Let's Talk About Grease

[kppolich]

What grease do you use? What parts do you grease and which parts do you NOT grease?

Asking after a muddy weekend of CX racing and I'm up in the air about which grease and if there is a need for multiple types of grease?

Let's Fill This In

Pedal Bearings:
Pedal Threads:
Crank Spindle:
Crank Arm:
Headset Bearings:
Bottom Bracket Bearings:
Pulley Wheels:
Wheel Bearings:
Freehub Bearings:

[sales guy]

I use Finish Line Teflon grease for everything. For freehub bodies, I use finish Line grease also but I put Tri Flow in it also to thin it down. It works great especially on Mavic freehubs. Keeps things waterproof and allows the pawls to activate.

[Cicli]

What grease do you use? What parts do you grease and which parts do you NOT grease?

Asking after a muddy weekend of CX racing and I'm up in the air about which grease and if there is a need for multiple types of grease?

Let's Fill This In

Pedal Bearings: Phils
Pedal Threads: Phils
Crank Spindle: Phils
Crank Arm: Phils
Headset Bearings: Phils
Bottom Bracket Bearings: Phils
Pulley Wheels: Phils
Wheel Bearings: Phils
Freehub Bearings: Phils

Hope that helps.

[johnniecakes]

Mobil1 for everything except cables, they get Finish Line with Teflon. BB threads and headset cups get anti-seize.

[parris]

I run Phil for just about everything.

[ultraman6970]

Ultra uses lithium pretty much for everything and depending of what it is, specially like plastic parts into brifters for example I use 100% silicone cumpound greasy gel thingy....

[FriarQuade]

Phil is a great option if you want to leave it alone for the next several years. It's a horrible option if you want something that's fast.

My opinion on grease is directly related on how much maintenance you are willing to do.

[William]

Well, first Sandy and Danny met at the beach and by the end of the Summer they were singing metal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GGWRAT-W7o


Oh wait, wrong type of Grease. :crap:

Never mind.







:)
William

[oldpotatoe]

What grease do you use? What parts do you grease and which parts do you NOT grease?

Asking after a muddy weekend of CX racing and I'm up in the air about which grease and if there is a need for multiple types of grease?

Let's Fill This In

Pedal Bearings:
Pedal Threads:
Crank Spindle:
Crank Arm:
Headset Bearings:
Bottom Bracket Bearings:
Pulley Wheels:
Wheel Bearings:
Freehub Bearings:

Grease is oil in ‘soap’. I use a 50/50 blend of automotive lithium and blue waterproof ‘boat grease’. 1000 gr tub for $10.

[Ralph]

I think grease is grease. There is a difference in thickness.....and most bicycle use is no where near the forces automotive or marine grease is designed for.....lighter is probably better.

I do think there is a difference is how tubes are designed to dispense the grease. I like tubes that put it out in smaller amounts.

Actually.....my favorite all time bicycle grease is the red color "Bullshot" grease. And I still have a tube of it I use for certain things. It dispenses easily into small places like wheel bearings, etc. Can't find it anymore.

I grease about everything that has threads and not exposed to the elements and collects dust and dirt. I clean a lot with WD40.....especially areas that collect sweat. Allen headed bolts around brakes, derailleurs, pivots, shifters etc. Maybe light oil on cables.

[Mark McM]

I think grease is grease. There is a difference in thickness.....and most bicycle use is no where near the forces automotive or marine grease is designed for.....lighter is probably better.

I disagree. As Peter says, grease is oil suspended in a soap. The oil determines the lubricity of the grease, but the soap determines how well it holds together under different environments. For example, some soaps withstands high temperatures better, other soaps are more water resistant, etc.

For example, Phil's grease is reputed to be a rebranded marine grease, and so is formulated to be very water resistant.

[dddd]

The one conundrum I've pondered is the different behavior of greases in terms of whether they push aside to provide an effective stationary barrier, such as Finish Line Teflon Grease, or whether the grease is clingy and "stringy" like mucous and which might be expected to recirculate more effectively.
This is more than just a result of differing grease "thickness" it seems.

I lean toward a more-stationary grease barrier, at least for bearings where some degree of contamination might make it past any seals and/or shields, as I feel that it is MUCH more important to exclude any external contamination versus carrying away of any wear from bearing surfaces (which perhaps paradoxically can act as a most effective extreme-pressure barrier/lubricant, a process that may be deliberately enhanced through the addition of sulphur, as in gearbox oils).

[Satellite]

Phil Wood its the best investment in cycling. I bought my tube 15 years ago and I use it for other project besides bike parts. I just can't seem to use it up. I use anti seize where any kind of a press fitting will be applied but mostly the PHIL WOOD.

[Ralph]

I disagree. As Peter says, grease is oil suspended in a soap. The oil determines the lubricity of the grease, but the soap determines how well it holds together under different environments. For example, some soaps withstands high temperatures better, other soaps are more water resistant, etc.

For example, Phil's grease is reputed to be a rebranded marine grease, and so is formulated to be very water resistant.

