Weldtite Lithium Grease
- Thread starter Wester
- Start date
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Profpointy
Legendary Member
grease (of virtually any flavour) or vaseline will do as anti-seize. But given a 100 year supply of coppaslip is maybe a fiver I'd just get the right stuff.
And although grease or vaseline will do instead of coppaslip, that doesn't mean coppaslip will do instead of grease so don't "regrease" your bearings with coppaslip - and I'd equally counsel against rubbing it on your piles too.
And although grease or vaseline will do instead of coppaslip, that doesn't mean coppaslip will do instead of grease so don't "regrease" your bearings with coppaslip - and I'd equally counsel against rubbing it on your piles too.
Yellow Saddle
Guru
- Location
- Loch side.
It depends on the metals you're using it on. If you want to screw alu into alu, then use copper compound. The copper does two things, it provides a sacrificial anode to prevent galvanic corrosion and, copper has a low shear strength which helps other metals slide against each other under high pressure.
Often, grease promotes galvanic corrosion and in some cases where the grease is massaged in the presence of water, it forms an emulsion that's deadly for some parts like seatposts and quill stems.
Often, grease promotes galvanic corrosion and in some cases where the grease is massaged in the presence of water, it forms an emulsion that's deadly for some parts like seatposts and quill stems.
Tom B
Guru
- Location
- Lancashire
I tried it on the piles in the living room, once SWMBO found out i was sore for weeks.
Is this behavior something that mothers train daughters in behind the backs of the males in the house....?
You mean piles of your carpet.... Didnt you?
Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- Suburban Poshshire
Under the pressures of thread on thread the grease will flow away from the contact points like water. Use proper anti seize. I prefer Moly to Copper, but Copper is just fine if used appropriately.
Profpointy
Legendary Member
Whilst not disputing it's the right stuff for the job, the "sacrificial anode" point sounds wrong, aluminium is far more electropositive (reactive in lay terms) than copper - so whatever benefit the copper has, it won't be that surely
Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- Suburban Poshshire
I actually prefer Moly anti-seize compound, but were it not available I'd use one of the copper based ungents over grease.
I worked in the drilling industry for years - everything with a thread got slavered with copperslip - but it was all steel to steel - the copper part being of low shear strength and a sacrificial anode plus all the corrosion inhibitors it works well - I have seen cases where it was applied to steel/aluminium and left for a considerable time in the ground with the effect that both parts showed considerable corrosion - probably not a problem on a bike - I believe Zinc grease is the preferred option for aluminium to steel - I have a big pot of copperslip but dont use it on the bike - a dab of white grease or if it is very delicate silicon grease
Yellow Saddle
Guru
- Location
- Loch side.
You are of course right. On alu, another compound would be better. Copper still gives you the other benefit of low shear and easy removal.
subaqua
What’s the point
- Location
- Leytonstone
most grease will work with alu to alu as you are trying to prevent the alu Galling . it also hs the added benefit of preventing oxidisation of the 2 faces and that binding .
Yellow Saddle
Guru
- Location
- Loch side.
No. We are not trying to prevent galling. Galling is localized melting of a surface in a friction situation, such as a bolt in a nut under high tension. There is no friction present in the situation we're trying to prevent. We are trying to prevent oxidization. On the face of it, most grease would prevent oxidization but in reality most greases promote it in this particular situation. What happens here is through the pumping action of the stem or seatpost, water enters the interface and emulsifies with the grease. This emulsion promotes oxidation, not prevent it. The copper compounds seems to not emulsify as readily. This is not a feature you'll find printed on the label, because the compound is designed to a) produce a sacrificial anode (between certain metals) as @Profpointy pointed out and b) to provide a low shear layer between two high-shear strength metals such as steel on steel and c) to remain active under very high temperatures.
On bicycles we are only interested in the low-shear and low emulsification properties. Grease offers none of those.
subaqua
What’s the point
- Location
- Leytonstone
The OP say where he is using the compound . Alu Pedal spindles galling in Alu crankarms happens to Hamfisted people.but not with a smear of copaslip ( or other lube of choice) maybe its the reduction in friction by adding a lube that stops it eh?
It happens really easily on A4 stainless . And makes me laugh when I watch somebody ruin a mornings work because they think they know better than to add a drop (literaly) of oil
A smear of hypoid oil on the seat post suffices as that is high shear. but not many people have that in the shed.
Ajax Bay
Guru
- Location
- East Devon
So for an aluminium alloy seat post in a steel frame, if not copper slip (which is what I use), what's the recommendation?
Yellow Saddle
Guru
- Location
- Loch side.
Keep on doing what you're doing. The galvanic corrosion issue is not an issue with alu on alu interfaces. Things like carbon on aluminium are more problematic but then the industry has created a solution specifically for that - carbon assembly paste. The sacrificial anode bit is relevant on other metals and I should not have mentioned it in this specific case.
Grease is bad. Just one slip-up and one removal missed and you're screwed. The thing is, when it is cold and wet the last thing you feel like is a seat post overhaul and that's when it is needed most.
