Grease
07-23-2013, 08:51 PM
#5
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Foothills East of Sacramento
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The Shin-Etsu grease is chemically identical to a silicone o ring grease you can get at Home Depot or Lowes. Way, way cheaper. I did a write up about a year ago on it. Here it is:
My S is still pretty new, as 09s go, and I want to keep it that way with preventative maintenance. As far as the rubber seals go for the top, I have read quite a bit in discussions and on line about Shin Etsu grease available from Honda. (Its repackaged by Honda-not made by them) Honda recommends its application to rubber seals to maintain their function and appearance. The problem? My dealer wants $70 for a substantial size tube. Ouch! I can see other sizes are available online and from the manufacturer at lower prices.
(BTW I am an military/airline guy and have no financial interest in this stuff)
Now I have found and use Gunk brand 'Plumbers Grease' for household applications: my pool equipment, water softener, plumbing, and other uses. Great stuff. Comes in a small white plastic tub. $3. Why not this instead of Shin Etsu? Time for some research.
Although the precise chemical breakdown is not listed on either containers, you can find out alot from the websites and uses for the products. I will spare you on endless details but let me throw in this definition of 'silicone grease':
Silicone grease is a waterproof grease made by combining a silicone oil with a thickener. Most commonly, the silicone oil is polydimethylsiloxane and the thickener is amorphous fumed silica. Using this formulation, silicone grease is a translucent white viscous paste, with exact properties dependent on the type and proportion of the components.
Use in industry
Silicone grease is commonly used for lubricating and preserving rubber parts, such as O-rings. Additionally, silicone grease does not swell or soften the rubber, which can be a problem with hydrocarbon based greases. It functions well as a corrosion-inhibitor and lubricant for purposes that require a thicker lubricant, such as the operating mechanism of the M1 Garand rifle.
The most common use of it is an elastic heat transfer coupling material between semiconductor circuit elements and attached cooling metal parts. This way thermal resistance of touching surfaces is typically lowered by 50 percent. The high thermal stability is the key property that allows these greases to operate on hot, cold and wet surfaces of peltier elements.
Silicone grease is also used widely by the plumbing industry in faucets and seals, as well as dental equipment. Electrical utilities use silicone grease to lube separable elbows on lines which must endure high temperatures. Silicone greases generally have a temperature range of -40 to 400 °C.
Use in the chemical laboratory
Silicone grease is widely used as a temporary sealant and a lubricant for interconnecting ground glass joints, as is typically used in the chemical laboratory. Although silicones are normally assumed to be chemically inert, several historically significant compounds have been prepared by unintended reactions. For example, the first salt of the crown ether (OSi(CH 3 ) 2 ) n (n = 6, 7) were prepared by reactions resulting from contacting organolithium and organopotassium compounds with silicone greases.
Silicone-based lubricants are often used by consumers in applications where other common consumer lubricants, such as Vaseline, would damage certain products, such as latex rubber condoms and gaskets on drysuits.
The salient points are the presence of the silicone ingredient and NOT petroleum additives which attack rubber. (Thats why Vaseline and condoms do not go together well)
The plumbers grease matches those qualities of Shin Etsu: Has temp range of -40 to 400 degrees F, Does not melt. Waterproof protective coating that prevents rust and corrosion. Rubber and synthetic, plastic, metal and ceramic materials. Certified ANSI/NSF 61. Made in USA.
Contains Polydimethylsiloxane/63148629, Dimethyl Siloxane, Hydroxyterminated/70131678, Silica, Amorphous Fumed/7631869.
Pretty much the same industrial ingredients for this class of product including Shin Etsu.
Bottom line: it seems to me the plumbers grease is really pretty much the same quality and composition at a much cheaper price.
This brings me to the final point: UV protection. Non of these greases offer UV protection. (like to have the top down?)
Some auto detailing suppliers offer products that incorporate UV protection. I will pick on one: Meguiars. They say they use only the silicone chemical makeup (read more $) that is not harmful to plastic (on the products that has silicone in it) unlike other companies using cheaper but harmful silicone compositions (Armorall) Meguiars makes a ultimate protectant designed for rubber with UV protection.