My point about grease being grease is about how most cyclist will use it. BB bearings, wheel bearings, pedal bearings, etc mostly sealed now. So most grease is just used on threads.....pedal threads, small bolt threads, metal seat posts, cassette body hubs, around BB cups, uses like that. About anything works. On my loose bearing hubs....do use proper grease. A tub or tube of all purpose grease is handy to have around. For CX, gravel, or MTN....or riding in rain, might get particular about what I used.

[soulspinner]

phil wood its the best investment in cycling. I bought my tube 15 years ago and i use it for other project besides bike parts. I just can't seem to use it up. I use anti seize where any kind of a press fitting will be applied but mostly the phil wood.

+1

[AngryScientist]

i've been working on cars, boats, jet skis, trailers, etc for long before i was a cyclist.

the demands of a bicycle on grease are pretty low comparatively speaking; namely - no high temperature, and no excessively high speed.

for most of the bike stuff that requires grease i generally use a tub of bel ray grease i've had for years, there are a few others out in the garage and in the basement. they all work fine.

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51GU2qfjTyL._SY300_.jpg

[oldpotatoe]

Phil Wood its the best investment in cycling. I bought my tube 15 years ago and I use it for other project besides bike parts. I just can't seem to use it up. I use anti seize where any kind of a press fitting will be applied but mostly the PHIL WOOD.

Look familiar?..Phil is repackaged automotive grease..smells the same too. Chevron was always the rumor.

OBTW-I'm RICH, I have a 500g tub of this stuff..still most left!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Campagnolo-Grease-Vintage-Bike-Bicycle-lubricant-Super-Record-Tool-Kit-/311976517260?hash=item48a33fde8c:g:uuwAAOSwL5BZ2qi m

[simplemind]

OBTW-I'm RICH, I have a 500g tub of this stuff..still most left!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Campagnolo-Grease-Vintage-Bike-Bicycle-lubricant-Super-Record-Tool-Kit-/311976517260?hash=item48a33fde8c:g:uuwAAOSwL5BZ2qi m

lol, that's a good one spud!

I tend to use Park PL-1 for most general assembly just because I have it and it's a synthetic and probably won't effect plastic and rubber parts it touches.
However where I want to protect from water I tend to like Rock n Roll Super Web Grease.
If it's an extreme pressure application as in the Yeti Switch Infinity system, a Moly filled grease is recommended.
So yes, I'm a grease whore, probably from my Materials Engineering background, I just can't help myself. :rolleyes:

[Bob Ross]

Phil is a great option if you want to leave it alone for the next several years. It's a horrible option if you want something that's fast.

I have no idea what "fast" means in this context.

[wallymann]

Grease is oil in ‘soap’. I use a 50/50 blend of automotive lithium and blue waterproof ‘boat grease’. 1000 gr tub for $10.

how do you blend them so you ensure really even dispersion of the 2 compounds?

[oldpotatoe]

how do you blend them so you ensure really even dispersion of the 2 compounds?

I take 1/2 out, put 1/2 of the other in and mix with this..like mixing cookie dough..until it's a nice light blue color(lithium-white, boat grease-blue)..

For bikes, not a high speed turbine..:)

[Bob Ross]

Phil Wood its the best investment in cycling. I bought my tube 15 years ago and I use it for other project besides bike parts. I just can't seem to use it up.

That's weird, I'm on my second tube in ~10 years. I'm using it on six different bikes...but maybe I'm still using too much?

I use Phil's on all threads -- perhaps obsessively so. Also on seatposts, on bar/stem interfaces, saddle rails, skewers, sometimes on dropouts if things are squeaking.

I have something generic loaded into my grease gun that I use for the inner guts of Speedplay pedals. If/when I ever run out of that I'll probably replace it with either Phil's or NFS Race Grease (because, y'know, why not?).

The only other type of grease I use is Finish Line Extreme Flouro for the S&S Couplers on our travel bikes.

[Mikej]

I like the green shimano special grease from Germany, just not on cables.

[chiasticon]

yep, Phil.

[merckx]

Absolutely nothing smelled better than this. What else do you need to know?

[FriarQuade]

I have no idea what "fast" means in this context.

Phil's grease is too thick for 'race' wheels and slows them down. Since this thread started in the context of CX racing I thought it was worth mentioning. Slick Honey will last a full season for most people under normal conditions and is much faster in a hub or bottom bracket than the Phil's everybody is hung up on. But like I mentioned before, grease recommendations are directly related to how much maintenance you're willing to do.

[classtimesailer]

After two tubes of Phils over the last 20 years and milking the last one for probably the last 3 years. I finally got a tub of marine grease. I just dip my finger in it and slather it where it needs to go and some where it doesn't. One of these days, I'll get a cute little grease gun and watch a You Tube video about how to load it.

[11.4]

To elaborate on a couple points made above:

Greases undergo what's called shear thinning. This means that while they are thick when standing, when pressure is applied they assume the viscosity and lubricity of the lubricants in the grease. In other words, a grease acts like an oil when actually under load. The oil and the emulsifying agent between them determine when shear thinning occurs, which determines when it acts like an oil and less like a barrier to water or grit.

