I have a 27 or so year old KitchenAid stand mixer that was handed down to me from my stepmother a few years ago and it's been a real workhorse all these years. I use it weekly and even used it to make my own wedding cake in 2012.

I realized it's NEVER been lubricated in all that time! Is there a process to open them up and lube them? I'm almost afraid to look inside after 27 years of no lube.

It's the kind that has the bowl raising lever, not the kind where the motor flips up.

have you checked youtube?

The bowl lifter are the better ones, Yes there are very clear instructions on youtbue on how to do it.
I have never done it. I do think that at 27 years, if it aint broke, done mess with it. I can see the advantages of new fluid, but I can't see that it would be worth it.

The rings are known to seep oil, I had an artisan model that did this and it was a pain in the ass.

never got that goblin fixed and I sold it on the cheap

I think the best thing you can do is keep the temperature on it constant. Dont leave it in the garage or anything, that would put the seams at risk of swelling/leaking.

There are numerous videos on youtube demonstrating this. You want "benalene food grade grease". I got it from amazon.

The grease deteriorates with age, which is what causes oil to leak down the shaft. You can buy Kitchenaid mixers cheap from people who think there's some bad problem because they're leaking oil. That's how I got ours from a rummage sale.

I've done it on the flip-up kind. It's just a mass of grease on the inside -- no fluid that I recall.

This is the first item I splurged on for my wife as in buying something that I thought would last a lifetime. Had it since the early 80's and still going strong. Never been lubed.

My son's crapped our a few years ago and he was gonna trash it. The mixer wouldn't turn.

I suggested we look for parts, which we easily found. A plastic gear stripped. When we disassembled to replace the gear, the head was very well greased.

The gear came with a package of grease that we addeded.

The mixer has been fine ever since. The plastic gear appeared to be the sacrificial part.

Mike

I think it helps that you use it weekly. I've got one that sits for long periods and has leaked a little bit as the lube separates over time.

As previously mentioned, YouTube has many good videos.

For the grease, I found a restaurant supply which also did sharpening and equipment repair and bought just enough loose grease from them to do the job.

Oops. Had mine apart to put locktite on the bolts that hold the head in place, and added a little Valvoline grease! So far, pizza and bread dough still come out white/beige.