Great boil-down of the metallurgical and mechanical TRUTH . . . . THANK YOU! As an engineer and amateur mechanic, I have known about the corrosion issue for decades, but have still relied on grease, despite having anti-seize in my toolbox. Consider me born again :)
I sell industrial lubricants for a living and there is so much correct about Josh's explanation but there is so much more to it. Anti-seize is used in industry primarily for issues of galling between two like metals, especially stainless steels. But anti-seize is also very important providing a constant repeatable torque value, as Josh mentions. His comment that you need less bolt stretch when using anti-seize was incorrect. You need the correct amount of bolt stretch and a good anti-seize ensures repeatable torque values to ensure fastener strength and sealing of flanges in industrial applications. The anti-seize I sell uses barium molybdates to passivate the metal to reduce issues with galvanic corrosion. I can see where galvanic corrosion would be an issue with carbon and especially carbon/graphite and a passivator or sacrificial anodic protection (such as zinc) would be appropriate. Nickel anti-seizes were introduced due to issues with oil contamination in turbine lube oil in the power industry many years ago. The latest high quality anti-seize is now ceramic based, but nickel is still very good and widely used. Copper is actually a very good anti-seize for carbon steel but the new anti-seizes are good enough that it is no longer used. As a Silca fan and user of many Silca products, I appreciate Josh's innovative approach and new products. Thank you for all you do, Josh!
Can you recommend a type of anti-seize for use on Titanium bike frames? Since Titanium is on the opposite end of the galvanic series than aluminum or steel, does that change the compound used?
Josh said the amount of stretch is the critical factor and gave the example of racing engine assembly using a gauge to directly measure this stretch. I can't find where he said less bolt stretch was needed.
Regarding bolt stretch, the only thing I heard Josh say is that when using anti seize, the variance of stretch for a given torque was reduced, from 25% to 5%. I imagine the test was to a given stretch target. If it was to a particular torque, I Imagine the stretch was greater.
at around 9:30, Josh says that nickel and fiberglass are equivalent because they are neutral... totally ignoring the fact that fiberglass stops galvanic corrosion because it is an insulator. i.e. electrons cannot pass through it, so therefore the chemical reactions can't occur. Nickel is obviously a conductor, and in these sorts of sacrificial anodes or cathodes, the goal is to have the nickel react instead of the metal that is being protected. Most of the companies that make products like anti-seize have a variety of versions that they sell, and they can advise you as to which is best for your application. This info should either be on their website, or you can contact their applications engineers.
E-glass (electrically insulation glass) is recomended for the instances like the early frames Josh mentions, but should be the last layer in the composite. It begs the question of why seat tubes aren't made with an E-glass layer as the inner most.
Ok, Josh, this seems like another product (nickel anti-seize)being pushed by the bike industry, for profit. I have been using anti seize, since the mid 90’s 1st aluminum, then copper based anti seize. I have seen to this day bike shops using grease on bikes in areas where anti seize, should be used. Aluminum to Aluminum you have to use anti-seize not grease, even similar metals exchange electrons, and form covalent bonds (that’s what the creaking sound is the bonds breaking) I went through the creaky 90’s , prior to anti-seize . Aluminum, copper, nickel are all readily available, for a fraction of what the bike industry wants to charge, and the difference amongst them is temperature applications. I’m the food.
I'd say it's more a product being asked for at the top of the bike industry to reduce warranties and solve customer complaints.. Pretty much every $25 for 450gm copper, or nickel anti-seize on the market contains graphite and should not be used with aluminum. Pretty much every aluminum anti-seize contains either aluminum or zinc and shouldn't be used with titanium..so considering that most every high end carbon stem and seatpost anymore uses Ti bolts in Al female thread inserts and that most every modern carbon frame uses Al threaded inserts which some customers will fill with Ti bolts.. we have potential issues. I'm with you 100% that you can also do all the research and just own all of them, keeping a chart of what to use when and where, but the reality is that most consumers and even shops will at best have one of them ensuring that most of the time they're using the wrong one and at worst won't even know what we're talking about and just be using bearing grease all over the place, or even worse, are just dry threading things together.. we see that all the time! This product is one of the only ones I know of approved for that Ti-Al interface which is so hard to solve for, and it's not something commonly found on Amazon or even in industrial catalogs with the cheaper stuff as it's really pretty specific AND it's a lot more expensive. Anyway, there's a ton of average product in this category and the world doesn't need another repackaging of HenkelLB8008 copper anti-seize which is pretty much what everybody else seems to be doing. Lastly, 12 grams of this stuff is enough to fully coat over 100 M5x12 fasteners.. you could disassemble and rebuild 3-4 entire bikes with this $20 tube fully coating every single fastener, all for the price of a beer at a football match.
What do you do if you have a carbon seat post in a carbon frame, but the wedge to secure the seat post is aluminum? I would usually use carbon paste to aid in the holding power, but from you are saying I could have issues with the aluminum to carbon connection.
Coat any two different metal parts that come in contact with each other. The tightening screw of the wedge might be steel, the sleeve it screws through (bonded to surrounding carbon) might be aluminum?
Good video! Great job explaining the differences between grease and anti-siege. And I liked how you mentioned Rolls-Royce down the street…… BTW I work there as a test mechanic. I’m sharing this video with some of my cycling friends. Keep up the good informational videos!
