What Grease for campy hubs

[poopncow]

Have old Campy and new Campy hubs, would like to use the injector ports. But what is the right stuff to shoot in? Too lazy to strip and repack unless i have to. Direction on where to look will be appreciated!

[spinbackle]

Phil, of course!

[genericbikedude]

Typewriter oil all the way, baby

[HillRider]

Second the recommendation for Phil! Good Stuff! Buy it in 640 gm tubs or 14.5-oz grease gun tubes and the cost per ounce isn't ridiculous as it is in the 3-oz squeeze tubes.

[poopncow]

Thanks, but will I have to clean off all the old stuff off first b4 repacking with Phil? Or can I just shoot it in until it pushes green from the sides? I'm lazy remember?

btw: what is a typewriter?

[austex]

Those aren't grease injection ports, rather oil ports. However, oil is NOT such a good idea, as it will sling up the spokes and make a real mess. Also, if your could inject grease, I doubt it will flush the old grease/dirt very effectively.

Do it right and disassemble, clean, reassemble with fresh grease.

Tom, wrenching since 1970

[genericbikedude]

The same oil that you use to lube your typewriter. It'll make you an Effective Cyclist.

[orand]

I vote for Miche white lithium grease. Knowing that italian grease is in my Campy hubs just puts a smile on my face and it comes in a cool tube. Phil Wood grease is awesome as well. Between those two you cant go wrong.

[seely]

All my hubs get good ol' marine bearing grease.

[gmason]

I vote for Miche white lithium grease.

Many years ago, on other types of machines, I swore by Li grease. A couple of years ago, a very good bike mechanic told me that it was bad for bikes because it corrodes parts - perhaps only Al, I can't recall.

Is there anything to this idea?

[Ricardo]

Any marine grease will do the work

Ricardo

[robo]

Many years ago, on other types of machines, I swore by Li grease. A couple of years ago, a very good bike mechanic told me that it was bad for bikes because it corrodes parts - perhaps only Al, I can't recall.

Is there anything to this idea?

I'm not a mechanic, but i find that extremely hard to believe. I could imagine that white lithium grease doesn't protect parts from wear as much as other greases because it tends to be a bit thinner in consistency, but really, it's the most commonly used grease in the world: i seriously doubt that it corrodes aluminum parts.

Somebody can be a very good bike mechanic while not really knowing what they're talking about when it comes to stuff outside their area of knowledge.

[froze]

Do not use marine grease it's too thick and gummy.

Campy makes grease specifically for their hubs; or use the Phil.

[rmfnla]

Campy grease for Campy hubs, otherwise Tulio's ghost will twist your (presta) nuts when you aren't looking!

[poopncow]

yeah, but if I walk into my LBS and ask them to order some campy grease for me, they'll look at me as if I'm some kinda yuppie label hound. better get it mail ordered.

Now here is the rumor I heard which I never bother to confirm. The problem with corrosion is not the Li grease, but if Li and petro grease are mixed. Some chem reaction will occur and on eof the by products is corrosive. These same people insists that all the grease be cleaned off if you are switching greases. This rumor is one of th ereasons I started this post. I'm still confused...esp with the oil thing....eek

[seres]

All grease is petroleum based, with the synthetics adding a synthetic component. The real differences are in the thickening agent, whether lithium, calcium, bentone, etc. Lithium is by far the most common, with the others reserved for very unusual applications. I’m pretty sure all lubes on bicycles are lithium based, and so no problem mixing.

That said, I would check the manufacturer specs as to grade and vis, and use something similar. Campy is too small a firm to produce their own grease. I’m sure they have a refinery blend it to their specs, or just buy something “off the shelf” that meets their specs and repackage it. But whatever you buy, it’s always best to disassemble, flush and clean everything, and then relube. If you don’t flush out all the old grease, there’s a chance the old has water or other contamination, and that will rust a bearing.

[ivan_yulaev]

Mobil 1 Synthetic is great stuff; it's the pink grease.

I got myself a $10 grease gun with a needle tip; now, I just inject a nice bead into the hub races, and pack the bearings in. Good to go!

[froze]

Mobil 1 is great stuff; it's not as thick as other types of grease but it's shear strength and durability is superior to other types of grease.

[biker7]

Mobil 1 Synthetic is great stuff; it's the pink grease.

I got myself a $10 grease gun with a needle tip; now, I just inject a nice bead into the hub races, and pack the bearings in. Good to go!

Ivan, where did you purchase your Mobil 1 grease and small grease gun with needle tip?

