Anything wrong with this grease?

[wonderloaf]

I've been getting the usual clicking and squeaking noises from the bike, which I think I've tracked down to the BB (don't ask how, I've checked just about everything else to get to this point). Decided to have a go at cleaning/re-lubing the BB ( as it seems easy) to see if that makes any difference so went into Halfords to pick up a BB wrench and while I was there thought I'd get a new tube of grease, but as usual Halfords were out of the cycle stuff.

So took a walk downstairs to the auto section and they have a couple of types which seem to be much cheaper than the cycle type. The difference is that you get a hell of a lot more for your money with the auto type than the cycle specific stuff ... is there any real difference? At the the end of the day they both do the same job, actually I would have thought the auto grease is better as it must deal with higher speeds and temperatures. The grease I'm interested in is as below:

http://www.halfords.com/motoring/engine-oils-fluids/grease/comma-cv-lith-moly-grease-500g

Is there any reason that I shouldn't use this, this would keep me going for years!

 

[Profpointy]

I've long been of the view that for bikes, any old grease is fine - where grease is called for, and any old oil - where oil is called for.

I do use proper anti size / coppaslip rather than grease where the purpose is to enable something to be undone later - but even there grease is better than nowt

 

[mjr]

Do Halfords not sell a waterproof/corrosion-inhibiting grease like http://www.carlube.co.uk/aquaslip-waterproof-grease/carlube-aquaslip-waterproof-grease any more? I didn't spot it on their website.

 

[mjr]

Oh and I generally try to use the right type of oil or grease for the right application, but I use motoring and cycling ones interchangeably, depending on what I can get.

 

[Tim Hall]

I've been getting the usual clicking and squeaking noises from the bike, which I think I've tracked down to the BB (don't ask how, I've checked just about everything else to get to this point). Decided to have a go at cleaning/re-lubing the BB ( as it seems easy) to see if that makes any difference so went into Halfords to pick up a BB wrench and while I was there thought I'd get a new tube of grease, but as usual Halfords were out of the cycle stuff.

So took a walk downstairs to the auto section and they have a couple of types which seem to be much cheaper than the cycle type. The difference is that you get a hell of a lot more for your money with the auto type than the cycle specific stuff ... is there any real difference? At the the end of the day they both do the same job, actually I would have thought the auto grease is better as it must deal with higher speeds and temperatures. The grease I'm interested in is as below:

http://www.halfords.com/motoring/engine-oils-fluids/grease/comma-cv-lith-moly-grease-500g

Is there any reason that I shouldn't use this, this would keep me going for years!

I use very similar stuff on my bikes for general bearing relubing duties. When you say re-lubing your BB, is it a cup and cone type, or a cartridge type? IME, it's only the former that can be successfully relubed.

 

[mjr]

I think colouring is a manufacturer fetish additive. I've had bog standard greases in clear (a sort of translucent light brown), white (pure), silver (weldtite) and pink (halfords).

 

[wonderloaf]

Hi all, thanks for all the replies much appreciated.

I use very similar stuff on my bikes for general bearing relubing duties. When you say re-lubing your BB, is it a cup and cone type, or a cartridge type? IME, it's only the former that can be successfully relubed.

It's a Shimano Hollowtech type (BB-RS500), I've seen a couple of vids on the net which seem to show that you can disassemble it to inspect and re-grease the bearings. I'll find out tonight as I'm going to try out the new BB wrench!

Do Halfords not sell a waterproof/corrosion-inhibiting grease like http://www.carlube.co.uk/aquaslip-waterproof-grease/carlube-aquaslip-waterproof-grease any more? I didn't spot it on their website.

This looks interesting as I've seen recommendations to use a 'waterproof' grease as apparently the Hollowtechs are prone to water ingress. Not good when it's in a location that spends most of it's life getting wet in the winter. I didn't see any in my local Halfords but I might try one of the motor factors like Euro Car Parts.
[QUOTE 4288339, member: 9609"]I'm curious, what colour is the grease you have bought?

I have just been getting my van ready for its MOT, the clip holding the boot over the CV joint was snapped so I replaced it, what grease was left within the boot was a dark green colour, I didn't know there was a "CV" specific grease so just packed the boot out in bog standard grease. I wonder what is special about CV grease to have such a big price.[/QUOTE]
Haven't actually bought any yet but think the grease I saw was a toffee brown colour which surprised me as it was the same colour as the general purpose grease. I always thought Lithium based greases were white coloured, but then what do I know!

Anyway I think I've got just enough of some Halfords Teflon based grease left to do the BB (if I can) but was just curious as to what others use. I'm definitely going to investigate this further as I think I'm going to doing a lot of re-greasing in the near future ... I've already had to replace the front hub ball bearings and cones so guess the rears will need the same treatment soon! One thing that surprised me when I took the front hub apart (Shimano RS11's) was how little grease was in there and how much it had degraded, it was a horrible colour and had lost all it's viscosity, so a lesson learned here, I will be regularly re-greasing my hubs!

 

[ufkacbln]

No Olivia Newton John?

 

[wonderloaf]

It's the Word so I hear...

 

[ufkacbln]

Greased lightning?

 

[Gravity Aided]

It's the Word so I hear...

It's got a groove, it's got a feeling,

 

[wonderloaf]

Tell me more, tell me more ....

OK getting serious again ... I've pulled the BB apart and it feels and sounds as though the bearings are shot, actually there's hardly any grease left in the left hand side bearing and it makes a clicking sound if I rotate and apply pressure ... hopefully this is where the noises are coming from.

I reckon that I've done about 1300 miles on this BB so far, also I've recently had to replace the front hub bearings and TBH I think the freehub needs replacing as well as it doesn't sound or feel too good.

Is this the kind of mileage I can expect from these components, would be good to know so that I can plan future maintenance. Or is it that I'm so awesomely powerful that I'm bringing these components to a premature death !

 

[Apollonius]

Parts like this will often only last as long as the lubrication, and, as you have discovered, they are not easy to get to in order to renew the lube. Exposed places like the bottom bracket, and indeed the steering head bearings get water in them and it does them no good. I would give your bearings a good "soak" in a light grease like the lithium grease that is often sold for bikes and see how they feel then. You can sometimes bring bearings back from the dead like this, and you will have also learned how to keep them lubricated for future use.

 

[wonderloaf]

Well I changed the BB this morning and while things are now much smoother and quieter I still get an intermittent clicking sound (usually in groups of 3 or 4) which stops if I stop pedalling. I'm pretty certain it's not the pedals as they are almost new and I also tried my old pair and the noise still persists. Strange thing is that I got caught in a downpour today and the noise seemed to disappear in the rain then gradually started re-appearing as everything started drying out (coincidence?). So I'm wondering if it's a lube thing (as you say) maybe the water acted as a temporary lube? About the only part that I haven't given a serious lubing to is the Freehub so tonight I'm going to take the Cassette of and give it a good old soak in some spray grease that I've got.

 

[Gravity Aided]

Will grease gum up a freehub? I've always used oil on cassette and grease on the wheel bearings.