sealing grease?
 

Just getting ready to put a plane in the water and have a few questions about sealing greases. The two primary places I am concerned about are the wing saddle and the rudder control rod. I have done some searches about this and a lot of people are using marine wheel bearing grease in the control rods. I have nyrods and am concerned the grease might hurt the plastic. I plan to use silicone to make a wing saddle gasket however I still want to put a small bead of grease on to insure the water seal. Is Vaseline used for control rods or wing saddles? The only concern I might have with Vaseline is if the sun hits it too long on a warm day, it might melt. Vaseline is also a petroleum product and may also hurt the plastic.
So, what are the masses using for the nyrod control rods, and the wing saddle for grease?

RE: sealing grease?
 

Well I looked around locally and found some dielectric silicone grease at napa auto parts. It looks like the melting point is 400 deg. and is waterproof. It should not attack plastics but may be harder to wipe off than regular grease. Regular grease can be taken off with degreasers, however silicone can only be wiped off and I don't think you can ever get it all off. I have the 8 oz tub of dielectric silicone grease ordered from napa for $6.48. I figure I will pack it into a syring from the agg store and can squeeze it out in a nice bead.

RE: sealing grease?
 

So little water gets in the nyrods that it is questionable whether if it is worth the effort.  A squirt of spray silicone lubricant into the nyrod housing will cause any water intrusion to bead and further impede the flow of additional water.  Water comes in through hatch covers and wing saddles.  The Nyrods are never immersed, even if the plane is floating on its back. 

I had always used saran wrap and silicone sealer to seal wing saddles ( with the saran wrap acting as a parting agent.)
Last time I did it I wet the wing with silicone spray where it would meet the caulk and set the wing into a bead of caulk.  I let it sit for a week so the caulk would have time to cure with very little of an air path.  It sealed perfectly, and there were none of the wrinkles I had experienced before. 

Unlike vaseline or Silicone grease:  RTV or caulk form a permanent flexible seal that  will not leave a film that will prevent you from being able to repair the covering at some time in the future.  If you've ever tried to patch monokote over a slimy place on the plane-it ain't gonna happen. 

RE: sealing grease?
 

As much as I agree with Jim on making a silicon gasket is a much better solution,, Monokote can be wiped clean with Lacquer thinner or Acetone when it comes time for repairs,, the Grease isn't going to create more slime than nitro fuel residue will.

And,
I've never seen any ill effects using wheel bearing grease on nyrod,, I've used it to seal push rod exits for 20 years

good luck