White Lithium Grease, Hood Latches +

Post by **MrAl** » 27 May 2015, 06:00

Hi there,

What do you guys think about using white lithium grease on the hood latches?

At first i thought this would be a good idea, but now i have second thoughts because i have read that it dries up and forms a 'crust'.

I thought only the spray white lithium grease dried up, and i have first hand experience with that, but now it seems like any of this stuff will dry up, such as a small tube from an auto parts store.

Any ideas here?

Post by **j-dawg** » 27 May 2015, 06:47

I just use silicone grease for everything. Pretty cheap, compatible with rubber, doesn't get washed out very easily.

Mobil1 synthetic grease is also pretty nice, but it smells awful and eats rubber seals.

Post by **MrAl** » 27 May 2015, 06:54

Hi,

Sounds good, so i guess that is the kind they use for brake disc pads too. I have a very small amount of that stuff that goes by the name of 'bulb grease', which of course is used in bulb sockets to keep the bulb from sticking in the socket. That's only a small quantity though so i'll have to look for a big tube or something.

I also see now a 'ceramic' based grease. I wonder what that is all about. Used for brake calipers too.

Post by **abscate** » 27 May 2015, 08:53

I use lithium grease for everything and rub it into my hands when done. That stops me from hearing the voices urging me to do bad things to people I don't like, too.

Sommerfeldt · Post by **Sommerfeldt** » 27 May 2015, 09:21

+1 on j-dawgs silicone grease. I use that for everything as well - most recently when I had to take my front wiper assembly apart - was stuck with corrosion and whatnot. They're moving faster than when they were new, I imagine.

abscate has a point, though... but I gotta finish my list first. So many people, so little time.

- G

Post by **atucker1** » 27 May 2015, 10:28

The manual says to use oil for hood lock and hinges so I use triflow lubricating oil. Probably doesn't really make much of a difference vs. white lithium grease.

Post by **MrAl** » 27 May 2015, 11:05

Hello again,

Some interesting replies, thanks.

What happened was when i got home with the white lithium grease i read the label and to my surprise it said it contained petroleum hydrocarbons. I didnt think that kind of grease had any kind of petroleum in it, as that is what eats up some plastics. That's what made me think twice.

Interesting about the oil from the manual too, thanks for that. It just so happens that i had done that already, but started to think about that too because oil has petroleum in it too. But if that's what the manual says then maybe i'll continue to go with that.

Also interesting is i just got home with a brand new tube of Sil Glyde

which is supposed to be good for brakes and other stuff.

I have a little test setup going on now, with an index card and one blob of white lithium grease and one blob of Sil Glyde (silicone based grease). Let's see which one (or both) looses liquidity the most overnight or maybe over a couple days. It either does it will show up in the card material surrounding the blob.

I guess i could always use it for bulb sockets

Post by **MrAl** » 28 May 2015, 01:15

Hi,

After some 12 or so hours they both leached into the card paper material. Maybe the sil grease a little less than the Li grease, but not that much less (maybe 1/8 inch diameter less than the other).
Good news is that they both stayed 'greasy'.
I guess a good test will take a lot more time.

Post by **j-dawg** » 28 May 2015, 07:00

I have Sil-Glyde smeared on the A-pillar seals in my Miata, since one of them was leaking. It's been a few weeks of pretty consistent rain and the grease is still there. Door doesn't leak.

Post by **MrAl** » 28 May 2015, 09:14

Hi,

Oh that's good to know too.

BTW, is your Sil Glyde an off color stuff, like a burnt tint color like maybe very slightly brown tinted?
I was a little surprised to find it had that very slight brown tint to it, because the other silicone based grease i have is perfectly clear, like window glass when you see a blob of it, with no tint at all.
Or maybe that tint is due to an additive maybe?