Oil instead of grease?

[xcalibur]

I don't know JonMcD, but I know some have complained synthetic oils and greases disintegrate faster than conventional mineral oil. There are probably differences between makers, because I have seen tubes of the red type Park Tool grease for bearings last for at least 5 or 6 years and with no visible change. I'm not quite sure what synthetic oil really means; sometimes it is mineral oil derived stuff, others it is supposedly not, but I cannot find any info sheets on synthetic oils listed as anything other than petroleum distilled derivatives.

[meic]

I have a tub of car grease which has happily developed a pool of oil at the top and my grease gun always drips oil from within its grease cartridge (from Screwfix, I think), sometimes it pours out of it when I lift it off its hanging place.

[xcalibur]

Hmm, so grease have an obvious "best before date"?

[JonMcD]

So, not a problem unique to bike specific greases as I thought.

[Brucey]

I have a tub of car grease which has happily developed a pool of oil at the top and my grease gun always drips oil from within its grease cartridge (from Screwfix, I think), sometimes it pours out of it when I lift it off its hanging place.

Greases can separate when standing. Holes in the grease surface will tend to fill with oil. Grease makers normally have some weasel words that this is 'normal' to some extent.

Ha.

IME greases that are good quality separate less than ones that are of lesser quality. You can stir the grease to recover its properties, and this kind of grease will be OK in a bearing for a while, but put the same stuff on a stem or seat pin and it'll seize up solid in a few months....

BTW re grease guns; most grease guns have a system to pressurise the reservoir. You should never leave the gun with the pressure on because this can cause the grease to seperate.

cheers

[crg]

the problem with putting oil in hubs that are not oil-tight is that you need to keep doing it, which people generally won't do if they weren't doing it before. In bad weather oil can be washed out of bearings in a fairly short period of time and this usually is why more is needed on a regular basis.

The semi-fluid grease I have developed contains corrosion inhibitors and its thixotropic nature means it is fully mobile within the hub (like oil) when in use but doesn't leak out when the bike is standing (like grease). It is thin enough that you can use it in hubs originally meant for oil, despite their weak pawl springs etc. It leaks out so slowly that you just need a shot once a year or so to keep most hubs sweet. Its other additives and high base oil viscosity mean that is a better lubricant than anything else I have ever put into an IGH, too.

Overall, it is infinitely better than most oils, greases, or ad-hoc mixtures thereof.

cheers

Did Brucey ever clarify what he meant by "high" base oil viscosity, with a number or a range?
I mean his recent opinion, after recommending STC3435. Viscosity for STC3435is not known and it is unclear whether it was a compromise over Brucey's own concoction.

[pliptrot]

Somewhere in the early days of this thread he stated that his preferred grease had a base oil viscosity of 1000cSt. I presume that is at ambient temperature. At that I would suggest the oil alone will do wht is required, even in hubs without good seals. As long as you are diligent with a cloth.......

[crg]

Somewhere in the early days of this thread he stated that his preferred grease had a base oil viscosity of 1000cSt. I presume that is at ambient temperature. At that I would suggest the oil alone will do wht is required, even in hubs without good seals. As long as you are diligent with a cloth.......

Yes, he did specify 1000cSt.
I should've been more careful. Meant to ask about his recent intentions.
Will clarify the question.