The "Today I did something to my bike" thread

stewygriffin

got red rubber grease in the motor factors in Coolmine Industrial Estate at lunchtime.

TeaBagMania

wow that stuff is pricey

CJhaughey

Wahey! You now have enough to last years, of fork seals, brake pistons and Master cylinder rebuilds.
I gave away about 200gm to a mate as I figured I would never use it all up in my lifetime but its very handy stuff.

CJhaughey

TeaBagMania wrote: »

wow that stuff is pricey

Also hard to get in the USA I believe..

TeaBagMania

CJhaughey wrote: »

TeaBagMania wrote: »

wow that stuff is pricey

Also hard to get in the USA I believe..

yeah I haven't needed it but ill keep an eye out

stewygriffin

Lad on ebay selling small little 20gm tins of it for 2 quid plus postage.

stewygriffin

If anyone is stuck for some red rubber grease,they can have some of mine.
Let me know here or PM me.

Goose81

CJhaughey wrote: »

Red rubber grease is actually designed for brake systems.
Its vegetable based so doesn't react with brake fluid like mineral oil grease.
Using it in the seal grooves slows corrosion as brake fluid is actually hygroscopic and absorbs water which leads to corrosion over time.

It is designed for brake systems but isn't necessary at all for caliper pistons/seals, the kit I bought comes with red grease so I have it beside me but i wont be using it because there is absolutely no need for it and I dont want to introduce anything other than brake fluid into/near the system.

The brake fluid is more than enough by itself to provide the lubrication to get the pistons through the seals. If I keep the bike I will rebuild the calipers again within 2 years so corrosion is not a consideration.

If you open a set of 20 year old calipers you will find mangled seals which comes with wear from the movement, ive never seen corrosion to the caliper itsellf from fluid and the seals should be changed every couple of years anyway.

Wonda-Boy

There is no harm at all using a small smear for re-seating pistons after a rebuild.....its lads going mental and applying half the tub!

CJhaughey

Goose81 wrote: »

It is designed for brake systems but isn't necessary at all for caliper pistons/seals, the kit I bought comes with red grease so I have it beside me but i wont be using it because there is absolutely no need for it and I dont want to introduce anything other than brake fluid into/near the system.

The brake fluid is more than enough by itself to provide the lubrication to get the pistons through the seals. If I keep the bike I will rebuild the calipers again within 2 years so corrosion is not a consideration.

If you open a set of 20 year old calipers you will find mangled seals which comes with wear from the movement, ive never seen corrosion to the caliper itsellf from fluid and the seals should be changed every couple of years anyway.

Brake fluid by its nature is hygroscopic, that means it attracts moisture from the atmosphere.

Yes brake fluid works as a lube to assemble the caliper and slide the piston into caliper but it also works as a means for moisture to enter the caliper and corrode it behind the piston seals.
This corrosion in turn pushes the seal out and it gets tighter and tighter eventually leading to the piston sticking and overheating.
RRG acts as a barrier to water entering the area behind the seals and along the piston.
If you have never seen corroded calipers then you haven't stripped very many.

It was designed for use in brake systems by Girling who later became Lockheed Girling who make lots of different types of braking systems.
The manufacturers don't use it during manufacture, no surprise as they seem to be slow to use grease even in bearings probably due to time constraints and cleanliness.You have been supplied it by the seal supplier but choose not to use it? It's your choice but I can say that it makes a big difference to caliper seal life.

Goose81

CJhaughey wrote: »

Brake fluid by its nature is hygroscopic, that means it attracts moisture from the atmosphere.

Yes brake fluid works as a lube to assemble the caliper and slide the piston into caliper but it also works as a means for moisture to enter the caliper and corrode it behind the piston seals.
This corrosion in turn pushes the seal out and it gets tighter and tighter eventually leading to the piston sticking and overheating.
RRG acts as a barrier to water entering the area behind the seals and along the piston.
If you have never seen corroded calipers then you haven't stripped very many.