Lastly...a question to Campy riders about the rear cassette free hub...mine is '04 Veloce on a Vento wheel. The thing is getting louder if that is possible....a very serious tick, tick, tick...even more than when new this spring.
I've read it is not recommended to grease freewheel paul's. If this is the case, and oil is suggested, what kind of oil do you use and is disassembly required?
Thanks,
George

[Jason Curtiss]

I agree 100% with Austex. The ONLY way to properly lubricate your wheel bearings is to strip, clean, pack with grease and reassemble. Injecting grease or oil is marginal at best.

Jason

[Raiyn]

Do not use marine grease it's too thick and gummy.

Applesauce. People have been using Marine Trailer Bearing grease for years with no issues, myself included. Phil's is the same stuff just repackaged at substantial profit. A pound of Marine Trailer Grease was $3 a can last time I was at Home Depot.

Campy is too small a firm to produce their own grease. I’m sure they have a refinery blend it to their specs, or just buy something “off the shelf” that meets their specs and repackage it.

Voting for option #2 there. Campy's to small to dictate a special formula run

But whatever you buy, it’s always best to disassemble, flush and clean everything, and then relube. If you don’t flush out all the old grease, there’s a chance the old has water or other contamination, and that will rust a bearing.

Exactly

[froze]

Sorry but true marine grease is too thick and gummy; you can say applesauce all you want.

I sent an e-mail to Phil Wood's service department in regards to you saying that their grease was essentially the same as marine trailer bearing grease today, so we will have to wait for their reply which I will post here.

[Raiyn]

Sorry but true marine grease is too thick and gummy; you can say applesauce all you want.

I sent an e-mail to Phil Wood's service department in regards to you saying that their grease was essentially the same as marine trailer bearing grease today, so we will have to wait for their reply which I will post here.

What exactly do you think they're going to say?
How do you think they'll spin it?
Phil's isn't big enough to have specially formulated grease made exclusively for them, but anybody can put their name on a cheap tube and sell it at a profit.

From: (Jobst Brandt)
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.tech
Subject: Re: Grease! (Non Olivia Newton-John type)
Date: 12 Feb 1998 02:35:02 GMT

Carl J Gonzalez writes:

> Auto grease, commonly called "cup grease", in it's purest form is
> oil and soap. So, when water is introduced, the soap breaks down
> and the oil runs out. The gel binder in Phil's and other modern
> type grease tends wo ward off the separation. Grease, like Phil's
> hangs in pretty tough, in my view.

Although lubrication engineers refer to the matrix in which oil is
suspended in a grease as soap, is not hand washing soap but a compound
that chemically has a soap structure. It is not soap. Phil Wood
grease is just grease and has no magic qualities greater than its
color. It is no more tenacious than other automotive greases of the
same consistency.

Automotive wheel bearing grease is an excellent lubricant for all the
bearings in a bicycle. (Marine Trailer Bearing Grease has the added benefit of being waterproof just like "Phil's") A one pound can costs about as much as a small
tube of "bicycle" grease. However, because it is not liquid it can't
enter a chain. The 'soap' in which the oil is suspended does not
soften like lard when heated, it largely retains its consistency until
it breaks down and flows. Most greases do not return to their
original state when cooled, so you can't reasonably lubricate a chain
by heating a grease.

Jobst Brandt

Now Mr. Brandt has been doing this a lot longer than most of us here and I tend to believe him a lot more than some customer service flunky paid to make the company look good.

Now if you want to continue paying for boutique brand name grease by all means do so. I'll stick with my $3 a pound Trailer Bearing Grease and you can have your $5 for three ounce tubes.

[CafeRacer]

White grease is ****, Its forumlated to work at higher temperatures and speeds. The best lube ive found for loose ball hubs is MotorX, or super lube. Both are very good. Marine crank case grease works really well to.

[froze]

Raiyn; I'm not trying to start a flame war with you. I thought, and still do though perhaps incorrectly, that marine trailer grease was thicker, or heavier weight if you like, then standard grease; "IF" this is the case then that heavier grease can damage smaller more fragile bearings...or if not damage the bearings, put more friction on the bearings thus the hub will not rotate as freely. I know and knew what Mr Brandt said in that article because I read it about 3 years ago and again before I responded to you on this subject; but that doesn't mean that everything Brandt says about anything bike related is 100% gospel truth, it just means that it works for him. If everyone listen to Brandt we all would be riding steel bikes with 36 spoke rims riding on Avocet tires and eating Medjool Dates on rides...hmm, well maybe he is right!