Where am I going? Why not use the Meguiars ultimate protectant for an initial application and follow up with the grease? That way you get the UV protection and then the benefit of the grease on top of that? I would think your rubber seals would stay in primo condition if you did that several times a year. Anyone?
My S is still pretty new, as 09s go, and I want to keep it that way with preventative maintenance. As far as the rubber seals go for the top, I have read quite a bit in discussions and on line about Shin Etsu grease available from Honda. (Its repackaged by Honda-not made by them) Honda recommends its application to rubber seals to maintain their function and appearance. The problem? My dealer wants $70 for a substantial size tube. Ouch! I can see other sizes are available online and from the manufacturer at lower prices.
(BTW I am an military/airline guy and have no financial interest in this stuff)
Now I have found and use Gunk brand 'Plumbers Grease' for household applications: my pool equipment, water softener, plumbing, and other uses. Great stuff. Comes in a small white plastic tub. $3. Why not this instead of Shin Etsu? Time for some research.
Although the precise chemical breakdown is not listed on either containers, you can find out alot from the websites and uses for the products. I will spare you on endless details but let me throw in this definition of 'silicone grease':
Silicone grease is a waterproof grease made by combining a silicone oil with a thickener. Most commonly, the silicone oil is polydimethylsiloxane and the thickener is amorphous fumed silica. Using this formulation, silicone grease is a translucent white viscous paste, with exact properties dependent on the type and proportion of the components.
Use in industry
Silicone grease is commonly used for lubricating and preserving rubber parts, such as O-rings. Additionally, silicone grease does not swell or soften the rubber, which can be a problem with hydrocarbon based greases. It functions well as a corrosion-inhibitor and lubricant for purposes that require a thicker lubricant, such as the operating mechanism of the M1 Garand rifle.
The most common use of it is an elastic heat transfer coupling material between semiconductor circuit elements and attached cooling metal parts. This way thermal resistance of touching surfaces is typically lowered by 50 percent. The high thermal stability is the key property that allows these greases to operate on hot, cold and wet surfaces of peltier elements.
Silicone grease is also used widely by the plumbing industry in faucets and seals, as well as dental equipment. Electrical utilities use silicone grease to lube separable elbows on lines which must endure high temperatures. Silicone greases generally have a temperature range of -40 to 400 °C.
Use in the chemical laboratory
Silicone grease is widely used as a temporary sealant and a lubricant for interconnecting ground glass joints, as is typically used in the chemical laboratory. Although silicones are normally assumed to be chemically inert, several historically significant compounds have been prepared by unintended reactions. For example, the first salt of the crown ether (OSi(CH 3 ) 2 ) n (n = 6, 7) were prepared by reactions resulting from contacting organolithium and organopotassium compounds with silicone greases.
Silicone-based lubricants are often used by consumers in applications where other common consumer lubricants, such as Vaseline, would damage certain products, such as latex rubber condoms and gaskets on drysuits.
The salient points are the presence of the silicone ingredient and NOT petroleum additives which attack rubber. (Thats why Vaseline and condoms do not go together well)
The plumbers grease matches those qualities of Shin Etsu: Has temp range of -40 to 400 degrees F, Does not melt. Waterproof protective coating that prevents rust and corrosion. Rubber and synthetic, plastic, metal and ceramic materials. Certified ANSI/NSF 61. Made in USA.
Contains Polydimethylsiloxane/63148629, Dimethyl Siloxane, Hydroxyterminated/70131678, Silica, Amorphous Fumed/7631869.
Pretty much the same industrial ingredients for this class of product including Shin Etsu.
Bottom line: it seems to me the plumbers grease is really pretty much the same quality and composition at a much cheaper price.
This brings me to the final point: UV protection. Non of these greases offer UV protection. (like to have the top down?)
Some auto detailing suppliers offer products that incorporate UV protection. I will pick on one: Meguiars. They say they use only the silicone chemical makeup (read more $) that is not harmful to plastic (on the products that has silicone in it) unlike other companies using cheaper but harmful silicone compositions (Armorall) Meguiars makes a ultimate protectant designed for rubber with UV protection.
Where am I going? Why not use the Meguiars ultimate protectant for an initial application and follow up with the grease? That way you get the UV protection and then the benefit of the grease on top of that? I would think your rubber seals would stay in primo condition if you did that several times a year. Anyone?
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