Rolando,

 

    Have you ever tried stirring molasses – grease is worse.

 

    After even the 4 years expiry, NOT worth the effort and mess of  $20 for a “calking tube” sized amount of 33MS. Just buy another one – or  a smaller size if you can find it - (although Shell said this tube was the smallest container, only comes in barrels after that). I couldn’t find an alternate, at the time, and I suspect somebody on the web is “repackaging” their “expired tubes” of grease into tiny amount squeeze tubes, at higher prices. Cost them nothing for expired grease, and a fortune to be made for very little labour. I wouldn’t buy AeroShell 33MS ...  except from an aircraft supplies  service company, or a SHELL authorized distributer. However, I was told by their disti, in Canada, that they don’t sell direct to the public. Besides, you would have to buy a skid-full of product. The “supplies service”  companies are the best bet for a tube off the shelf, especially if you tell the clerk it is for a telescope hobby.

 

    According to tech support at SHELL Lubricants division, it isn’t just a matter of the oil separating, but IIRC, he said the binding elements (Teflon, etc.) break down – so no mechanical mixing will help. If you think about it, as aircraft landing wheel worms continue to be in contact, mixing the grease on them on several flights a day, it is constantly “being stirred on the gear surfaces – or even fed from a reservoir”, and yet it separates after 4 years. Of course, the aircraft techs clean off and regrease critical aircraft parts, more often than we do our own  mounts.

 

Nuff said.

Joe