I have an old (1935) Kitchen Aid mixer that needed re-greasing about
15 years ago. I could tell because it was having a hard time starting
up. So I took it apart and cleaned every last trace of the dried out
old grease out. It looked like it was probably originally white
lithium base grease so that's what I used when I re-greased it. A few
months ago it started acting again like the grease was getting too
stiff. This time the grease turned into glue. I took the gearbox apart
and tried washing the grease out with stoddard solvent and the solvent
hardly touches the stuff. It has to be removed with a stiff brush.
Anyway, I got most of the grease out and have been looking for a good
grease to put back into the gearbox. I ordered some food safe grease
and today decided to wash the last traces of the old grease out but I
cannot get the transmission to come completely apart now because a
couple shafts refuse to turn and they need to be turned so I can get
at a retaining pin. I stick a 5/32 allen wrench through a pin hole in
the output shaft to turn it and the allen wrench bent. The shaft still
won't turn. What could cause this grease to do what it did?
Thanks,
Eric