Grease and degreaser

[jimo746]

I use No-Nonsense degreaser from Screwfix, diluted 50/50 with water to degrease everything needed on a bike. Stick it in a cheap spray bottle and use an old toothbrush. £8 for 5 litres (10 litres when diluted).

No Nonsense Degreaser...

Really you want a different grease for bearings that move, and another for things that don't eg seatpost stems.
Last grease i got was Castrol LM1 for bearings (think it's an automotive grease).
And I use copper grease for seatpost etc.
But your bike won't implode if you just use the one type of bearing grease for the rest of the bike .

 

[rwm1962]

Another vote for the Screwfix degreaser.

And an ultrasonic cleaner if this becomes a regular thing. My Aldi one eventually expired so I got one from Allendale. Does double duty for a couple of hobbies.

 

[captaincowelly]

I use No-Nonsense degreaser from Screwfix, diluted 50/50 with water to degrease everything needed on a bike. Stick it in a cheap spray bottle and use an old toothbrush. £8 for 5 litres (10 litres when diluted).

No Nonsense Degreaser...

Really you want a different grease for bearings that move, and another for things that don't eg seatpost stems.
Last grease i got was Castrol LM1 for bearings (think it's an automotive grease).
And I use copper grease for seatpost etc.
But your bike won't implode if you just use the one type of bearing grease for the rest of the bike .

It's been raised before on here,and will probably be different opinions/experiences but copper grease has more limited applications than people realise.It will react with certain metals (although this can take time).Definitely a no-no with aluminium,accelerates corrosion.Non metallic greases best,or as I've recently discovered courtesy of another member,nickel based grease.

 

[rwm1962]

I know copper grease on the back of alloys to stop them binding to the ferrous hubs works & pretty much well recommended.

 

[captaincowelly]

I know copper grease on the back of alloys to stop them binding to the ferrous hubs works & pretty much well recommended.

I did this for many years,didn't see an issue.But,if you leave it long enough,once the carrier grease has dissipated the copper left behind will corrode any bare aluminium it is in contact with.If the wheels come off regularly enough and fresh grease applied you wouldn't see an issue.But if left for too long it will increase galvanic corrosion of the aluminium.
A big no-no in marine terms is dropping a copper coin in the bilge of an aluminium boat.Corrosion soon starts,increased by any salt water.If you google 'copper grease with aluminium' or similar there's a wealth of info from reputable sources.
High temp applications on steel are ok,it doesn't react as much but for aluminium or non-high temp use,non metallic grease or nickel based as mentioned should be used.Ceramic greases are now also available to counter this issue.Also aluminium greases but apparently some contain copper.

 

[rwm1962]

I don't remember what I used on the seatpost of the one aluminium build I've done so far - check on the do-list.

 

[captaincowelly]

Tried to find something concise,this is the best I could do for now;

Why copper grease should not be used on the brakes of modern motor vehicles. | Pure Tyre 01603 462959

But certainly,aluminium and copper do react together so copper is best left out of the equation,in my opinion of course!
Many big motor manufacturers specify not to use it.

 

[captaincowelly]

Before I knew all this I once fitted a pair of M950 calipers using a good coating of copper grease.Used the bike for a short while,summer use mainly,all good.Left for a year or so and came back to seized calipers.White oxidation present,was astounded,never had that happen with lithium/synthetic grease.
Took me a long time to accept it as was a huge copper grease fan.

 

[captaincowelly]

 

[Tsundere]

With the ultrasonic cleaners, what's the smallest size that would be suitable for most bike components? Not worried about things like handlebars, seat posts etc, but would like to clean everything up to crank size. and do you need to use special formulas for cleaning different things?

Also any recommendations for particular brands? I don't mind spending a little bit more for something that's more likely to perform better and/or last longer.