How impt is finish line flouro for S&S couplers

[schwa86]

I don't really couple and uncouple the bike much (2x a year?) -- should I really track this flouro grease down or can I go with my 20 y.o. Phil Wood green goo (I sometimes think little elves refill the tube periodically as it never seems to run out)?

[eddief]

but not so sure what is so special about the couplings that they require special grease. I bet someone here knows why we should or why any good grease is fine for couplings.

From the horse's mouth:

Lubricating properties: Couplings made from exotic metals like stainless steel, titanium and aluminum when not properly lubricated, may develop excess friction or sticking of the nut threads during the final tightening. That sticking can give the person tightening the nut the impression that the coupling is tight when really, most of the torque being applied to the nut is going towards overcoming friction and not towards holding the coupling together tightly. For that reason, our number one priority is to specify a product that will allow the nut to turn smoothly without sticking, especially during final tightening. The stickiness experienced during tightening is due to galling. In order to tighten the nut properly, a lubricant that prevents galling is important.

Anti-galling properties: Thread galling seems to be the most prevalent with fasteners made of stainless steel, aluminum and titanium. During fastener tightening, as pressure builds between the contacting thread surfaces, galling can occur. Galling is a severe form of adhesive wear which occurs when two metallic components slide against each other at relatively low speeds. With high loads and poor lubrication, galling can cause surface damage characterized by localized material removal or transfer (material from the nut is deposited on the screw or vice versa). The damage caused by galling may occur after just a few cycles of movement between the mating surfaces. Severe galling can cause seizure and costly problems. The best example that I can think of in our daily life, although not scientifically the same, is when a sticky substance, like rubber cement, gets on your fingers and you rub them together to get it off. The cement clumps together in little globs and as you continue to rub your fingers together, the globs get bigger as they pull additional particles of glue from your fingers. Those globs then stick to one finger or the other or even move back and forth from finger to finger. As the process continues, some of the small globs join together to form even bigger globs. When sliding takes place between a nut and screw, material can transfer and clump together in a similar manner on the nut and screw. As those clumps get larger, the force required to turn the nut increases and eventually, the threads are either scored, torn from either fastener or the nut will seize (freeze in place or cold-weld) permanently to the screw. Using the proper lubricant keeps metal particles from transferring and keeps globs from forming. Looking back at the example of something sticky on our fingers, if we put grease on our fingers over the rubber cement before we rub them together, globs wont' form and the glue will stay put. Lubricating threads with DTBG works is a similar manner. When it is applied, material doesn't transfer and clump together so the threads are undamaged, even with frequent use.

[JLP]

It works for some reason. Whenever people skimp they wonder why their bikes are creaking and coming apart. With the good stuff they hardly ever do that.

[Steve in SLO]

I have used lithium grease on mine for years with nary a creak, but then I use home brew chain lube, too.
Just one data point.

[Anarchist]

I use lithium grease from an auto parts store.

Have done for years. Works fine.

[11.4]

The stuff is chosen for titanium couplers. There is little issue with stainless couplers unless you simply abuse and ignore them. The ti couplers have a tendency, if overtorqued and left that way, to seize. The fluoro grease is very stable chemically and physically (doesn't degrade, doesn't dry out) and it does seem to do a better job in testing than your other basic bike lubes. If you don't overtorque, if you open and adjust your couplers on some regular schedule, and if you use some kind of lubricant, you're probably ok. That's what most people do. S&S used to provide a PTFE grease that was quite similar but the Finish Line stuff is pretty much the same, just an ugly color.

[sandyrs]

How much was the bike? How much is a tube of the grease? You can order it online, not hard to find. I use it on my bike and anticipate one tube lasting almost as long as your Phil grease so I'd say just get one.

[PaMtbRider]

Why not use the recommended stuff for $10.

http://www.amazon.com/Finish-Line-Extreme-Fluoro-Syringe/dp/B002L5UL92/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1450270488&sr=8-1-fkmr1&keywords=fluoro+coupler+grease

[oldpotatoe]

I don't really couple and uncouple the bike much (2x a year?) -- should I really track this flouro grease down or can I go with my 20 y.o. Phil Wood green goo (I sometimes think little elves refill the tube periodically as it never seems to run out)?

Same stuff, BTW, as Phil. Chevron

[schwa86]

Wait, you can buy bike supplies on the internet?

[Tony T]

Wait, you can buy bike supplies on the internet?

Do you have the address and phone# ? :)

[schwa86]

Same stuff, BTW, as Phil. Chevron

At the rate I have been using up the Phil, buying this might send me back in time...

[Bob Ross]

I use it on my bike and anticipate one tube lasting almost as long as your Phil grease so I'd say just get one.

I bought four tubes of the Finish Line Flouro stuff when the missus and I got S&S coupled frames 5 years ago. We travel with those bikes 2-4 times per year. And I just used up the first of those four tubes of grease the other day. So figure ~30 uses per tube?

[simonov]

I bought four tubes of the Finish Line Flouro stuff when the missus and I got S&S coupled frames 5 years ago. We travel with those bikes 2-4 times per year. And I just used up the first of those four tubes of grease the other day. So figure ~30 uses per tube?

Sounds about right. I'm getting around 4 years a tube with about 3-5 trips a year. Pretty low cost per use, so why not use the stuff they recommend.

[Plum Hill]

http://www.sandsmachine.com/ac_greas.htm