I use Permatex Anti-Seize 80078 on my pedals cranks. They came out smooth years later and I put them on my new bike. It's salt, corrosion, and moisture resistant - "ideal for marine use". I'm not worried about water or sweat getting into the threads and turning my bike into a battery. When the bottle I have runs out, I'll think about nickel anti-seize.
The temperature rating on the Silca stuff seems to be a fair bit higher. While the temperature isnt directly relevant, it might indicate the formulation of the Permatex stuff might be a bit cruder (more impurities in their formulation). Probably makes little difference from a practical standpoint, but I guess one would have to do some long term tests to compare the two formulations. Probably could do some kind of accelerated test by spraying salt on the test samle products to speed up the corrosion like they do when testing anti-rust products, then we can see if the difference between the two.
Thread lockers are great for fasteners that are low torque, high risk, and infrequently needing to be touched or adjusted, but be sure to check with the manufacturer to ensure that it is allowed. If your position is super-dialed, stem faceplate bolts are a good candidate.. chainring bolts also. I would avoid using threadlockers on aluminum fasteners as the removal torque can become so high that the hex key can round or damage the fastener when trying to loosen.
I’m not sure I understand why nickel is considered “galvanically neutral”, which is a term I think would only apply to an insulative material. My reading of the chart indicates that the galvanic potential between both titanium and nickel, and nickel and aluminum, is large enough for corrosion to occur. I can’t speak to the aerospace applications, but in many others, sacrificial anodic protection is used, commonly with magnesium or zinc. I guess in this case the nickel is mitigating the issue enough to work, given the mild operating conditions of a bottom bracket or other part of a bicycle. But I wonder if the larger benefit is coming from the compound staying in place better than grease, and as long as the dissimilar metal contact is minimized there really isn’t much galvanic corrosion occurring either way. Curious to hear your thoughts. Thanks!
Working on that currently but sadly, it's not something used in aerospace or automotive and all of the bike industry stuff is just silicone grease with glass beads in it.. so working to bring some actual technology to the category which is never fast!
@@SILCAVelo correction - plastic beads, at least the first ones by Tacx n such. I haven't seen anything to suggest they're glass beads, it's not like they crush if I smash it. Also there's the Motorex stuff which supposedly has whiskers in it but you can't feel anything, and Effetto Mariposa make one that's applied wet and then dries, they call it a resin. Which makes me want to try hairspray or gel.
It makes me wonder about the longevity of an aluminum sleeve insert bonded to a carbon frame frame bottom bracket. Wouldn't there be galvanic corrosion of the aluminum sleeve with time and failures of the bonding?
There are ways of compensating for this in frame manufacturing, typically the aluminum is bond prepped with a CAA or PAA anodize and then wrapped directly with fiberglass before carbon fiber to act as an insulator between the two.
@@SILCAVelo Is that reasonable to expect this as the common practice adopted by carbon frames manufacturer, when an aluminum sleeve is bounded inside a bottom bracket? Is that why we see fiberglass used inside a fork steerer tube?
Everybody knows this nowadays so you don't have anything to worry about with any legit brand-name frames on the market. Yes, it is also why there's glass inside the steerer tube.. it prevents corrosion with the compression plug which is generally aluminum and which is also in such a high-sweat area.
Would Tef Gel anti-seize be a good option for Ti + Al? It's most used in the marine industry to prevent corrosion between aluminum and stainless steel fasteners. Best of all it is non-toxic. Also one potential problem I see with grease/anti-seize is that bike manufacturers (and other industries/companies) often do not provide BOTH wet and dry torque specifications... Repeatability is great but you can be consistently wrong if you have the wrong information.
Hmm, what about ceramic paste (i.e. from LIQUI MOLY)? 🤔 Galvanic neutral, acid/lye resistant, corrosion/water resistant, high temperature resistant, non-toxic, cheap. 🙈
That is a good question. At least it does not contain Nickel, which seems to be a bit unhealthy (ok, most mineral oil products are, and you will not use it as a spread on toast, but anyways...).
Ceramic paste is developed for high temperature applications like automotive brakes. The ceramic additive works great for insulation and temperature, but should not be used with aluminum fasteners or aluminum female threads as it is slightly abrasive and will score/damage surface anodizing on aluminum components and can lead to premature wear and/or failure
In my work on wash down packaging machines nickel did not provide good results between aluminum and stainless On boats it’s important to take pumps apart on a PM schedule no matter what you use to avoid the worst issues
Traditional 'nickel' anti-seize from most major suppliers will contain up to 50% graphite which can be very reactive with aluminum (ours has NO graphite).. I'd imagine this is where you had issues as those products can be very troublesome with aluminum, particularly in high water and particularly salt-water environments.
Interesting, but the EMF difference between nickel and say 6061 aluminum is still ~0.6V. Per NACE, anything more than ~0.15V is enough to drive galvanic corrosion. Just get a $20 tub of Loctite Marine grade (8023). Take things apart occasionally, clean, and re-apply any you’ll be fine. I agree the copper-based stuff is ridiculous, and never should be used anywhere around aluminum.
