Panasonic NV‑FS200 – Is this dirt or old grease?

[VR20D]

I bought a used Panasonic NV‑FS200 and unscrewed the bottom to see if I could clean anything myself.

Is this dirt that I should remove, or is that old grease? Do I need to clean it with isopropanol?

Thanks in advance

[cholla]

This is my answer but experts might have a different opinion.

The white grease that has yellowed with age & it wouldn't hurt to clean it.
I believe the yellow stain is permanent.
I don't know if white lithium grease is the best for a VCR or not I will leave that to the experts also.

I also don't know if isopropanol is the best cleaning solvent for this.

The black grease looks like black moly automotive grease & should not be used.
It is a heavy duty automotive grease.
I hope isopropyl alcohol will clean the black moly.
There is a 99.9% but I believe you would have to order that.
90% is as high as you will find in a store.
Start slow with just cotton swabs.
clean as much of the grease off as possible with just those.
Then use the isopropyl alcohol also sparingly as possible to prevent dripping.

IMO the black moly has created a mess.
To really clean it well you may need to disassemble the VCR almost completely.

[dellsam34]

I'm not sure about that particular VCR but black grease is a thing, It is not dirt or got black over time, it is black in nature.

[aramkolt]

Interesting. I'd heard that the NV-FS200 was supposed to be most similar to the AG1980, but this looks basically identical to the AG1960 mechanism. Black grease is what was originally used (some type of molykote grease) and is generally fine left alone unless it's lubricating metal on metal, such as a chromed post with a brass sleeve. Those will almost always need grease removal and regreasing with something else as they'll freeze up over time.

[timtape]

Moly grease is good for sliding surfaces, not recommended for rolling surfaces.

[cholla]

Moly grease is good for sliding surfaces, not recommended for rolling surfaces.

There are probably specialty moly lubricants for VCRs. Those may be better for sliding applications.
I did check & some VCR manufacturers did use moly in some places & white lithium in other places.

The best wheel bearing grease for automotive use has molybdenum in it.
Wheel bearings are a rolling surface.

[VR20D]

Thanks guys. I guess it wouldn’t hurt to have a small tube of Molykote‑type grease in stock. Is there any specific type or brand I should go for? I see even AliExpress is selling black grease, and I also read that some people use Super Lube Multi‑Purpose Synthetic Grease in VCRs.

What would be the best and safest way to clean that black grease? I’d like to clean the parts as thoroughly as possible and then re‑grease them correctly.

[timtape]

Moly grease is good for sliding surfaces, not recommended for rolling surfaces.

There are probably specialty moly lubricants for VCRs. Those may be better for sliding applications.
I did check & some VCR manufacturers did use moly in some places & white lithium in other places.

The best wheel bearing grease for automotive use has molybdenum in it.
Wheel bearings are a rolling surface.

The cylindrical tumblers in a wheel bearing both roll and scrape/slide so I guess a lubricant which can serve both lubrication purposes would be required, ie: a compound. My understanding is that moly on its own would not be good for purely rolling surfaces.

[cholla]

I believe that car & truck wheel bearings are considered roller bearings.These would only slide if locked down.
Many years ago I worked for a bearing retail business.Primarily industrial bearings.
The store sold a lot more industrial grade white lithium grease than molybdenum grease.

To answer the cleaning question.
It depends on how much disassembly you are going to do.
If minimal disassembly then a lot of regular cotton swabs .
Dry ones at first just to remove excess grease.
Then lightly alcoholed swabs to keep drip to a minimum/
The alcohol will evaporate but it carries some grease to where in drips.
Maybe to where you do not want any grease. On circuit boards for example.

If you have the skill to disassemble the VCR then any plastic part can be washed with detergent & allowed to dry.
Then lightly lubricated.

From what I have read to clean the head you should use the special swabs for this.
I believe they are chamois.
This is a case of do what I say not what I do.
I always used the VHS tape type cleaner on my VCRs.
I was not doing any high quality capturing from VHS tapes.

[VR20D]

I just want to clean it a little. I don’t plan to disassemble it, so thanks for the tips.

Do you have any recommendations for which Molykote grease I should buy?

[cholla]

I have never used moly grease for a VCR.
I always preferred white lithium grease.

A search says this is the kind to use:
It is non-spreading(so they say) .
Made for electronics.
Molykote EM-30L

No matter what lubricant you use.
Use it sparingly & carefully apply it.
Use something like a wood toothpick with a small amount on it at a time.
or if you need more reach a wood skewer (like for cooking).