Is there some kind of conspiracy against silicone lubricants?

Throckmorton · Mar 10, 2013

It's one of those things that makes no sense. Rubber bushings and seals are damaged by petroleum based grease, and the proper lubricants to use are silicone based. But go to any auto parts store and try to find silicone grease. Ask your mechanic-- I bet he won't even know what silicone grease is.
Some companies do sell silicone grease, but they don't label it that way. They label it as "bushing grease" and "synthetic grease" and things like that and don't even mention silicone on the label. You really have no way of knowing whether they really are silicone.

If you want silicone grease to install some bushings right now, and can't wait for a delivery, your only option is to go to Ace Hardware and buy plumber's grease.

You can't explain that!

Note: thread was bumped by a spammer; spammer's post was deleted. I.e., 996GT2 isn't the one who bumped this thread. -Admin DrPizza

nickbits · Mar 10, 2013

They sell silicon lube for treadmills.

Throckmorton · Mar 10, 2013

nickbits said:
They sell silicon lube for treadmills.

Bet you can't go out and buy some right now for your treadmill. Go to a store and ask for silicone grease for your treadmill and the workers will look at you like you're insane. They'll probably sell you lithium grease or a jar of Vaseline!!

Alienwho · Mar 10, 2013

I buy silicone for my foosball table on amazon and they have dozens of different kinds of treadmill silicone.

Fenixgoon · Mar 10, 2013

Moly 4 life!

jlee · Mar 10, 2013

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/ac...lubricant/_/N-25ap?itemIdentifier=828521_0_0_ ?

Throckmorton · Mar 10, 2013

jlee said:
http://www.autozone.com/autozone/ac...lubricant/_/N-25ap?itemIdentifier=828521_0_0_ ?

Yes lots of stores have that but what they don't tell you is that the silicone is suspended in a petroleum based solvent which will damage rubber and is extremely toxic

WelshBloke · Mar 10, 2013

My wife bought some silicone based lube, but we preferred the water based ones.

... Wait... This isn't the Love and Relationships forum.

*backs out of thread*

Zenmervolt · Mar 10, 2013

Dielectric grease is silicone. Any auto parts store should have a shelf full of it.

ZV

Throckmorton · Mar 10, 2013

Zenmervolt said:
Dielectric grease is silicone. Any auto parts store should have a shelf full of it.

ZV

They don't say anywhere on the package that they're silicone grease, and no mention of using it on rubber. Why would they not label it that way? How do the grease manufacturers benefit from consumers thinking petroleum grease is OK for rubber and not advertising the right product for the job?

lavaheadache · Mar 10, 2013

Throckmorton said:
They don't say anywhere on the package that they're silicone grease, and no mention of using it on rubber. Why would they not label it that way? How do the grease manufacturers benefit from consumers thinking petroleum grease is OK for rubber and not advertising the right product for the job?

It is meant for spark plug boots, if that tells you anything about it being for rubber=)

Howard · Mar 10, 2013

O-ring lube which says "safe for rubbers" would be silicone grease.

For example 9463K33 on McMaster-Carr.

MadScientist · Mar 10, 2013

I emailed them and asked them for a sample. They sent me a free 4 oz tube.
http://www.haynesmfg.com/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=1000S&reference=/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi%3Fsearch%3Daction%26keywords%3D%26searchstart%3D0%26template%3DPDGCommTemplates/Plain/SearchResult.html

Others on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Haynes-Silicone-Grease-4oz-Tube/sim/B003N3X0P8/2

I've also used Dow Corning 111 silicone grease.

LTC8K6 · Mar 10, 2013

Silicone greases and oils are available at my local Lowe's hardware.

Silicone is very bad for some sensors on vehicles, though.

phucheneh · Mar 10, 2013

What's wrong with 'synthetic axle grease' again? As in...like regular axle grease (the stuff for hub bearings, ball joints, and other under-car stuff)...but it's synthetic?

Silicone lube itself is not suitable for that stuff. Maybe something with a silicone additive.

edit: and if you're installing something like aftermarket sway bar or control arm bushings, urethane isn't degraded by petroleum products.

evident · Mar 10, 2013

pretty sure shin etsu grease is silicone, honda dealerships should sell it as it's a part of their oem catalog. i had to use it to get rid of a rattle in my car

JCH13 · Mar 11, 2013

My understanding is that silicone grease is generally avoided in the automotive field because it totally messes up bodywork and paint. In some lab settings it can irreversibly contaminate equipment. It's very tenacious stuff.

Having said that, I've got a can of silicone lube spray that I got at Autozone. Definitely not a conspiracy to avoid it, it's just not frequently a great choice.

I agree with Phucheneh, I use synthetic Mobil 1 grease for pretty much everything. It works great.

Throckmorton · Mar 11, 2013

JCH13 said:
My understanding is that silicone grease is generally avoided in the automotive field because it totally messes up bodywork and paint. In some lab settings it can irreversibly contaminate equipment. It's very tenacious stuff.

Having said that, I've got a can of silicone lube spray that I got at Autozone. Definitely not a conspiracy to avoid it, it's just not frequently a great choice.

I agree with Phucheneh, I use synthetic Mobil 1 grease for pretty much everything. It works great.

I don't think it will mess up paint unless the paint is silicone based. The sprays will because they use hydrocarbon solvent

sontakke · Mar 11, 2013

ebay (righthondaparts) has Genuine Honda OEM Shin-Etsu Silicone Grease for about $18. One tube will last you for lifetime. It is great for weatherstripping such as door seals or sunroof on the car.

Be aware that Shin-Etsu has different color and consistency than the spark plug boot grease. Shin-Etsu is white and little thinner than the spark plug boot grease which is translucent and thicker.

SparkyJJO · Mar 11, 2013

Everything is a conspiracy, obviously.

Howard · Mar 11, 2013

Throckmorton said:
I don't think it will mess up paint unless the paint is silicone based. The sprays will because they use hydrocarbon solvent

No, many kinds of silicone contamination will cause fisheyes in paint, even long after the contamination event.

Throckmorton · Mar 11, 2013

Howard said:
No, many kinds of silicone contamination will cause fisheyes in paint, even long after the contamination event.

You mean if you paint over silicone?

lakedude · Mar 11, 2013

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Permatex-D...icant/17757472

I bought this last time I needed silicone grease for plumbing.

I think "plumber's grease" might be silicone as well but Wal-Mart had the Permatex Dielectric Grease for just a few dollars and they are open late!

Anybody smart want to verify that this suff is silicon grease? I think you can tell from the MSDS...

Howard · Mar 11, 2013

Throckmorton said:
You mean if you paint over silicone?

Yes, esssentialaly

PottedMeat · Mar 11, 2013

lakedude said:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Permatex-D...icant/17757472

I bought this last time I needed silicone grease for plumbing.

I think "plumber's grease" might be silicone as well but Wal-Mart had the Permatex Dielectric Grease for just a few dollars and they are open late!

Anybody smart want to verify that this suff is silicon grease? I think you can tell from the MSDS...

http://www.permatex.com/products/pr...nce/permatex-dielectric-tune-up-grease-detail

bam!

2. COMPOSITION/INFORMATION ON INGREDIENTS
Component Weight%
POLYDIMETHYLSILOXANE>70 Not listed Not listed
MODIFIED SILICON DIOXIDE<10 Not listed Not listed
NITROGEN<5

Is there some kind of conspiracy against silicone lubricants?

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