# Marine grease vs . . .



## CharlieRN (Jul 9, 2016)

Reading through the numerous grease threads on this forum, there appears to be two basic camps.

One is the bike specific grease group that seems to lean toward the Phil Wood product but also has a sizeable element favoring Park Tool (who actually have two greases: HPG-1 and PPL-1) and a smattering preferring Pedro's. The opposing camp favors marine grease and appears to be a bit larger than the bike-specific group, though with more subgroups. The general recommendation of this group seems to be toward using lighter viscosity, aluminum or calcium based greases. 

The Auto Zone just blocks from my carries a variety of marine greases, but one in particular - Coastal Marine Lubricant/Grease - seems to be more suitable for bicycle use. It's an anhydrous calcium grease, one of the few not EP rated and with an NLGI 0 classification and SG of .92, seems less viscous than most.

I'm leaning toward simply ordering a tube of Phil Wood grease via the web since no LBS carries it, but with the marine grease option being so convenient (and immediate), thought I'd ask if anyone was familiar the Coastal product.


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## MMsRepBike (Apr 1, 2014)

Unless you're talking about what goes inside of bearings or inside of freehubs, it doesn't matter so much.

I'm one that uses several different kinds of greases for different bike applications. But you can get away with just one grease if you just use the correct amount in the correct place.

As for the type of grease, I wouldn't recommend anything in particular, I would just recommend it gets reapplied in correct intervals. Everything that uses grease, even shifters and such, needs it cleaned out and reapplied every so often. You'll be fine with marine or Park or Dura-Ace or Pedros or Motorex 2000 or whatever as a general purpose grease. I guess if I had to recommend something, it would be the Motorex 2000 850g tub based on it's wide application use and excellent quality for bike applications. I think the value is right up there too. Oh and of course you can't forget the color. People often pick their grease based off of it's color and smell, lol.


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

MMsRepBike said:


> Oh and of course you can't forget the color. People often pick their grease based off of it's color and smell, lol.


Yeah, very important. Phil smells the best. and the pretty translucent green color shows the dirt very quickly when it gets the least bit contaminated. I consider that a small advantage.

I use it just because I have for decades. I guess it's "tradition." A $10 tube lasts me about 5 years.


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## tlg (May 11, 2011)

CharlieRN said:


> The opposing camp favors marine grease and appears to be a bit larger than the bike-specific group, though with more subgroups. The general recommendation of this group seems to be toward using lighter viscosity, aluminum or calcium based greases.


Where are you seeing these "camps"? I've never seen these "two basic camps"? Let along detailed discussion of aluminum or calcium based grease.



> Coastal Marine Lubricant/Grease - seems to be more suitable for bicycle use. It's an anhydrous calcium grease, one of the few not EP rated and with an NLGI 0 classification and SG of .92, seems less viscous than most.


Wow you put a lot of thought into this. 


It's a bicycle. Not a rocket ship. I just use some blue waterproof grease I've had for years.


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## bigjohnla (Mar 29, 2010)

I use marine corrosion control grease on my boat trailer hubs because I fish in brackish water. I have used it on my bikes but, it comes in a tub and is kind of messy. I bought a tube of Park grease and looks and smells almost exactly the same. I don't notice any difference. I guess that as long as you don't wait until something starts grinding it doesn't matter.


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## jason124 (Jul 25, 2006)

I've just been using wheel bearing grease. It was all that my local Autozone had at the time and I've done 6 hubs, a few headsets, seat tubes and pedals with it. No complaints yet...


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## Peter P. (Dec 30, 2006)

NLG 0 grease is too light. You want NLG 2 grade, which is the same as Phil's etc. . Too viscous and the bearings will have to plow through the grease. Too thin, like NLG 0, is bad in other ways.

I use Lubrimatic Marine Trailer Corrosion Control and Wheel Bearing Grease. A 1lb. tub lasts 20 years.


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## vagabondcyclist (Apr 2, 2011)

Depending on your freehub the NLG 0 would be a good choice. Really it's the NLG rating that matters the most.


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## duriel (Oct 10, 2013)

grease?.....


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## Roland44 (Mar 21, 2013)

jason124 said:


> I've just been using wheel bearing grease. It was all that my local Autozone had at the time and I've done 6 hubs, a few headsets, seat tubes and pedals with it. No complaints yet...


Same here, it's not perfect but does the job just fine.


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## MR_GRUMPY (Aug 21, 2002)

I've been using white lithium grease for the last 30 years, on bikes.


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

tlg said:


> Where are you seeing these "camps"? I've never seen these "two basic camps"? Let along detailed discussion of aluminum or calcium based grease.
> 
> Wow you put a lot of thought into this.
> 
> It's a bicycle. Not a rocket ship. I just use some blue waterproof grease I've had for years.


^^^ This. A highly overthought issue.

And just to pique the OP's curiosity: do you really think that the bicycle industry has commissioned their own proprietary grease formulations, or do you think they've simply gone to OEM lube suppliers and asked them to repackage one of their standard greases in a smaller and much more expensive tube?


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## Oxtox (Aug 16, 2006)

have a little left in a tube of Phil's I bought back in the mid-80s.

still tastes ok...


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## Z'mer (Oct 28, 2013)

I used a lot more grease in the old days, when everything used loose bearings. On my newer bikes with sealed press in bearings almost everywhere (hubs, cranks, pedals, etc) there is not much left to grease. If it's for use in headsets, assembly, etc I use common green waterproof grease, available locally. 

But for Shimano loose bearing hubs like Ultegra or Dura-ace, I use the Dura-ace grease. It's not that expensive, about $18-20. for 100g. It's all about the smell and color 
https://www.amazon.com/Shimano-Dura-Ace-Grease/dp/B001GSOO34?th=1&psc=1
In the past I used Phil Wood grease, still have some left from the tube I bought in 1975. Still a very good all-around choice.


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