Did you actually watch either video at all? Project farm did their test on cad plated steel bolts from the hardware store while our whole premise is that for dissimilar bolted joints involving Titanium or Aluminum copper is 40 year old tech which has been replaced by this newer, better tech. It's like saying Project Farm says 87 octane runs better in a mower engine, so that should also be true in a jet turbine.. sorry but no.
Is aluminium based anti-seize worse than copper based? It seems to be what park tools anti-seize is made of, yet they recommend it for titanium parts? When alu and titanium seems to be the main problem?
@@RespiceFinem90 I wasn't aware Nickel in its metallic and compund forms were carcinogenic, now I know. Not sure if anything in the process Silca uses would make it different, knowing the way Josh makes content I would expect a clarification from their side.
Would love to know what grease you bought and put in that syringe. I think there are lots of other options for much less money, less carcinogenic and work just as well.
Because you talk about carcinogenics I see that you've been sucked into the outrage machine. Please note that NTN bearings so beloved by the outrage machine also have the same Prop65 warning when sold in the US.. so yes, by that logic, those BB's are in fact carcinogenic: ntnamericas.com/ca-prop-65/ The reason you'd love to know what's in the syringe is that you don't actually know.. even thought we pretty much gave you a roadmap to figure it our.. pure nickel in full synthetic base.. not nickel-graphite, not mineral oil base (as 99% of them are), and no, nowhere on earth can you buy it for $20 for 500gm
Think how differently this goes if you aren't hyped up by the outrage machine.. You: why do I need this, I love Ferroslip SILCA: yes, Ferroslip is a great product, just note, it's not approved for use with aluminum, hard metals only, I'm sure if you call the company they can recommend something they make for Ti/Aluminum interfaces you: oh, I didn't realize that, yes, I'll give them a call because I want to be using the best possible stuff for my customers
What about "zinc grade" anti seize as it is good for aluminium and its alloys and with components fabricated from similar or dissimilar metals....it is also intended to provide corrosion protection to the metal surfaces.
Zinc anti-seize are recommended for aluminum-aluminum assemblies and also for use with iron/cast iron/carbon steel. For Titanium and Ti-Aluminum, and stainless/ti, stainless/Aluminum nickel will be much better.
Just received new Ti frame and cranks for my first custom build, and coming up to speed on use/need for anti-seize. Both came with small tubes of Copper paste. Thanks for the in-depth discussion/info. Very informative. Will definitely consider this as an alternative. Question: apart from threaded interfaces, do you also recommend for the aluminum dropper-post (Al) surface, and should I apply it only underneath the collar, or along the whole length of the recessed seat tube. If the latter, seems like I would need quite a bit of product ($$). Thanks.
You absolutely want to use anti-seize anywhere you have aluminum touching titanium. The dropper especially as the galvanic corrosion of a seatpost will see the aluminum oxides that is formed expand in the joint between the two seizing the post in place.. we've seen frames where the seattube ruptured from the pressure of the expanding post corroding inside of it! You can use grease here and then just be sure to pull the post 1-2x per year to clean and re-grease. Copper anti-seize will work OK, but nickel based will work better. There are cheaper nickel anti-seize products on the market but most contain graphite which will not work in your situation so make sure there's no graphite in whatever you end up using.
How about Teflon (PTFE) tape? It is used when connecting (screwing) pipes in plumbing installations, etc. The same principle should work for screw connections on a bicycle.
@@SILCAVelo By the way, Teflon tape is also used in medicine - in surgical operations, as well as in dental procedures. Therefore, Teflon tapes are not harmful to health. According to the information on Wikipedia, Teflon itself is not harmful to health, but can be harmful (as a carcinogen) only when heated above a certain (very high) temperature, in which case the danger comes from a specific acid used in the production of Teflon. At the same time, however, paraffin wax can also be harmful and potentially have a carcinogenic effect when heated above a certain temperature, in which some harmful substances are released. Moreover, these dangerous temperatures for paraffin are much lower than the dangerous temperatures for Teflon. However, paraffin wax is strongly recommended by various sources of information as the optimal solution for lubricating bicycle chains. Ordinary plastic is also harmful and pollutes the planet. But no one has given up on ordinary plastic for bicycles. The rubber from which bicycle tires are made can also be harmful (when burning rubber) to health and also pollutes the environment, much more than Teflon. However, no one has given up on using rubber. Where exactly is the line between substances and compounds that are considered harmful to health and the environment and as such should not be used? I'm just curious.
how is it between brass nipples and steal spokes? i find powder there too on bikes that go in winter here in Sweden. We salt the roads and that just eats up components and seize bolts in alu frames.
If I wanted to use your anti-seize on say my seat post and tube, do I need to thoroughly clean the inside of the seat tube of whatever grease was already in there? If so, got any recommendations for how to do that short of removing the whole bottom bracket?
Shimano anti-seize contains mostly calcium carbonate, some zinc oxide and aluminum benzoate, without graphite and metal. Can it provide adequate protection for stainless steel / titanium / aluminum? It's very similar in composition to many "food grade" anti-seize products.
I'm not sure about this product, but I did lose faith in Silca when I tried their hyped tubeless sealant: It didn't seal the rim/tyre very well. Needed air every day. Didn't seal holes. Carbon fibres were way too heavy for the thin medium. Dried out way too fast (see sealing the rim/tyre above). Fibres ended up in a ball together; great if you wanted to balance the wheel and rely on guesswork as to where the ball of fibres will end up! The sealant I use now requires air seven to ten days, and I can refresh it with water (because it doesn't dry out) rather than have to use another overpriced product. Oh, it's really good in inner rubes too keeping pressure for around four weeks!! It also has fibres that are held within the thick solution.
