Post your favorite greases for a brake job

[mrbreezeet1]

I did. I did a complete tear-down and rebuild of the front brakes on my 2015 RX350 a year ago. I replaced the seals/boots on the calipers, completely cleaned the caliper pin sockets (like I always do) and tried to perfectly grease and put things back together like it came from the factory. Except I used that garbage from Permatex.

A year and 30k miles later, the pins on the calipers were LOCKED UP SOLID and I do not live/drive in the rust / salt belt. I had to spend 30+ minutes twisting the pins with a wrench and pliers pulling on them to get them out. What was on them? Hardened, gunky purple remnants of the Permatex garbage.

I replaced the rotors, which were purple on the inside surface. I re-used the pads, but they are more than 50% worn.

These 30k miles were 90% highway miles too....

Wow man. That's not good. Thanks for the detailed evidence.
Sounds best not to use it.

 

[mrbreezeet1]

I had a lot of problems with the orange. It doesn't cover well and dries out quicker than expected. I was very disappointed in the performance of that lube and even had customers complain of squeaks months later. I went back to CRC black synthetic which is safe for rubber too.

CRC black synthetic
Yeah,we used to use that back in this one garage l worked at, I never recall having any trouble with it.
This grease?

https://boatplicity.com/3781235-crc-industries-05359?utm_source=google&utm_medium=surfaces&utm_campaign=shopping&gclid=Cj0KCQjwuLShBhC_ARIsAFod4fKhxB5H_vbggZRBki4Bb9kC0H2McXylxnZkNKmBGVJyuqzkilgN8lcaAkaKEALw_wcB

 

[Hillbilly Deluxe]

Ideally you would just look at the factory service manual and use what it says to use, but those products are often prohibitively expensive, if they are even available to purchase in reasonable quantities (or at all!)....

It's not even that. It's the fact that every factory owner's manual or service manual says to use their branded stuff. Their branded stuff is either available as a generic (like silicone grease/paste) or as another brand name at a parts store. They just need to say all the names.

It's like the idiots on cooking shows telling you to use "candy coated chocolate pieces" in your cookie dough. Just say M&M's.

 

[dfarr67]

I never used the purple, poster above says it junk, with nothing to back his statement up. Is the permatex purple a silicone base?

Nothing to back it up? I HAVE used it and it swelled the rubber bushings on the slider pin and bellows- do a search, I'm not the only one. But hey ***- use it.

 

[dfarr67]

Is there a best choice for sliders? What's available to me at a reasonable cost:
Toyota Rubber Grease
3M
Molycoat 111
ACDelco

 

[mrbreezeet1]

Nothing to back it up? I HAVE used it and it swelled the rubber bushings on the slider pin and bellows- do a search, I'm not the only one. But hey ***- use it.

I wasn't referring to your post.
I think 3 or 4 in this thread said they didn't like it because it froze up the pins.

 

[researcher]

I never used the purple, poster above says it junk, with nothing to back his statement up. Is the permatex purple a silicone base?

the purple permatex I have is a ceramic solids synthetic grease. I don't think it's silicone based.

 

[nthach]

I never used the purple, poster above says it junk, with nothing to back his statement up. Is the permatex purple a silicone base?

The SDS is tight-lipped on the base oil. I assume it’s an ester base, it does list a small amount of ethylene glycol as well. Esters can swell rubber. Only way to find out is a gas chromatography test.

CRC’s brake grease is a PAO-based.

 

[X15]

Dielectric Compound
 really, the same grease you use for spark plug wires?

All silicone compounds have inherently good dielectric properties, Molykote 111 (XG-3-A) is no different from HUSKEY 350 (3M / Mission Silicone) in that regard.

 

[X15]

It's not even that. It's the fact that every factory owner's manual or service manual says to use their branded stuff. Their branded stuff is either available as a generic (like silicone grease/paste) or as another brand name at a parts store. They just need to say all the names.

It's like the idiots on cooking shows telling you to use "candy coated chocolate pieces" in your cookie dough. Just say M&M's.

Unfortunatly the auto makers don't put a whole lot of care into their service manuals and after-sales service recommendations. I've seen way to many straight up errors, and most automakers just say to use their preferred lubricant with no regard for what the caliper manufacturer specifies, unless they're forced to for warranty purposes.

 

[X15]

Is there a best choice for sliders? What's available to me at a reasonable cost:
Toyota Rubber Grease
3M
Molycoat 111
ACDelco

By sliders I'm assuming we're talking about guide pins? The "best" choice would probably be what the caliper manufacturer specifies, but that can be hard to determine.

