does lube change to murky sludge after a while?

I use silicon grease on the o-ring, and some on the aluminium threads. After some twisting and turning for a while, the lube which was clear, becomes, a grey murky sludge. It's seems to be due to the aluminium, coming onto the grease.

Is this normal?, or is there better lube out there, without that doesn't create this problem.

I have been using Dow Corning Molycote 111, a thick type of silicone grease.

Thanks in advance
Haz

Yep. My flashlights all turn the silicone grease a nasty gray/black. Clean and reapply. I haven't tried anything but the standard plumber's silicone grease though.

JM-99

That's good to know, i thought it was just happening to me.

Haz said:

I use silicon grease on the o-ring, and some on the aluminium threads. After some twisting and turning for a while, the lube which was clear, becomes, a grey murky sludge. It's seems to be due to the aluminium, coming onto the grease.

Is this normal?, or is there better lube out there, without that doesn't create this problem.

I have been using Dow Corning Molycote 111, a thick type of silicone grease.

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Dow Corning Molykote 111 is a good o-ring lube. However is is very think, and really made as a sealant/lube (plumbing apps).

For thread lubrication I would recommend a sythetic oil (with or without PTFE added) instead.

Happens with the nyogel grease that comes applied on new SureFires too.

The lube will pick up dust and grit over time and hold on to it.

I would expect that most lubes would tend to lose at least some of their components over time. Back when Battery Station had a CPF Special on old CMG Infinities in tins I picked up a couple. These were old ones found in one of the offices after the sale to Gerber IIRC. They were very stiff and sludgy. I usually clean and re-lube all of the new lights I get but these had sat around so long that it was really hard to get the old lube off. Kind of like trying to get Cosmoline off guns that had been put up for years.

On top of that, the old lube smelled just like CrackerJacks.