And yet here you are spending your valuable time watching and commenting on our videos.. don't worry, all of the Hamibini sycophants have said the same thing $20 for 500gm? Crazy!! Outrage really is his superpower and it's amazing how good he is at boiling down talking points that motivate people to go and spread those talking points.. well done to him!
@SILCAVelo Well, I don't subscribe to your channel, but I do to his and other channels whose opinions I value. I have a few Silca products, but the sealant was a real low point for me. Massive hype and promises yet very poor performance. Anyway, you promote your stuff on a public forum, so expect public feedbaxk. It was nice of you to take my feedback about my genuine experience seriously 🙄
Think how differently this goes if you don't show up having been hyped up by the outrage machine.. you: Hey SILCA, I had bad experience with your sealant SILCA: So sorry, yes, we had some real manufacturing issues for the first few months as the stuff breaks the bottling machines. Here's a blog post and youtube video explaining it.. how about we send you another bottle? Since solving the bottling we've won like half a dozen awards with that product and numerous pro teams are running it off sponsorship.. You: Nah, I've found something I like better OR OK, sure, I'll try it again.. So much easier without the outrage.. we're happy to engage publicly, but when the basis of the conversation are half truths and mischaracterizations intended to drive clicks and get people worked up.. we will poke back.
@SILCAVelo Fair comment, and I have edited my original post. I do not follow you, and therefore, I have not seen the blog or video and was ready to throw in the towel with tubeless after getting a blowout with Silca sealant instaled only to find all the fibres had dried into a ball. I assume the Blog is explaining this is still available to read? Thanks 👍🏻
It's explained in the video that normal grease can't work as anti-seize under the pressure of thread interface. So is it correct that silicone grease is also useless as anti-seize in the same manner? Also, is copper anti-seize the second-best alternative for the case of aluminum crank bolts in an aluminum axle?
Silicone grease is not a good antiseize alternative as it is rather easily driven out of threads and from under bolt heads by load. The general recommendation for Al-Al interfaces would be Zinc anti-seize, www.ellsworth.com/products/by-market/general-industry/lubricant-products/anti-seize/henkel-loctite-zinc-anti-seize-lubricant-gray-1-lb-can/ there are also aluminum based anti-seizes that work well and many marine anti-seize products are rated for aluminum. The key is to avoid products with graphite in them, which can be quite hard.. so many copper and nickel anti-seizes add graphite to reduce friction in high torque tightening which makes them a poor choice for use with aluminum so make sure to really read the description on any product you are looking to buy.
we need a video about when to use grease and when anti seize and carbon paste and so on... they are out there... but we need it from you...!!!11!! Sooo much bad information out there. Pretty please!
I'm scratching my head... so just because copper anti seize is not used on jet engines, then it must be bad for bicycles? I've been using various anti seize greases over the years on cars, bicycles, motorcycles and electrical with the copper anti seize being my favorite. If the grease keeps out the oxygen and water, then you don't need to worry about galvanic corrosion since it can't occur. The copper helps prevent possible galling. Most people don't have titanium on their bikes, more likely Cr-Mo steel and aluminum. I assume with regards to carbon fiber you wouldn't want to use anything that might attack the carbon fiber glue/resins. The whole science on using things like stretch bolts on cylinder heads is way off topic since the known stretch of the bolt materiel is what determines the forces applied. It just has no basis in bicycles as far as I know otherwise you'd be throwing bolts away after they were used once.
Maybe watch the video again.. the focus here is on stainless or Ti to aluminum interfaces which is pretty much every modern stem, seatpost, pedal-crank interface, and copper is great, but for this particular application, has been supplanted by nickel which is better. Nothing against copper at all, just that much of the bike industry for 30 years has associated copper anti-seize with Ti-Aluminum interfaces and we've known in aerospace for 20+ years that there are much better alternatives.
@@SILCAVelo Could it be the real reason the choice of anti seize is critical on jet engines is all the heat? Anything carrying the compound would burn off, leaving connections exposed to air, humidity and moisture. A non issue in bicycles.
Very helpful video. What do you recommend for seatposts - titanium in titanium and aluminium in titanium? Would this product be the best thing for each? Thanks in anticipation
This will work in all of those scenarios, but in general the one scenario where you can save your money is when materials are same-same, so Ti into Ti or Al into Al and you're fine with EP grease which is cheaper than anti-seize.. but if you could only have 1 on the shelf, then Anti-seize would be that one. In aerospace, they typically have specific types of anti-seize for specific combinations, so Nickel Anti-Seize would be used on all the Ti-Al, Ti-Stainless, or Stainless-AL while Ti into Ti would generally use pure MoS2 anti-seize, but then that stuff isn't recommended for use with AL.. hope that makes sense.