It was designed for use in brake systems by Girling who later became Lockheed Girling who make lots of different types of braking systems.
The manufacturers don't use it during manufacture, no surprise as they seem to be slow to use grease even in bearings probably due to time constraints and cleanliness.You have been supplied it by the seal supplier but choose not to use it? It's your choice but I can say that it makes a big difference to caliper seal life.

You even admitted manufacturers don't use it, You keep quoting this stuff, I'm not disagreeing with you but I'm saying it's not needed in the slightest. I bet if you go to any road race team this summer and ask if they use it they will say no, it's not needed and is not used.

Yes it will go in the bin beside me (already has) and rightfully so, it's introducing **** I don't want into my braking system .

I'f I keep the bike more than 2 years I will rebuild the callipers so corrosion (which I've never seen through a good few calliper rebuilds from decades old callipers) will not be a consideration.

I think the people who are liking your posts are the people that would drop their bike into a garage for a bulb change, red grease is not needed in the slightest for a calliper rebuilds, you have admitted as much yourself by saying the manufacturers don't use it.

Il do a calliper rebuild thread when I do it for anyone interested in how to do it.

I've done mutiple rebuilds and I fundamentaly disagree with you, if you use red grease fine but it's not needed and makes sweet fa difference in the real world where callipers don't get destroyed by brake fluid.

Your post is technical science not real world, I'm sure you are right I'd I open my callipers after 100 years and the housing is corroded, but they will never get to that stage.

CJhaughey

Race mechanics are different from real world riding, racing stuff is rebuilt every few races it has to for safety reasons.
In the non-race world people ride on wet salt covered roads in winter and don't strip their calipers every few race meets.
Your analogy doesn't hold up.

My post may be technical but its not just theory, I have rebuilt plenty of corroded calipers, maybe I work on older bikes than you, but its common throughout alloy and steel bodied calipers on bikes that see more than summer rides.

I couldn't give two ****s about likes ( I'm not a millennial) but I like to think that people are aware of how to repair their calipers so they last a long time.
Fair enough if you rebuild yours every two years but I can't afford to do that with the amount of bikes I own, so I use stuff that helps them last over longer periods.

stewygriffin

Tis the season to be jolly............

stewygriffin

I just ordered a **** load of stuff for the Ducati and Beemer,
Its like Santa came allready.

blade1

stewygriffin wrote: »

Tis the season to be jolly............

Rudolph the red rubber nose reindeer!!:pac:

Wonda-Boy

I liked his post because he is one of the most knowledgeable users on the forum and no bull****. FYI I do my own servicing and don't drop my bike into a garage for a bulb change.....not that there is anything wrong with dropping a bike into a garage if you are not comfortable with the mechanics of self maintenance.

Each to their own, you dont have to ram opinions down peoples throats.....you service your way I/we will service our way.

Simples.

**now where did I put my WD40 to "OIL" my chain........

listermint

Wahey

stewygriffin

blade1 wrote: »

Rudolph the red rubber nose reindeer!!:pac:

......had a very dirty R1...............and if you ever saw it.....you think it was a piece of sh!t....



:pac::o:D:

Wonda-Boy

I think you pulled over on the right hand side mate, she is deffo taking a pic of you not the bikes.....GO WAN YA GOOD THING!

Goose81

Wonda-Boy wrote: »

I liked his post because he is one of the most knowledgeable users on the forum and no bull****. FYI I do my own servicing and don't drop my bike into a garage for a bulb change.....not that there is anything wrong with dropping a bike into a garage if you are not comfortable with the mechanics of self maintenance.

Each to their own, you dont have to ram opinions down peoples throats.....you service your way I/we will service our way.

Simples.

