Silicone grease

[BlueChip]

I bought a couple of tubes of silicone grease recently from CPC see here

It's very handy stuff. I took the piston out of the heads pump and gave the seal and cylinder a good coating and its transformed the pump action, greased the sail cover, oily and lifejacket zips and the 'O' rings on fuel and water filler caps, the screw fitting on the shore power connector and all the electrical connectors on deck. I've only used a fraction of the tube, so its going to last for a couple of years and all for just a few pounds.

 

[Anwen]

I use silicone/PTFE spray from Maplins to lubricate the mainsail slides - works a treat. I only need to repeat the treatment each year, so a can lasts a fair while too!

 

[Malish]

Silicone grease will cause the breakdown of some types of rubber over time, better to treat flap valves and o-rings with vaseline or 'red rubber grease' which you can get from Frost:
http://www.frost.co.uk/

no connection etc

 

[Drascomber]

Silicone grease I bought from RS was fine if pricey but the paint on the tube flakes off and everything gets covered in grease and tiny white flakes of paint - especially since the tube burst so the grease comes out at both ends!

 

[Loginname]

I have always understood that things were the exact opposite of that. i.e. Vaseline "rots" O rings but Silicone grease is OK.

I wonder which version is the correct one?

 

[Longshanks]

Silicone grease (which is "thickened" silicone fluid) may swell certain rubbers, but shouldn't chemically attack them. But nor should vaseline (same effect)...particularly with modern synthetic rubbers. The risk is that a swollen o-ring or seal is more likley to get physically damaged in whatever unit it's in. O-ring grease I've had supplied recently with a waterproof torch certainly feels like silcone to me.

 

[starboard]

[ QUOTE ]
Silicone grease will cause the breakdown of some types of rubber over time, better to treat flap valves and o-rings with vaseline or 'red rubber grease' which you can get from Frost:
http://www.frost.co.uk/

no connection etc

[/ QUOTE ]
Wrong wrong wrong.........!!!!!!!!silicone is the ideal grease for rubber......vaseline is a petroleum based product and will break down any rubber seal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Paul.

 

[Malish]

my experince tells me different

 

[alan_d]

Experience is a fallible teacher (as well as sometimes being very expensive).

According to Wikipedia article "Silicone grease is commonly used for lubricating and preserving rubber parts, such as O-rings. Additionally, silicone grease does not swell or soften the rubber, which can be a problem with hydrocarbon based greases. ..... Silicone-based lubricants are often used by consumers in applications where other common consumer lubricants, such as Vaseline, would damage certain products, such as latex rubber condoms and gaskets on drysuits."

 

[Malish]

mmm...... that font of all knowledge - wikipedia /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[alan_d]

[ QUOTE ]
mmm...... that font of all knowledge - wikipedia

[/ QUOTE ]

Would you believe a manufacturer's data-sheet? No, I thought you probably wouldn't.

 

[2Tizwoz]

Silicone grease lubricates rubbers, plastics and other materials, and also combinations of these with metals. It will seal and protect rubber ‘O’ rings, for example in the assembly of PVC pipes. Complies with UK water fittings bylaws.

From BES plumbing supplies.

15790 30 ml tin silicone grease £1.41


15791 60 ml pot silicone grease £2.34

In a plastic pot not subject to having grease come out both ends (unless you are very rough with it)

Lidl periodically have spray cans in for 99p.