Wipaire has rolled out oil bath wheels on new production Wipline 8750 amphibious floats, eliminating the need for repeated greasing.
The design allows the main gear wheel bearings to be continuously lubricated using common SAE 15W50 motor oil (or equivalent), increasing the life of the bearings, company officials explained.
Oil bath wheels are standard on Wipline 8750 floats serial number 87177 and up. A retrofit kit is available for floats serial number 87176 and down, priced at $9,995 installed.
Retrofit installation takes approximately 25 hours, and can be completed by Wipaire at its locations in South St. Paul, Minnesota, and in Leesburg, Florida, outside Orlando.
Owners may also have their regular maintenance provider comply with the upgrade.
“For our customers, repetitive bearing replacement adds to recurring maintenance costs,” said Chuck Wiplinger, President/COO of Wipaire, Inc. “In our efforts to deliver the best experience possible for our owners and operators, we’re not only making the oil bath wheels standard on all new Wipline 8750 floats, we’ve also made this upgrade available for floats already in service.”
“When our customers challenged us to reduce maintenance costs, we went to work,” added Clint Clouatre, vice president of marketing & sales. “Our new oil bath wheels improve the lubrication of the main gear wheel bearings, thereby increasing the lifespan of the bearings and reducing replacement costs. It’s a win-win for all Wipline 8750 operators.”