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Lubrication of Mori Filler Nozzle
Are there any lubrication requirements for the Mori filler nozzles? We usually just break them down, clean them, and re-assemble. Never really thought to lube them as I imagined the liquid being filled would provide enough lubrication on the metal/o-ring surfaces. Recently started to get some friction as bottles were inserted, almost feel “sticky” except I just cleaned them. We’ve put a lot of miles on the machine, so it could just be metal/metal wear on the nozzles.
Noticed at TCW @MichaelAtTCW that there were some lubricants listed under the suggestions. Is there a recommended set of lubes and locations? The top cup seal seems like the most obvious point for lube.
Teflon food grade grease? Silicone? Is is recommended to lube the metal surface of the shaft (metal to metal).
So many questions, I just want filling nirvana back.
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8 Replies
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Same here – would love to smooth things out on the action. We use food grade silicon. It does a good job except for the bottom o-ring gasket. No matter what we do the lube wears out after 30-40 bottles. When you put the bottle on it is fairly stiff but the rest of the motion is smooth.
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@Silk City Distillers Yes, it could be just metal/metal wear and binding. I’d break the nozzle down removing all elastomers and slide the outer nozzle slowly over the inner to try and determine the source of binding. It could be a bit of stainless that has worn over time or because of the entry of some foreign particle. If you have some fine grit sand paper and scotchbrite you may be able to bring any protrusions back to level and get the action back where you like it. If the source is on the inside of the tubing it may be more difficult to access, of course, and would probably require a round file
As far as grease, you should try a thin layer of some tackier grease on the area of the nozzle just behind the spring so that it stays on longer than silicone spray, which is very thin. A standard general purpose grease like FM CSC EP 2 would be good. We sell it, or if there’s a store local to you that offers food-grade tools & supplies for restaurants or the like, they probably carry it as well.
Keep me posted.
Same applies to you @Foreshot
Usually nozzles get smoother over time, so it sounds like something got into the interface between the outer and inner tubing and is causing binding.
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The sleeve and shaft are both very, very smooth, but you can see polishing from the wear (nothing that looks like a scratch or galling caused by foreign material).
it was definitely the top seal causing that little bit of binding. Just the tiniest amount of lube made a world of difference (even after I wiped it off with a dry paper towel), but will need to see how it plays out in use. The direction of that top seal makes a difference in the play. I assume the open gap faces down towards the tip (solid up) and not the other way around.
I thought Haynes Lubri-film Plus tasted the best (yes, I tasted a bunch of them, I mean least/no taste and no odor). I have a teflon food-grade lube that I feel like was a little smoother, but it had a very faint odor. The Haynes is also FDA/NSF H1, Kosher, and Halal. I didn’t bother with the food-grade silicone spray, suspect it wouldn’t last very long, like you say.
I’ve got a very very smooth action post lube. Going to break down the rest, give them a good scrub, and re-install.
I did get a new nozzle assembly from TCW a week ago to replace the one that was giving us the most trouble (it was sticking open too, which was a mess). Post lube, new and old were running very similar. Worth noting, even the old nozzles have new rubber that’s maybe a bit over a year old.
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Good to hear. Yes the concave part of the cup seal should be facing downward. And yes, lubing that seal makes a big difference in terms of smoothness. Sometimes roughness is caused by a burr on the stainless. Sometimes it’s just that seal that has a bit of extra material and needs some lubrication.
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The other tip I’d share – clean the inside of the outer sleeve tube with a little lab tube brush to ensure there is no build up/deposit on the inside of that tube, causing it to stick, just rinsing/soaking doesn’t do it.
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I see where you mentioned FM CSC EP 2 as your go to gen purpose grease, but according to it’s safety data sheet it’s mineral oil based. I’m trying to find the best food grade silicone lubricant for o-rings in my pump (as recommended by the manufacturer). Does the base material make a difference – mineral vs silicone? I see that @Silk City Distillers recommended FM CSC EP 2 as well. So curious!
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Hi @lowerylisa1 FM CSC EP 2 is food-grade, and has all the alphabet soup certifications to back it up: FDA, NSF, CFIA. It’s best used as a lubricant for sliding surfaces or bearings where incidental contact may occur. Regarding the particular application in this thread—as a grease for the sliding surface of the Mori Filler nozzle—it works well.
As for the o-rings in your pump, there are some greases specifically for o-rings that will likely work well. We sell Huskey Lube-“O”-Seal (the “O” is for o-ring), for example. It’s another food-grade grease that’s very tacky/sticky to stay in place even in harsh/turbulent conditions. It’s teflon-based rather than mineral-based.
I don’t know that there is a “best”, per se. With regard to mineral-based vs. polymer-based, I suppose it depends on the o-ring material itself. If you go with something like the Huskey that’s specifically for o-rings, it’s unlikely that you’ll go astray. If you’re looking specifically for a silicone-based lubricant the Haynes that @Silk City Distillers mentioned is probably good. We don’t sell it. We do sell this silicone-based lubricant from Polysi that works very well.
My guess is that unless the o-rings are made of a very exotic elastomer, any of the above will work just fine. If the pump manufacturer specified a Silicone-based lubricant then there’s no need to reinvent the wheel, and the Haynes or PolySi will do just fine.
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@MichaelAtTCW Thank you again for your recommendation above, and your recent cartridge filtration recommendation!! We just purchased the system we talked about. You’re my new HERO!! Next up, more distillery hoses!
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