Miller2

Any special grease I need for this? I have a tube of the Phil Wood waterproof grease. Can I use that? MY LBS used a special "gritty" type grease that they said was needed to use in a carbon seat tube with an aluminum post. I now have a carbon post and wondered if that was something I need for this application. I pulled out the aluminum post and it seemed quite dry.

Also, I bought one of those Ritchey 5nm torque keys to use on the set post collar. Is it supposed to make an audible click when it hits 5nm? Seems like I cranked on the bolt pretty hard and never hear any audible indication that I was at 5nm.

Cdy291

Do not mix regular grease and carbon fiber. If you don't have any of the carbon paste your bike shop was talking about then don't use any.

Miller2

Ok..good to know. Can this carbon paste be purchased at any bike shop?

DScott

Tacx carbon assembly paste reviewed: https://www.competitivecyclist.com/ro...Paste_388.html

$24.99 for 80 grams or $43.99 for the 400 gram "orgy" size.

haimtoeg

Cheaper on Amazon.

Miller2

Holy crap...for grease???

Miller2

I can live with that....

haimtoeg

It's not grease, it's a special compound with some gritty stuff suspended in it (sorry for the highly technical description). It creates friction so that the seatpost does not slip even with lower tightening torques required by CF.

sgwheelman

The FSA carbon grease (aka: installation compound) is available in a small 5g pouch for about $4-5 from several online sources.

Miller2

thanks for the replies....

terrymorse 

Maybe I'm jaded after watching all the bike "innovations" over the years, but this paste seems designed to separate consumers from their money.

Cdy291

I believe it does what it says it supposed to. It lowers the required torque significantly and keeps my seat post from gluing itself into my frame.

Nessism

I had a Campy seat post that glued itself inside the seat tube of my frame because the clear paint on the seat post bonded with the raw aluminum of the seat post sleeve. If your carbon seat post has clear paint I suggest scraping it off on the portion of the seat post that fits inside the frame.

haimtoeg

It works for me, since I started using it I never had to readjust any seatpost due to slipping.

mtusz

NONONONONO

Thats not clear paint on there, it's epoxy and it's what makes carbon fibre what it is. Do NOT scrape it off. You shouldnt ever have carbon fibre seizing with aluminum or steel because theres no possible way for the galvanic reaction to take place. It's basically plastic on metal, which will not fuse. The "grease" is there to increase the friction between carbon and ______ but it isnt nessescary if your seat tube fits snug and if the tube is properly made, it should be able to withstand the clamping pressure required to keep it where it is.

Sinn

I agree. Otherwise you may have some slippage issues.

Other than that, why don't you send me a pic of your excalibur?

classic1

Don't bet on it. A friend of mine had a Campagnolo carbon seat post get stuck in a steel frame. He got it out using extreme force, although the seatpost was never the same afterwards

kwrides

I would not use this.

I did use it, and I now have a carbon FSA post stuck inside my Orbea Onix. It's a CF frame with an aluminum tube in the seattube. The post, which I covered in the FSA compound, is stuck so tight that I had to call my LBS. They asked me to contact FSA before I brought it to them. I called FSA and was directed to their website to email them. You can't just speak to a human or send email directly, you have to use their webform. I did this and never received a response...it's been weeks and still no response to my query.

I ended up taking it to the original shop I purchased the bike from, and they called FSA, who basically just told them I was SOL. So, they called Orbea who told them to break the bike down and ship it to them. I now have to wait while the bike is mailed, operated on, and returned, AND, I have to pay the shop to reassemble the bike.

I will be buying a Thomson aluminum seatpost now...and will never buy from FSA again. This has turned into a several hundred dollar CF seatpost.

Nessism

The Campy seat post DOES have a clear coat over the epoxy/carbon, the clear paint is what gives the seat post it's shiny apperance. And since when does grease "increase the friction"?

Sinn

I usually take my seatpost out of my bike at least five times a year to wipe it off. I have a carbon frame and I use a Thomson Elite post. Dirt and grime does get down in there. That could cause it to seize, like Classic's friend's did. I bet that if you keep your bike clean, and keep the seatpost clean, you won't have to use grease on the post.

Miller2

Lots of different opinions here. The local LBS gave me a small packet of the carbon grease they use. I applied a thin coat on the seatpost and put it in. Hopefully all will be well. I cant believe there is this much controversy over grease...HAHA!! I long for the old days as a runner when things were simpler!!!

Sinn...I'll post a photo when I get home.

Bob Dopolina 

The Tacx, FSA and Finish Line assembly pastes are NOT greases.

I have seen carbon seatposts become fused in carbon frames. All the more reason to use assembly paste.

I use the Finish Line Fiber Grip and run at much lower torque values than I did previously without it. I no longer have ANY slippage issues.

I also use it on my bar/ stem interface.

I highly recommend it.

coasting 

why is this carbon paste so difficult to get hold of? They don't seem to have them in shops as readily as grease. I had to search online and only found a few places that had it.

urodacus

exposed carbon fibres do contribute to galvanic corrosion, as they conduct electricity maybe to another metal area like seat post bolts, etc. carbon posts do regularly get stuck in metal tubes. occasionally they will also jam in a carbon tube, for different reasons... use paste.

the carbon paste is not a grease but an insulating grit paste to increase friction in the post-tube interface so you need less clamping force to stop a post from slipping.

you can use grease too if you look after it, and don't get much around the clamp area.

Miller2

I still torqued to 5nm. Is that not recommended?