# I think I just found "the grease", AMSOIL Marine



## RAKC Ind (Jan 27, 2017)

So I've dealt with various types of grease over the years. Obviously marine grease has been "the thing" for grease that's not labelled by bike specific brands.

So obviously since I was maintaining Shimano hubs/cup and cone (OEM hubs) i naturally had a tub of marine grease set aside just for bikes. Just your run of the mill tub of blue marine grease. Swear by it because my bikes have had frames full of water from being on the back of my car and getting caught in nasty storms. Never serviced anything after switching to marine grease and been beautiful for years.

Not going to get into details, let's just saw I forgot the lid at some point last fall and a bird got in my garage. Don't worry I buried the poor guy when I found him and threw the tub out.

I want to service my road bike hubs and got a new bike I THINK has cup and cone (formula hubs, ton of Shimano green grease covering the bearing cap in the freehub).

Head to ACE cause I needed some stainless metric hardware. All they had was a tube of AMSOIL synthetic marine grease. Assuming it's all the same, grabbed it so I didn't have to drive another 10minutes further to replace my tub.

A quick note, always hated grease, it stinks bad and even after I wash up (I use glove but we all know some always finds a patch of skin) it still smelled. At least marine grease wasn't as bad but still hated servicing my hubs. Better than red grease in every way.

So I pop the cap to start my front road wheel.... WTF??? The smell isn't the same. Stick my gloved finger in and doesn't feel the same. It's lighter weight and not quite as sticky. Doesn't get those "tails" hanging off your finger like the other stuff.

Got excited, "Did I just find THE GREASE?" aka the stuff that bike specific brands use? The stuff that everyone swears by.

I have seen phils once and noticed it wasn't the same as my old tub.

Got the wheel back together and yeap, better than the old stuff. Less drag. Plus so much better to work with. 

Seems all brands of a type of grease aren't created equal! AMSOIL marine grease is the good stuff.

I'm probably not the only person that has realized that even your "basic hardware store offerings for grease" are not all the same even when the label says it's the same type. Different brands can mean different grease. And for Marine Grease for hubs and anything requiring waterproof grease, AMSOIL is definitely better than your normal random house brand marine grease.


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## natrat (Mar 20, 2008)

this tub of blue stuff has been sitting on the shelf with occasional use for longer than i can remember. Works good for the bad weather bike


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## DIRTJUNKIE (Oct 18, 2000)

natrat said:


> this tub of blue stuff has been sitting on the shelf with occasional use for longer than i can remember. Works good for the bad weather bike
> View attachment 1129587


Bel Ray has been around for decades and they make excellent products geared towards the motorcycle world. Plus how much grease does one use, a dab here and a dab there. It's a wonder you've had it for so long.


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## RAKC Ind (Jan 27, 2017)

Theirs other waterproof greases, all forms of marine grease work great.

Ive just found something that's lighter weight for those that care (which always seems to be a topic somewhere).

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## J.B. Weld (Aug 13, 2012)

Lots of good ones but my favorite is the green Shimano special grease.


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## Le Duke (Mar 23, 2009)

J.B. Weld said:


> Lots of good ones but my favorite is the green Shimano special grease.


AKA Motorex 2000.

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## aerius (Nov 20, 2010)

Le Duke said:


> AKA Motorex 2000.


Close, but not quite. According to a Shimano tech rep, their stuff is actually Autol Top 2000 Super Longtime Grease.
They're both calcium based greases with serious water resistance and extreme pressure tolerance, but apparently there's some subtle differences between them.


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## Le Duke (Mar 23, 2009)

Interesting. Do you think the Shimano stuff is slightly thinner?

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## RAKC Ind (Jan 27, 2017)

I don't like Shimano grease myself, at least the green stuff. Way too sticky. Stuff is more like wet glue to me 

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## aerius (Nov 20, 2010)

Le Duke said:


> Interesting. Do you think the Shimano stuff is slightly thinner?


No clue, I've only seen Shimano grease in used hubs, I've never had my hands on a fresh tube of it.


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## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

Motorex 2000 and Buzzy's Slick Honey have been long-time favorites.


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## J.B. Weld (Aug 13, 2012)

RAKC Ind said:


> I don't like Shimano grease myself, at least the green stuff. Way too sticky. Stuff is more like wet glue to me


Sticky is what makes it better.


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## DIRTJUNKIE (Oct 18, 2000)

J.B. Weld said:


> Sticky is what makes it better.


Viscosity Index


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## J.B. Weld (Aug 13, 2012)

DIRTJUNKIE said:


> Viscosity Index


I always referred to it as the web factor.


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## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

J.B. Weld said:


> Sticky is what makes it better.





DIRTJUNKIE said:


> Viscosity Index


I understand where DJ is intending this term to be applied here, you're making reference to Viscosity, not Viscosity Index. Viscosity Index is addressing how a grease or lubricant changes with temperature. Viscosity is the thickness or ability to flow.


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## DIRTJUNKIE (Oct 18, 2000)

Cleared2land said:


> I understand where DJ is intending this term to be applied here, you're making reference to Viscosity, not Viscosity Index. Viscosity Index is addressing how a grease or lubricant changes with temperature. Viscosity is the thickness or ability to flow.


Oh yeah, that's what I meant. I know there is a difference, I meant Viscosity. Thx for catching that.


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## BRnPA (Oct 9, 2020)

Use or Do Not Use? I've had this CRC StaLube lithium grease for a few years but I don't know if it qualifies as 'marine grease'.


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## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

Sta Lube general purpose grease is a lithium grease (12-hydroxy) and is not considered Marine grade. Most marine greases (that Im aware of) are composed of aluminum complex. 

You can certainly use what you have with no problem, just don't mix a lithium and aluminum complex grease.


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## BRnPA (Oct 9, 2020)

Cleared2land said:


> Sta Lube general purpose grease is a lithium grease (12-hydroxy) and is not considered Marine grade. Most marine greases (that Im aware of) are composed of aluminum complex.
> 
> You can certainly use what you have with no problem, just don't mix a lithium and aluminum complex grease.


Thanks for the input. Makes sense. I did find some Phil Woods water proof bearing grease in my cabinet as well, but I think I'm going to pickup something better, such as this for my needs.


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## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

Phil Wood's is considered a high-end grease. Between what you have, why obtain something else? What you have is perfectly acceptable.

Do you spend a lot of time riding in wet conditions?


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## BRnPA (Oct 9, 2020)

Cleared2land said:


> Phil Wood's is considered a high-end grease. Between what you have, why obtain something else? What you have is perfectly acceptable.
> 
> Do you spend a lot of time riding in wet conditions?


Not yet, but with the right grease, I might start getting wetter.  Good to know that the Phil Woods is good grease and I can probably just use it. Thanks.


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