Toyota (Cosmo) Rubber Grease is generally a good safe option.

And I don't know how it is in Canada, but for silicones in the US Raybestos DBL-2T (Fuchs CHEMPLEX 839) is the same as the ACDelco 10-4019 while being considerably cheaper, cheaper even than the 3M / Mission while having the benefit of PTFE.

 

[X15]

The SDS is tight-lipped on the base oil. I assume it’s an ester base, it does list a small amount of ethylene glycol as well. Esters can swell rubber. Only way to find out is a gas chromatography test.

CRC’s brake grease is a PAO-based.

I agree that the Purple is likely a PAG, probably with a non-lithium thickener, but yeah, they're pretty tight lipped about it.

As far as the CRC, if we're talking about this stuff (Brake Caliper Synthetic Grease 05359):

CRC® Brake Caliper Synthetic Grease, 8 oz. tub

A specially developed synthetic grease with a high-tech formula for use in disc & drum brake systems. High temperature grease is plastic & rubber safe. Use on metal to metal contact points and sliding surfaces. Resists moisture and will not washout.

www.crcindustries.com

The SDS is thankfully much more informative, it's a PAG for sure, a PAO would not be rubber safe.

 

[thescreensavers]

I replace the stainless steel shims with new pads and leave them dry because of brake dust and grime. I use what ever I have on hand for slide pins and that has been 3M silicone paste.

Never had an issue.

 

[nthach]

The SDS is thankfully much more informative, it's a PAG for sure, a PAO would not be rubber safe.

Brake fluid is a PAG, so is the HVAC lubricant in an automotive compressor - both are known to swell latex rubber. EPDM is used in master cylinder cups and caliper/wheel cylinder seals.

 

[Luftmasse]

The SDS is tight-lipped on the base oil. I assume it’s an ester base, it does list a small amount of ethylene glycol as well. Esters can swell rubber. Only way to find out is a gas chromatography test.

CRC’s brake grease is a PAO-based.

CRC brake grease was not meant for the pins as it does swell up the boots in my experience.

 

[mrbreezeet1]

I agree that the Purple is likely a PAG, probably with a non-lithium thickener, but yeah, they're pretty tight lipped about it.

As far as the CRC, if we're talking about this stuff (Brake Caliper Synthetic Grease 05359):

CRC® Brake Caliper Synthetic Grease, 8 oz. tub

A specially developed synthetic grease with a high-tech formula for use in disc & drum brake systems. High temperature grease is plastic & rubber safe. Use on metal to metal contact points and sliding surfaces. Resists moisture and will not washout.

www.crcindustries.com

The SDS is thankfully much more informative, it's a PAG for sure, a PAO would not be rubber safe.

Sounds like the CRC would be good for everything then. Metal to metal moving contact areas, and the metal pins that go into rubber bushings/sleeves.

 

[X15]

Brake fluid is a PAG, so is the HVAC lubricant in an automotive compressor - both are known to swell latex rubber. EPDM is used in master cylinder cups and caliper/wheel cylinder seals.

Yes, which is why solids free PAG based greases like Toyota (Cosmo) Rubber grease can be used to lube caliper piston and wheel cylinder seals, they are compatible with DOT 3/4/5.1 Brake Fluid.

Caliper pin boots and anti-rattle bushings are also EPDM, and JIS K 2228 tests for compatibility with it.

 

[mrbreezeet1]

Sounds like the CRC would be good for everything then. Metal to metal moving contact areas, and the metal pins that go into rubber bushings/sleeves.

The AGS SYL-Glyde seems to have good reviews, I haven't actually used it though that l can recall.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HFL7EDS/?coliid=I37KDCD0BPRRJ8&colid=8XK7ZM43YV8N&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

 

[X15]

Sounds like the CRC would be good for everything then. Metal to metal moving contact areas, and the metal pins that go into rubber bushings/sleeves.

I've always been a little leery about using something with that much graphite and moly in contact with rubber, but that's probably just me.

In theory, sure, it should do an acceptable job on everything, CRC certainly advertise it that way, but It'll never be as good as dedicated products for each task.

In practice? Well, Permatex uses similar advertising for their products...

 

[mrbreezeet1]

Yes, which is why solids free PAG based greases like Toyota (Cosmo) Rubber grease can be used to lube caliper piston and wheel cylinder seals, they are compatible with DOT 3/4/5.1 Brake Fluid.

Caliper pin boots and anti-rattle bushings are also EPDM, and JIS K 2228 tests for compatibility with it.

Can Toyota (Cosmo Rubber grease be used on metal to metal moving contact areas too, or would I need two products?