[rpcope1]

I mean I'm sure water could be considered a lubricant too, but it's almost never a good one. WD-40 I'm sure in some technical sense can function as a lubricant but it's a really crappy one and if nothing else tends to dry out quick. Even as a penetrating fluid it's pretty shit even compared to liquid wrench or ATF and acetone. I don't know why people bother using it other than as a water displacer.

Marine bearing and chassis grease is really different than white lithium grease. Lithium grease in general probably isn't advisable on a fan the more I think about it as it tends to destroy plastic and rubber. On a real bearing like a wheel bearing even a thin coat of high pressure grease like synthetic marine grease is going to outperform basically everything else (unless you've got an oil pump involved), and again would be the first thing I'd try and pack a bearing of rotating assembly with hands down. t's probably cheaper or about the same if you go pick up something like a tub of Supertech synthetic marine. I'm sure if you go ask somewhere like BobIsTheOilGuy forums someone there will be able to point to an optimal solution.