.

Even though many manufacturers make it, it will probably be difficult to find on the shelf.

Heres an option on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LWMC49B/?tag=atomicindus08-20

You could also check with your Toyota dealer, as NGLI 1 is spec'd for certain applications.

 

[streetcore]

I thought this might be easier, but with all the different options and opinions I think I'll play it safe and order the proper grease from Porter-Cable.

Thanks for all the input.

 

[rlitman]

Skil has a gear oil that will work. I got it from amazon but don't remember the number. Should not be hard to find though.

The OP's saw is direct drive, not worm gear. He needs to lubricate arbor bearings, not sliding parts, so the lubricant is very different.

BTW, HD carries Skill worm gear oil.

The Skil worm drive oil is NOT what you need.

Power tool grease is typically a NGLI No. 1 grease.
It has a thinner consistency than "common" NGLI 2 grease.

Even though many manufacturers make it, it will probably be difficult to find on the shelf.

Heres an option on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LWMC49B/?tag=atomicindus08-20

You could also check with your Toyota dealer, as NGLI 1 is spec'd for certain applications.

My only concern here would be with knowing that you're using a compatible grease chemistry. Are you sure that a lithium complex grease will work?
There's a good chance that the tool shipped with polyurea grease. Adding lithium complex grease is a recipe for disaster if that's the case.

If you were willing to disassemble the bearing and re-grease from scratch that would be a safe choice. I'd reach for a Lubriplate product made for electric motors, but there are plenty of options.

 

[streetcore]

If you were willing to disassemble the bearing and re-grease from scratch that would be a safe choice. I'd reach for a Lubriplate product made for electric motors, but there are plenty of options.

That sounds like a good idea. The saw hasn't been used in a long time and I think I may have put regular bearing grease in the cup at one time years ago. Fortunately, it was never used much and I'd be surprised if it had more than 50 hours on it since I bought it. So I think it would be a good idea to clean it out and get the proper grease in there.

 

[notlob]

This page suggests the correct grease may be castor-oil based (CASTORENE 03XL). Used in numerous Porter Cable direct drive circular saws.

https://www.1800toolrepair.com/tool-repair-parts/sbd-878499