Best lube for threads and o-rings?

[DM51]

Lol, thanks Gatsby. On re-reading my post, I suppose it did come across as a little peremptory.

This is because we get threads identical to this one every few days, and every single time there is someone who pops up to put forward bad advice (vaseline / petroleum-based products) instead of good advice (silicone grease). You were right to point that out.

There are some questions which bear repeating every now and then, such as "which light do you keep in your car?" or "what keychain light?" because new lights come out and people's choices change.

The same is not true of questions about what lube to use on O-rings. The advice has not changed, and it won't. Every diver knows that. And a simple search would have thrown up the dozens and dozens of threads on this issue, each one pretty much identical to its predecessor.

And it DOES matter to use the right stuff, as in some cases lives depend on O-rings not failing – and fail they eventually will, if people use petroleum-based products on them.

 

[IcantC]

I was going to get some Nyogel but purchased some Nanolube from Arnold on here. Seems great so far, it is an oil so no goo .

 

[Saiga]

what about z96cobras suggestion of using paintball oil ? it works on those numerous O-rings, and i happen to have some lying around. is this stuff acceptable, or possibly damaging to O-rings?

 

[richdsu]

Castrol Red Rubber Grease ------ rubber and silicone friendly!!!

( professionals use this product on rubber oil seals and gaskets because it will not attack rubber).:naughty:

 

[Alero]

Would Lithium grease be ok?

Also, I would recommend a product called TX-7 from a company called Polymer Dynamics in Houston, TX.
TX-7 is just freaking amazing. It's really sold as an additive for motor oil, but you can get a small 1 ounce bottle of "gun oil" pretty cheap from them.
It's a 30wt synthetic oil that is absolutely saturated with TFE Teflon (not the black PTFE stuff you're probably imagining like in Slick 50). It look just like vaseline and it VERY thick. It looks like melted vaseline when you pour it out. Put some on your finger and it will be slick for quite a while.
It also keeps rubber seals supple and is good for old dried out rubber.

And no, I don't work for them!

 

[qadsan]

Won't petroleum based products eventually erode the o-rings? IIRC that is a big don't when it comes to lube - but perhaps it is a tale?

It depends on the material the o-ring is made from. For instance, o-rings made from Ethylene Propylene (EPDM) are not recommended for use with petroleum based products where as o-rings made from Nitrile (Buena-N) or type A Fluorocarbon (Viton) 'are' in fact recommended for use with petroleum based products. Generally, it's the o-rings that are made from more expensive materials that are compatible with petroleum based products. If you know what you're o-rings are made from, then you'll know what chemicals are compatible with them.

If you're a member of efunda, you can check out material compatibility quite easily, including o-ring materials that are compatible with petroleum based products including greases, hydraulic oils and lubricating oils. You can also choose your o-ring material and it will provide you with the chemical its compatible with. If you're not a member, the following link may not work for you...

http://www.efunda.com/DesignStandards/oring/oring_chemical.cfm?SM=none&SC=Grease, Petroleum Base

You can also google o-ring compatibility and I'm sure you'll find plenty of compatibility charts if you want more info on this topic.

 

[Bror Jace]

I also play paintball ... and no paintball gun oil I've ever seen or used is good for o-rings. Grease works better on o-rings ... stays in place longer.

Lubing switches? That's a bit different and a gun oil might be OK for penetrating small places you can't get to with a greased fingertip or a swab.

I used to use white lithium grease on all my o-rings on my paintball tanks ... both CO2 and High Pressure Air (HPA). In my 10 years of paintball I've gone through about 2-3 o-rings ... while buddies of mine would go through o-rings in a single day. What did they use on their o-rings? Gun oil.

White lithium grease works OK ... but there's better stuff out there ... stuff that's more stable and resists water better (lithium is a soap and will eventually wash out of wet applications). Avoid the stuff in spray cans ... as they may add a solvent to the formula.

Now I use Leslies' o-ring lubricant with Krytox. Cheap, slippery enough to get the job done and very, very stable.

http://www.lesliespool.com/shopping...temID=8728&itemType=PRODUCT&RS=1&keyword=lube

 

[gravityz]

i used transparent silicone grease on my fenix and the o-rings seem to hold(not expanding)

i also have a can of silicone spray from the same vendor but these items are definately different

while the silicone grease is greasy(sorry) the silicone spray more looks like liquid vaseline.

so yes these items are different

 

[ASG]

I use dielectric grease. You can get it at most auto parts stores or radio shack and is made for electric connections. Works fine from what I have seen.

ASG

 

[Mother]

+1 for Plumbers grease. Been using it on rubber o rings for decades. nice and slickery at high and low low temps. doesn't break down the o ring and comes in a little white container about the size of a half dollar at home depot for a couple of bucks. Fits right in the pocket. :thumbsup:

 

[rayman]

I'm using this lube. Really like it, works great with all my lights. Especially with the piston drive of my EX10, with this lube the piston works really smooth.

rayman

 

[DM51]

There was no point in bumping this old thread. The lube sticky thread is here. This one is closed.