Needle bearing assembly grease in DFI?

[150aintenuff]

I was taught at an early age not to use grease at all for needle bearing assymbly...that it had a tendency to slide the needles instead of letting them roll in the first few seconds during and after startup,resulting in microscopic flats on the needles,shortening their life.I've never put this to the test,and never felt a need to...I set the wrist needles in place in the rod with a spacer a few thousandths smaller than the wrist pin,supported on the bottom by the washer,put the rod into the piston and slide the pin into the rod,displacing the spacer...slip in the other washer,install the circlips,and you're done.Add a squirt of oil and you're set...no sticky grease,no sliding bearings,no washing grease out...



Proper lube is important in a four stroke to protect against bearing wear on forced oiling systems before they build oil pressure...no need on a needle bearing...light oil is my choice...although I do have a favorite mix I like,I don't think it's important.
Think about it...there are usually around twice as many wrist needles as rod needles,only moving in a 60 degree arc,instead of the 360 degree motion of the rod needles...they should last forever...yet we see failures commonly...might sliding greased in place needles be a factor?
Who knows,but for me the spacer method is faster,cleaner,simpler,won't slide the needles,and I won't have the chance of sticking a greasy needle somewhere it dosen't belong,Chris

velocity plays a huge factor as well as directional changes 2X each stroke so the needles on the wrist pin change directions 16,000 times a min at 8000 rpm...

[Bullet89]

I use Pro Marine needle bearing grease on all of the Opti and other DFI engines as well. On a hot day in the shop, you can pour it out of the container. It has to be put in the cooler just to hold the needles in place. It turns to liquid around 100 degrees. I have never had any issues with it but do what ever makes you feel comfortable.