Greases come in countless formulations. They are basically an oil (or combination of oils) mixed with an emulsifying agent, frequently a stearate (aka, a soap) in better greases. Emulsifiers can vary widely from cheap low-duty ones (often simple clay) in products like your traditional Campagnolo white grease up to high quality emulsifiers like graphite or mica, used for long-lived applications and specialty applications like aircraft jet engines. They all do a decent job of lubricating; it's more a question of whether they stay in place and provide resistance to ingress by water and grit. If you've used old Campy grease and you've experienced it spinning out of the bearings and getting contaminated quickly, that's why better greases can do better, but why Campy grease still does fine from a simple standpoint of lubricating bearings. You just have to change it frequently, especially when wet.

There are also synthetic greases which skip the emulsifying agent and use long-chain lubricants that are themselves capable of lubricating as well as emulsifying. Phil Grease is an example of this. It does a good job of lubricating at the bearing surface but remaining a barrier that keeps water and grit out. The grease that the bearings are actually pushing around are shear thinned while grease at the seals remains a barrier. This still isn't the ideal if measured solely on stiction, but it's also a very realistic approach for anything but something as esoteric and critical as an hour record.

None of these greases should dry out. Grease is going to collect dirt rather than actually dry, and it's the dirt that's the real problem. Oils can glaze or varnish if they're inexpensive and contain volatile elements, just like gasoline can mess up a traditional carburetor. Good greases, like good oils, won't have a problem.

You don't want to mix greases any more than you want to mix rim cements. (This is now officially a tubular gluing thread. Ugh.) Different emulsifiers can conflict with each other and impair their ability to do their job. Even among oils, some can be mixed and others can't be. Pick the right grease and be sure everything is cleaned out of the bearings and races before you pack it again. Even small residues of grease can contaminate a new and different one.

[54ny77]

Go with the Grecian Formula.

https://static.gate1travel.com/shared/greece/headers/santorini.jpg

[Gummee]

Phil Wood its the best investment in cycling. I bought my tube 15 years ago and I use it for other project besides bike parts. I just can't seem to use it up. I use anti seize where any kind of a press fitting will be applied but mostly the PHIL WOOD.

I bought a tube of Phil grease in college. I'm down to the dregs at the bottom of the tube.

End of an era...

Having said that, I'll use pretty much anything automotive-related that's in the garage for bearings* and Morgan Blue Aquaproof paste for BBs and HSs that just need 'grease' to keep em moving freely in the frame

M

* I have a tendency to take things apart 'for fun' so YMMV

[fignon's barber]

I've had a big tube of Phil Wood since the mid 1990's. Wanted to try something different: Morgan Blue Campa Grease. Looks and tastes like the real Campagnolo grease, less the magic fairy dust. Plus it's made in some Belgian guy's garage and costs $9 a jar.

[Tony]

Phil's grease is too thick for 'race' wheels and slows them down. Since this thread started in the context of CX racing I thought it was worth mentioning. Slick Honey will last a full season for most people under normal conditions and is much faster in a hub or bottom bracket than the Phil's everybody is hung up on. But like I mentioned before, grease recommendations are directly related to how much maintenance you're willing to do.

Slick Honey is what I use on my hubs and BB. Several hub manufactures also recommend SH for their hubs. Everything else get water proof grease, whatever is available at my local auto store.

[oldpotatoe]

I've had a big tube of Phil Wood since the mid 1990's. Wanted to try something different: Morgan Blue Campa Grease. Looks and tastes like the real Campagnolo grease, less the magic fairy dust. Plus it's made in some Belgian guy's garage and costs $9 a jar.

Close, very close, but...Gipiemme another -ala Campag-:)

[Tommasini53]

Absolutely nothing smelled better than this. What else do you need to know?

+1...Yankee Candle for your bike mechanic spouse. :beer:

[etu]

Has the way Phil's grease smelled changed? I used up my tube recently and the new one stinks. The old one had a nice "mechanical/industrial" smell.

[kramnnim]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYUZIW0kEPM

[smead]

Phil's grease is too thick for 'race' wheels and slows them down. Since this thread started in the context of CX racing I thought it was worth mentioning. Slick Honey will last a full season for most people under normal conditions and is much faster in a hub or bottom bracket than the Phil's everybody is hung up on. But like I mentioned before, grease recommendations are directly related to how much maintenance you're willing to do.

After repacking my DA cup and cone hubs with Phil grease and running a couple of rides, I can put the wheel in a stand and spin while I go have lunch, watch a quarter of the football game that I could care less about, then have a beer, then go back to the garage and the wheel "might" stop spinning completely, but it will still rock back and forth as it's not perfectly balanced .., pop another beer and another 15 mins later it's still going like my antique pendulum clock ...

I really doubt this will affect my next race, I think my unshaven face will have more drag. :beer:

[rab]

Also a big proponent of Phil Woods Weatherproof Grease. I use a small syringe with a plastic tip for pinpoint dispensing, really can keep things clean.