What's the best and/or most common silicon grease?

Greetings!

I'm very frustrated.

The only silicon based lubricant I've been able to find locally at hardware stores is "DuPont Teflon Silicon Lubricant" in a spray can. I've used it on my flashlight O-Rings for a long time, but I want to find something better... the spray is hard to work with, too thin to last very long, and I don't like the smell very much. I'd like to find a thick silicon based grease to use instead.

I've looked around in local hardware stores for silicon grease... but with no success so far. All the idiot salespeople look at me like I'm from another planet or something... I keep asking for "Silicon grease to use on rubber O-Rings" and they ask me why the O-Ring is leaking, or direct me to the silicon glue and/or calking in a tube adhesives. It's like talking to a brick wall - I tell them that I do NOT want an adhesive, I do NOT want WD-40, and that I do NOT want Lithium grease or petroleum jelly... I patiently explain that petroleum based compounds dissolve O-Rings and I get a blank stare in reply.

What is the most commonly available Silicon grease? What is it used for? Should I be looking in different places than hardware stores, like maybe plumbing, electrical, or hobby specialist shops?

Best wishes, and thanks in advance!
Bawko

I walked into a local auto supply store, and asked for "dielectric grease." They handed me a small tube that has been working for a couple of years on my SureFire L2. It is probably not the perfect formula for the application, but I cannot find a problem with it.

There are two commonly used flashlight lubes that I know of around here.
Lighthound carries two varieties of NyoGel
http://www.lighthound.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=186
And the sandwich shoppe carries their own special mix which is also highly recommended
http://theledguy.chainreactionweb.com/index.php?cPath=48_80

As for brick and mortar stores, I couldn't tell you what to get. I'd be interested myself in what other people have found for use in their lights.

Look for plumbers grease next time. It is essentially dielectric grease, but it is much thicker and last a longer time. I bought mine from the local hardware store and it comes in a container that is roughly the size of a lip balm container. Also it has a much higher silicon content then the spray. On a seperate note though I love silicon spray and use it all around the house and garage. WD-40 sucks except for cleaning things...

Super Lube is a synthetic grease which contains teflon. works well for thread and o-ring lube. My local hdwe store has a 12 gram tube for abt $4. If you have a Harbor Freight tools nearby, they have a big(lifetime supply) tube for tha same price. you can get more info at super-lube.com.

Disciple said:

I walked into a local auto supply store, and asked for "dielectric grease."

Click to expand...

I went through the same quest two weeks ago. Hit all the stores and couldn't find plain silicon grease. At the auto store they had teflon, lithium - everything BUT silicon. As I walked back to my car, the guy from the store came running out. He just remembered that he had spark plug boot grease (dielectric). I read the package, "100% Pure Silicon Grease." Sold!

Here's the link:
http://www.itwconsumer.com/catalog.aspx?prodID=70

Do you have a Home Depot nearby?

Go to the plumbing section where they have fittings and knobs and things for sink faucets. There should be a small container of silicone grease (also called plumbers grease) in the area. I got mine for $2 or $3.

plumber's silicon grease is easily available, but nyogel 959 is the prefered way to go!

I bought a tube of spark plug boot release from Napa about 20 years ago. It's silicone. I use some of it occasionally but the tube is still half full.