I think you guys do a great job at bringing tech and knowmedge to the bike. It comes at a cost, all these trolls need to realize that low volume high perfromance is costly. If anyone thinks the raw material cost is the cost, your line of thinking is not elaborate. I work with sail boats, parts and raw material is 20% of the cost. Low volume and long shelf life triples that initial cost(thats to run a surviving business, anything with word marine in it will be 3-4x the cost). On top of that 130% is custom engieneering, 50-500% is craft when getting it installed. So a 2000$ piece of equipment easily costs 10-12k installed. Top tip from high performance marine: look into tef-gel. I use it for every nut and bolt on high performance yachts. Flawless. Very high torque. FYI, it is free form teflon, so do not taste the paste and get cancer.
I use pure nickel antiseize for my automotive & motorcycle applications for awhile now, unless you need the high temp of copper nickel is the less reactive option, anywhere corrosion could be an issue it should be used. I don't use mettalic anti seize on my bikes btw, molybdenum & graphite...
Molybdenum and Graphite are both problematic with aluminum threads, so I'd be mindful of what the female threads are on your bikes as so many of them are aluminum in modern frames.
Anytime you have something that you really don't want to move that you also don't plan on adjusting anytime soon can be a good place to use threadlock. I use it this way on cleats. The other application are fasteners that you don't want to fully tighten but also don't want to loosen, so brake clamp bolts are a good application here where they need to be just barely tight and stay that way. Threadlockers are generally not re-usable if you need to loosen and re-tighten, so I avoid them for anything that might need adjusting like stem, seatpost, saddle. Also beware with crankarms and pedals as those generally want to self tighten in use and threadlock can really make them hard to disassemble!
Ceramic pastes are damaging to aluminum anodize and aluminum substrates. Those are designed for high temperature brake applications for use on steel and cast iron.
This works for that... and any place on the bike where corrosive environments exist whether from the environment or the mating of materials where galvanic exchange can quickly occur.
It works OK with about half of the compressive force capability of copper and 1/3 that of nickel based anti-seize, but our company has strict rules against using PTFE and other PFAS chemicals due to the increasing understanding of their toxicity in both wildlife and humans. These chemicals will largely be banned in the EU and much of the Americas within 10-15 years, and it will take us hundreds of years to clean up the damage from that past 80 years of their manufacture.
I believe anti-seize acts as a lubricant and unless you reduce torque values could strip out a bolt. not 100% sure but that’s why I’ve always heard about using it in automotive situations so why not the same for a bike fastener
Almost all torque specs I've seen for bicycles and their components never mention dry & wet torque and it should be common sense that no bolt is fastened dry (especially the bolts of cockpits) unless it's mentioned, like SRAM's UDH hanger bolt. Torque spec standards in the cycling industry isn't as extensive as in other industries.
This is a good question, especially when you consider that it’s common in bikes for a steel fastener to be going into aluminum alloy threads. I always reduce torque values if I’m using a lubricated fastener on bike parts. Like, a lot of bicycle components will list a torque range (instead of one single number as is more common in automotive etc). If my bolt has grease or anti-seize I’m always gonna choose the low value from the range just to be safe. (Industry torque charts typically show around a 25% drop in torque values between dry and lubed threads.) So I don’t want to strip out threads, or crush carbon handlebars from the increase in clamping forces, for example. The bike industry is definitely lagging in this regard.
Just made a video to address this, but pretty much every single fastener on a bicycle should be torqued wet, be it anti-seize, grease, or loctite (or dry if it has a pre-applied loctite patch on the fastener as this stuff wets out under pressure and then hardens) The SRAM UDH is an outlier as the female threads are actually plastic on that part.. any many common greases can soften or damage plastics, not to mention the risk of overtension and possible thread failure. In automotive you see lots of dry torque used, but that's because they don't want greases used in the assembly for cleanliness so they use fasteners with special coatings and the like to allow for dry assembly.
As an engineer and former bike mechanic, please please bring good anti-seize compound into the bike market. I mean, fair, using grease on threats and friction fits like bearing seats is better then nothing to prevent galling and moisture ingress and I have done it myself countless times when nothing better was at hand but realistically, a modern bike has almost no need for grease. Bearings are sealed and pre-lubed nowdays, everything else is joints that are meant to not move. And with grease, especially on new parts, the torque properties change. More force will be required for a clamp, bolts are easily overtightened etc. With what you find on the consumer bike market, mostly metal based anti seize compounds (e.g. copper or aluminium paste) you constantly need to be mindful of which compound to use in which material pairing due to galvanic corrosion. And while I know where and what to get, most bike riders just buy bicycle specific products and sometimes end up destroying their bikes. (Wouldn't be the first time I had to drill out stem bolts after someone used a copper based anti seize for stainless screws in an aluminium stem). Having a galvanically neutral anti seize compound marketed to bike enthusiasts might save a lot of parts. And frankly, I don't care too much about the price. I can get proper stuff at any automotive parts store and bike shops as well. The kind of consumer I'm talking about likely spends a lot on their hobby for parts they 'want' but don't need anyway. For them, it's a hobby after all.
Little addition, with galvanically neutral, I don't mean inactive, I should have phrased that differently. But any compound that doesn't actively contribute to corroding the mating materials. Using a sacrificial material like Nickel is one way to do that. Usign an electrically neutral material like some anti-seizing tread locking glues is another.
Those come pre-lubricated from the factory with a sort of sticky assembly grease. I would only worry about them if you are doing a derailleur overhaul where you strip and clean all of it off using an ultrasonic or the like.. otherwise, that factory grease is probably good for 30 years of normal use!
