Is it OK to put STP in turbine bearings? I've heard that it can have a bad reaction with additives. Thoughts?

Oil companies spend millions of dollars to identify exactly what chemistry properly synergize both base oil and additive down to the part per million. This is backed with failure analysis and documented success. Compound blending lubricants is a balancing act and often times upsetting this balance can have detrimental effects. The positives they may be gained do not justify the potential negatives of having a failure especially when dealing with a turbine.

Daryl

STP contains detergents which will cause water to remain in suspension. For Turbines, this is not good. STP will cause your demulsibilty in your turbine oil to change in the wrong direction. I have been told that it only takes 5 quarts of STP to ruin 10,000 gallons of turbine oil. I use Mobil SHC 634 for pre-wetting metal services. It is a ISO 460 grade, blends well with the turbine oil and is heavy enough in grade so it hangs around for an extended period of time.

you can use a high quality turbine oil such as lubrication engineers 4932,4933 etc.We use them exclusivley here at Georgia Power. It is my job to lube the system(coal fired) plant. I know they have made my life easier.

chris nowlen

Good advice about not using STP because of the effect it has on the water shedding ability of your turbine oil. Westinghouse has an OMM out about not using STP. But, I would suggest that you not mix brands of oil. Get the highest viscosity you can get of the same turbine oil that you are now using. Our supplier can get us an ISO 460 grade. We had to buy a full barrel of it. We pour it up into gallon jugs and use that on our turbine bearings during assembly and during alignment.

Good advise not to add stp or any other additive to formulated oil. In a given circumstances, find out the root cause and select another oil that is more appropriate before adding anything

I just wanted to repeat Georgia Powers portion about LE Lubrication Engineers - we use them near exclusively too at Kayline in NJ