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Documentation with a recently purchased rebuilt original power antenna calls for lubricating the motor "bearing" every 6 months through a hole in "the base of the motor". There are two holes. One is the threaded mounting hole. The other is a moisture drain hole in the bottom of the cable reel housing. The supplier, Long Island Corvette, says the cable housing hole is correct for lubrication. Recognizing the difficulty of access, they don't have a recommendation as to how this periodic lubrication is done. Has anyone heard of this periodic lubrication before? Any thoughts on squirting the cable housing full of oil and letting it run out prior to installation? What if is not oiled at all?
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Re: 66 Power Antenna (Lubrication?)
That is what the hole is for. I was never able to figure what GM had in mind back in 65. Most of the time, the original ones had a wax coating over the entire motor assembly. I don't feel that any of the originals ever got any lube. I would think now you can get oil in spray can with a plastic tube and get some oil up in there ( if you can get your arm up there). It will just run back out. In the original ones there is a metal wire spring that is the drive mech for the antenna shaft. Don't know what the rebuild ones now have. A few years ago, the drive cable had been replace with nylon cord. I had an article with pitures in Restorer that you might be able to do search for and see the insides. Hope that helps. -
Re: 66 Power Antenna (Lubrication?)
Thanks, Ken. I have the NCRS CD and did check the articles. I saw no mention of lubrication. Given the types of failures addressed in the articles, lube makes sense, but I had not heard of it. Nothing in the service manual either, nor the AIM, though I would not expect lube info in the AIM. Maybe lack of lube is indeed why so many fail.Comment
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Re: 66 Power Antenna (Lubrication?)
Back then no one would climb under a car and lube it. As i said the entire assembly was dipped in a wax type sealer. No one knew the hole was there. GM didn't plan on a car lasting that long. I am sure that the moisture lead to the rusting of the original feed spring. Now days the grease in a can is a life saver on items of this. Getting to it is a problem. Good topic.Comment
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