Hambini turns $30 of industrial bearings and aluminum bar stock into $300 bottom brackets so I assumed he'd be proud? Also we literally tell you exactly what it is, where we found it in use, and that we don't directly make it, so if you want to go sleuthing about and find something similar for cheaper, (though that price you're quoting is for nickel-graphite which is quite a bit cheaper) go ahead.. I mean we essentially build you a roadmap in the video. Anyway, these syringes are sold in aerospace and light aircraft for $75-100 per syringe in bulk and as much as $200 per syringe as singles. As for cancer, well those NTN bearings that Hambini loves so much carry the identical California prop 65 cancer warning when sold here in America: ntnamericas.com/ca-prop-65/ @Hambini, not sure if you sell many BB's to California, but you are technically breaking the law if you sell them into California without this prop 65 statement clearly stated on the packaging.
@SILCAVelo Great response. I follow Hambini and agree with some things he says about the bike industry. But I also enjoy your channel very much, and find it contains a lot of great information. I wasn't criticizing you, just quoting him. I will definitely be buying some wax lube from you in the near future.
@@SILCAVelo I do not have 10 employees so I have no legal requirement to display labels. Whilst you are quite right the bearings may contain substances that require a prop65 warning, in this context, it's chalk and cheese. NTN's bearings in normal handling are trace elements. Your grease has a large consituent of nickel that is semi fluid in form. You probably know the reason for the nickel is predominantly for the heat, yet you conveniently forget to mention it. Good luck with your sales mate.
If you would just engage conversationally, results would be different.. but you can't help yourself, it always has to be outrage and how much smarter you are than everybody else and how stupid and ill meaning the bike industry people are...I get it, it drives clicks and youtube revenue for you, but it's just not productive. Like I said in the video, we learned that this is the stuff used for Ti-Al fastening in jet engines, while the bike industry is generally still recommending copper, or in many cases is ignorant to anti-seize as a category.. we then worked with the RR supplier who's data show that Nickel really is the best from a corrosion perspective in Ti-Al and Stainless-Al interfaces as it's a strong galvanic barrier while also being soft enough not to damage the Al threads or coatings, and corrosion really is our biggest enemy in cycling. As a result, we went with the recommended formula from one of the top suppliers in the industry and this product is pure nickel in a full synthetic grease, which is quite different from nickel-graphite/mineral oil which comprise all of the 500gm for $20 tub products that you reference (most of which are recommended against using with aluminum due to the graphite content). If it were just about high temp, you would use ceramic which is way higher temp rated, but can cause micro scratching and coating damage in aluminum.. similarly, for higher temp Ti-Ti bolting they primarily use pure MoS2 as that's best for galling, but then that product isn't considered as good when used with Ti-Al or Stainless-Al interfaces. If you have something different or better, please enlighten us, I'm just bringing what I've learned to the table, but shitposting for the sake of outrage and clicks certainly isn't helping anybody out and certainly isn't moving the conversation forward in any meaningful way.
Amazing how people rode bikes for 100 years using grease without anti-seize assembly paste. Been building bikes for past 10 years using ALU/Carbon/Steel parts with grease, never had problems.
Hi Josh an interesting take on a real problem. You are right that grease/antisieze makes torque tightening less variable, but then you need a new set of torques with the more accuracy. Given that the torques quoted for bikes are generic only, I always use the lower figure as near as. Got any figures on all that?
Bicycle industry torque is rather variable in how it is calculated, but particularly for things like faceplates and stem/steerer clamps, the most important bit is consistency. Most torque tools already have +/-5% accuracy, and unlubricated or improperly lubricated fasteners can add as much as 25% more variability in bolt tension for a given torque tool reading. We recommend working slowly, using step torque (making a video on this now, but essentially if you need to go to 6nm, go to 2, then go to 4, then go to 6). Go to the lower of recommended torque values, and then increase if necessary to prevent slippage.
Before Silca released this product all bikes fell apart after 6 years. For some reason copper anti-seize has been working very well for me for 30 years now. Strange.
You mean the part in the video where Josh literally says that copper was the standard for the last 30 years and now we have something better.. Yes, strange.
I‘d say yes and since Giant is (and was) OEM for many other brands, I would not be surprised if some of the mentioned examples were actually be built by Giant.
We do not have a store or anything like that, but if you are local you can pick up your order from our office. Email us from our website if you are interested.
Too make it simple could I always use Silca titanium grease in every threaded situation? I know it would cost more, but is there a functional reason to not use the Silca ti grease even in an aluminum into aluminum for example ?
Hmmm galvanic corrossion... where have I heard that term around bikes before..... I think it had to do with something that rhymes with mano y mano... 🤔
Great explanation! What if the surfaces are powder coated like it is the case for most aluminium seatposts or colorful anodized like aluminium or titanium screws?
What looks like powdercoat is actually black anodize over top of a grit blasted or bead blasted aluminum surface, so most all stems and seatposts you encounter will be anodized aluminum. This is the perfect application if you are using stainless or Ti screws on these aluminum parts.