**now where did I put my WD40 to "OIL" my chain........

I didnt mean to or intent to ram anything down anyones throats.I just disagreed with his post, apologies to both.
I just dont like people buying **** they dont need and wasting money. Apologies

Hotblack Desiato

You have to acknowledge that there are different use cases. Race teams who strip down everything on their bikes every few meetings, fair weather riders, all weather all season riders. As one of the latter I'm unimpressed to say the least with the performance of modern disc brake calipers in the real world, I get stuck or binding pistons as a matter of course and cleaning attempts don't last that long, RRG can only help, so I'm going to buy a big tub and fill a series of little medicine containers with it... so I can use one and not risk contaminating the lot with dirt.

Goose81

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

You have to acknowledge that there are different use cases. Race teams who strip down everything on their bikes every few meetings, fair weather riders, all weather all season riders. As one of the latter I'm unimpressed to say the least with the performance of modern disc brake calipers in the real world, I get stuck or binding pistons as a matter of course and cleaning attempts don't last that long, RRG can only help, so I'm going to buy a big tub and fill a series of little medicine containers with it... so I can use one and not risk contaminating the lot with dirt.

I don't race my bikes but I look after them, I know what I'm doing. Regardless whether the experts on boards tell me to use the grease I won't be mate.

Rrg isn't going to help you with binding pistons mate, they need to come apart and be rebuild, your problems aren't to do with grease

I've never had binding pistons and I'd say others haven't, that's not good. If your pistons are binding like that the brakes are wrecked and need to be rebuild, I think everyone can agree with that. Anyway I'm done with boards good luck, site is a joke.

Hotblack Desiato

Goose81 wrote: »

Rrg isn't going to help you with binding pistons mate, they need to come apart and be rebuild, your problems aren't to do with grease

The problem is that rebuilds don't last more than a year or two before the problems start again, and new seal kits (never mind pistons as well, if they get corroded) are expensive. At the moment I can keep things under control with a strip and clean every six months or so but that's a pain.

CJhaughey

The primary cause of binding brake pistons in my experience is the seals being pushed out of the seal groove by corrosion and dirt.
This causes the inside diameter of the seal to shrink, it doesn't have to be very much because the tolerances are so tight.
This puts pressure on the piston and the result is a failure to retract leading to brake binding and resultant problems.
The primary reason that I use RRG is to prevent the brake fluid crystallising inside the groove and water getting in there and bringing dirt with it also leading to a similar problem.

Not everyone will have this problem but in my experience many problems with sticky calipers are caused by this exact issue.
If its not necessary to use it why was it developed in the first place and why do seal kits come with it?
Everything costs money and I am quite sure that if the seal kit sellers thought that they could do without it then why do they go to the expense of including it as part of the rebuild kit?

Fair enough if people don't want to use it but I bought a big tub of it because I want to avoid problems on any caliper I rebuild.
I have 4 bikes and two cars to maintain and I want to avoid as much unnecessary maintenance as possible, and for me that means using the best method I can to keep them in good order for as long as possible.

Goose81

Fair enough man,we will agree to disagree. Have a great Christmas all!!!

Max Headroom

Problem with forums is ..Some people are always right,some are never wrong, some people dont want to listen, some will listen to anything,...

Merry Christmas to all .....:)

CJhaughey

Thats life, it makes it interesting.
If everyone spoke the same and agreed it would be as boring as sh1te.
Anyway happy Xmas to everyone here, safe travels, stay upright and safe and hope to see you all back in 2017.

Lumen

CJhaughey wrote: »

Thats life, it makes it interesting.
If everyone spoke the same and agreed it would be as boring as sh1te.

FWIW I find it entertaining and informative witnessing two people arguing passionately about grease.

Someone has to care about this stuff. We are blessed to have two of these people in the same small place.

Wonda-Boy

Lumen wrote: »

FWIW I find it entertaining and informative witnessing two people arguing passionately about grease.

Someone has to care about this stuff. We are blessed to have two of these people in the same small place.

I agree I mean which "grease" do you cook the old spuds in for christmas???

Goose or Duck

Take it away lads.....

Hotblack Desiato

Lamb