Consistent lubrication is the single most important preventive maintenance task on the Mereen-Johnson Rip Navigator Tracker automatic infeed system. The Tracker’s bearings, pivot points, linear guides, and gearboxes all rely on proper greasing intervals to maintain smooth, accurate feeding — and when lubrication is skipped or over-applied, bearings run hot and premature wear follows. This guide walks through the Tracker lubrication program Mereen-Johnson recommends, including greasing intervals, lubricant specifications, and component-specific charts.
Preventive Maintenance: Getting Started
Before putting the Tracker into regular service, walk through these three setup steps:
- Oil the entire machine to start. The Tracker has been properly greased at the Mereen-Johnson assembly floor before shipping, but a full oiling on installation ensures all moving surfaces are protected from the first cycle forward. Do not regrease the motor bearings.
- Set up a lubrication schedule. Use the lubrication charts below as the basis for a written schedule your maintenance team can follow. Consistency matters more than frequency — a machine that’s lubricated on an imperfect-but-followed schedule will outlast one where the schedule exists on paper only.
- Identify component locations. See the machine placard for the specific location of oil cups and grease fittings on your Tracker. Placards vary slightly across Tracker generations, so always reference the one on your specific machine.
Greasing Guidelines
Grease every 400 hours of running time. Do not over-grease — excessive grease is one of the most common causes of bearing failure on infeed systems, because it causes the bearings to run hot and break down the lubricant faster than under-greasing would.
Follow these best practices every time you grease the Tracker:
- Use only a premium-grade Hi-Speed Extreme Pressure (EP) ball bearing grease
- Wipe off all grease fittings both before and after greasing to keep contaminants out of the bearing
- Apply the specified quantity — 1 oz of grease per fitting for the 400-hour service points on the Tracker
Recommended Lubricants
Mereen-Johnson recommends the following greases (or their equivalents) for use on Tracker and all Mereen-Johnson Machine Company equipment:
| Manufacturer | Product |
| Gopher Oil Company | Molylub 126-EP, #1 or #2 |
| Continental Oil Company | Conoco Superlub NLGI #2 |
| Shell Oil Company | Cyprina #3 |
| Socony Vacuum Oil Company | Mobilux #2 |
| Standard Oil of California | Calol |
| The Texas Company | Unitemp |
| The Texas Company | Hitetemp |
| The Texas Company | Regal Starfak AFB #2 |
| Sunoco | Sunaplex 992 EP |
For gearbox lubrication, use 90W gear oil on both the fence adjust gear box and the feed drive gear box.
Tracker Lubrication Chart 6
This chart applies to Tracker configurations with six stop pivot pillow block bearings, disappearing fence pivot bearings, and head shaft pillow block bearings.
| Item | Description | Qty | Frequency | Material |
| 1 | Stop Pivot Pillow Block Bearing | 6 | Every 400 hours of operation | 1 oz of Grease |
| 2 | Disappearing Fence Pivot Bearing | 6 | Every 400 hours of operation | 1 oz of Grease |
| 3 | Head Shaft PB Bearing | 6 | Every 400 hours of operation | 1 oz of Grease |
| 4 | Adj Fence Linear Bearing | 4 | Monthly | Purge with Grease |
| 5 | Fence Mounted Pinch Bearing | 8 | Monthly | Purge with Grease |
| 6 | Fence Adjust Gear Box | 1 | Annually | Drain & Fill with 90W Gear Oil |
| 7 | Feed Drive Gear Box | 1 | Annually | Drain & Fill with 90W Gear Oil |
Tracker Lubrication Chart 7
This chart applies to Tracker configurations with seven stop pivot pillow block bearings, disappearing fence pivot bearings, and head shaft pillow block bearings. The only difference from Chart 6 is the additional pivot and head shaft bearing count — all other components, intervals, and lubricants are identical.
| Item | Description | Qty | Frequency | Material |
| 1 | Stop Pivot Pillow Block Bearing | 7 | Every 400 hours of operation | 1 oz of Grease |
| 2 | Disappearing Fence Pivot Bearing | 7 | Every 400 hours of operation | 1 oz of Grease |
| 3 | Head Shaft PB Bearing | 7 | Every 400 hours of operation | 1 oz of Grease |
| 4 | Adj Fence Linear Bearing | 4 | Monthly | Purge with Grease |
| 5 | Fence Mounted Pinch Bearing | 8 | Monthly | Purge with Grease |
| 6 | Fence Adjust Gear Box | 1 | Annually | Drain & Fill with 90W Gear Oil |
| 7 | Feed Drive Gear Box | 1 | Annually | Drain & Fill with 90W Gear Oil |
Where the Tracker Fits in Your Infeed System
The Tracker is a core component of the Rip Navigator automatic infeed conveyor system, handling board separation and transport from the hopper onto the chain that feeds your rip saw. Consistent Tracker lubrication directly impacts the reliability and throughput of the entire rip line — worn bearings in the Tracker produce uneven feeding that shows up as downstream problems at the saw.
For related maintenance, setup, and troubleshooting resources, see:
- Tracker troubleshooting guide
- Rip Navigator installation guide
- Rip Navigator controls guide
- Scout Deck maintenance
- Scout Deck troubleshooting
Need Service or Replacement Parts?
If you’ve noticed the Tracker isn’t running as smoothly as it used to — or you’re overdue for bearing replacement after extended service — our factory service team can help. Mereen-Johnson technicians maintain the original manufacturing records and parts inventory for every Tracker we’ve built, which means we can source exact-fit bearings and components that keep your infeed system running reliably.
Contact Mereen-Johnson service or call (612) 529-7791 to speak with a factory technician about your Rip Navigator Tracker.