@@SILCAVelo thanks - I'll be ordering some. does the trainer advice also go for a touring or bikepacking bike out in the rain a lot? btw - I rode the GDMBR last year was was the only one using synergetic that I knew of. no one knew about it and everyone was surprised how clean my chain was and I was lazy and only lubed once a week over about 4k miles last yr.
I tried researching it and can't find a ton of specific info, but in photos, the Syntace Ti-Prep looks like a copper anti-seize. As we say in the video, that was the state of the art 30 years ago so that would make sense as that product appears to have been sold as far back as the 1990's when it was included with early Syntace aero bars.
Loctite is it's own separate category and should not be mixed with other assembly lubricants. Most loctite products have some galvanic resistance, and all of them specify what materials they do and don't work with. In general, I save loctite for things that you really want to stay put for at least a year and also for fasteners with robust tool interfaces as there will always be some damage risk when loosening loctited fasteners. I loctite my cleat bolts and spoke nipples, everything else gets anti-seize except thru-axles which get heavy, clear assembly grease.
That's an incredibly tiny tube for $20. You're really taking the piss with this one, im afraid. Pennies worth of paste in that tube. Your packaging costs will be what, 100x the cost of the compound?
The syringe only adds about $1 of cost, but reduces waste of the material considerably when using it. Each syringe is enough to build 3-4 complete bikes, and cost is 10X less than the same stuff purchased through the aerospace supply chain.
Great video! This is a very misunderstood topic that can genuinely make working on bikes much better. What about galling of similar metals though? This is something I encounter quite a lot and usually use a copper anti seize to prevent it. Things like the alloy sram DUB crank bolts that are always insanely tight to remove even when torqued correctly with grease (alloy bolt in to alloy spindle)
Al/Al interfaces at high torque are a good place for anti-seize like this, but EP grease with high MoS2 or WS2 content work well here also as those particles are lower friction than the metals used in anti-seize.
There are pure zinc anti-seize pastes that are specific to al-al situations, this is also a good place for highly MoS2 loaded EP greases. Nickel anti-seize would be better than copper in this application due to it being closer to aluminum on the galvanic spectrum.
This is great info, thanks Josh. Quick question. How does anodizing help/hurt in terms of the galvanizing process (with AL/TI i guess)? I presume not much at all, so using anti-seize on galvanized AL would still be a thing?
Most aluminum parts in cycling are Type II or color anodized.. this is the weakest type in terms of corrosion resistance, but more importantly, in fasteners, it is brittle and tends to fail at the pressure faces of the fastener. It also makes the fastener way more likely to gall (this is the creaking and smoke smell people often hear when tightening aluminum screws) so you want to use an anti-seize especially with any aluminum fastener.
Works in that interface as well. Overall, it's better than grease in every interface between dissimilar metals, so we only recommend grease be used when the two metals involved are same.
I guess the copper paste in the bike industry came over from automotive. Why are they using copper? Is it because it is half the price of nickel? Could you just use a non-metal material like shredded glass fiber? What‘s in assembly pastes that don‘t look metal-like and what‘s in products marketed as Ti-anti seize since the 90s?
Agreed, copper paste seemed just fine and Josh doesn't really back up the scary implications from his aerospace pals about using it vs his nickel product. Next time I need some of this stuff I'll probably buy Silca's but I don't think I need to toss out my copper stuff and not put anything together until I get some of this nickel product. One thing this video should have stressed to anyone paying attention is: dissimilar metals + moisture + salt = battery, as in galvanic corrosion, which is why WASHING the bike and RINSING with plenty of clean water is essential if you want your bike and components to last more than a few seasons. No pressure washers though!!!
Copper anti-seize has been the standard in cycling since Ti bikes showed up.. it was cheap and common and works better than grease, but technology has moved forward. There are non metal anti-seize compounds that use ceramic or PTFE, but those each have their own issues and uses and PTFE/PFAS chemicals are being phased out and/or banned worldwide so there is real time pressure to continue to innovate.
This is beyond stupid. Does Josh not realize that everyone that ever built an engine, motorcycle race bike, etc., uses this? Just go to an auto parts or motorcycle store and buy the proper antiseize. It will probably cost
Thanks Josh for this great advice! I'm swapping all the bolts of my handlebar-stem from aluminum to titanium; I would have used Loctite 243 to fix fillets. Would be best the effect of anti seize? Thanks!
We love 243 and use it on a ton of things in the shop.. for me personally, I'd consider it like this.. are you just replacing the screws and you know for sure that your install will be one-and-done? If so, then 243 will work great. If you think that in any way you might need/want to adjust this interface in the next say year, or might travel with the bike and need to remove the stem or whatever, then anti-seize will be your better option. Loctite is fabulous, but theoretically, every time you loosen and re-tighten you should be stripping the product and reapplying as it only gives proper torque readings when used full wet on clean surfaces, and then once hardened, will not re-harden or provide nearly the loosening resistance on a second use or after an adjustment. Hope that helps! - Josh
Interesting video and product. Two questions remain for me. What does “Titanium Optimized” mean as proclaimed on your product tube? Also, when/where do recommend the use of “carbon paste”?
I use carbon paste in the following areas: Carbon handlebars Carbon stem (only at the area you clamp your handlebars on) Seatpost-seat tube area (if either or both are carbon) Seatpost wedge clamp recess Some saddle clamps (only if either area or both are carbon) One place I don't apply it is the steerer tube. In the event of a tumble, if carbon paste is applied there, there's a chance of the stem shearing the steerer tube due to a high friction coefficient. It's better to let it slip around, but riding normally has little to no chance of doing so.
While I understand the utility of antiseize and grease when it comes to sliding, pressfit, or threaded interfaces, I have a few questions: 1. Would EP (extreme pressure) grease have similar effects to antiseize due to its film strength? 2. In interfaces that need threadlocker, how do I apply both threadlocker and grease/antiseize?
EP grease is a great substitute in a pinch, but many of the EP additives are not particularly good insulators and can play their own role in galvanic corrosion within dissimilar bolted interfaces. The proper anti-seize will always be better, but EP grease will be far better than nothing. When using threadlock, you only use the threadlock as greases or anti-seize will contaminate it and prevent it from hardening. Also note that some fastener materials require threadlock primer for the product to work properly, so be sure to match the threadlock to the materials involved.
Thanks Josh and Silca Fam for the knowledge on such a key product! I just admire how y’all find solutions across various industries. What Silca product would you recommend to clean off a bolt/part with this anti seize paste?
Fantastic explanation and information, Josh. I will definitely be picking up some of your anti-seize. After your comments about about frame to lug bonding failure, it makes me wonder if something similar is the cause of Shimano's recent crank failure issues. I read a release that stated it was only a concern in cases where bikes were ridden in wet conditions (presumably creating a galvanic reaction between the bonded sections of the cranks).
77124 like Loctite 771 contains graphite and is NOT recommended for use with any aluminum, only stainless steels, nickel alloys, and titaniums. If you look carefully, most inexpensive 'nickel antisieze' is really more of a graphite loaded grease with nickel added and should not be used with aluminum, so just be careful!
@@SILCAVelothere is so much misinformation about anti seize, it's hard to keep it all straight. Some places say not to use copper or nickel in the presence of aluminum. Others say to avoid graphite with aluminum, which makes the most sense to me. However, anti seize manufacturers seem to say it's all good in all those situations, and that nickel is used for higher temps. I switched to Marine nonmetallic anti seize to hopefully avoid the argument altogether, but now I'm concerned with the graphite content. I understand that anti seize can provide a barrier, but isn't there a secondary function where the additives offer sacrificial electrons to save the structural components?
I'm ready to buy your product just for this level of education you provide in parallel with the product itself. Thanks!
Great boil-down of the metallurgical and mechanical TRUTH . . . . THANK YOU! As an engineer and amateur mechanic, I have known about the corrosion issue for decades, but have still relied on grease, despite having anti-seize in my toolbox. Consider me born again :)
I sell industrial lubricants for a living and there is so much correct about Josh's explanation but there is so much more to it. Anti-seize is used in industry primarily for issues of galling between two like metals, especially stainless steels. But anti-seize is also very important providing a constant repeatable torque value, as Josh mentions. His comment that you need less bolt stretch when using anti-seize was incorrect. You need the correct amount of bolt stretch and a good anti-seize ensures repeatable torque values to ensure fastener strength and sealing of flanges in industrial applications. The anti-seize I sell uses barium molybdates to passivate the metal to reduce issues with galvanic corrosion. I can see where galvanic corrosion would be an issue with carbon and especially carbon/graphite and a passivator or sacrificial anodic protection (such as zinc) would be appropriate.
Nickel anti-seizes were introduced due to issues with oil contamination in turbine lube oil in the power industry many years ago. The latest high quality anti-seize is now ceramic based, but nickel is still very good and widely used. Copper is actually a very good anti-seize for carbon steel but the new anti-seizes are good enough that it is no longer used.
As a Silca fan and user of many Silca products, I appreciate Josh's innovative approach and new products. Thank you for all you do, Josh!
This is probably taboo to ask but what other anti seize brands would you recommend for bike applications?
Can you recommend a type of anti-seize for use on Titanium bike frames? Since Titanium is on the opposite end of the galvanic series than aluminum or steel, does that change the compound used?
@@juicytones automotive ceramic anti seize grease is 5$ for 50g :)
Josh said the amount of stretch is the critical factor and gave the example of racing engine assembly using a gauge to directly measure this stretch. I can't find where he said less bolt stretch was needed.
Regarding bolt stretch, the only thing I heard Josh say is that when using anti seize, the variance of stretch for a given torque was reduced, from 25% to 5%. I imagine the test was to a given stretch target. If it was to a particular torque, I Imagine the stretch was greater.
at around 9:30, Josh says that nickel and fiberglass are equivalent because they are neutral... totally ignoring the fact that fiberglass stops galvanic corrosion because it is an insulator. i.e. electrons cannot pass through it, so therefore the chemical reactions can't occur. Nickel is obviously a conductor, and in these sorts of sacrificial anodes or cathodes, the goal is to have the nickel react instead of the metal that is being protected. Most of the companies that make products like anti-seize have a variety of versions that they sell, and they can advise you as to which is best for your application. This info should either be on their website, or you can contact their applications engineers.
Copper Anti-Seize works pretty good.
E-glass (electrically insulation glass) is recomended for the instances like the early frames Josh mentions, but should be the last layer in the composite. It begs the question of why seat tubes aren't made with an E-glass layer as the inner most.
Ok, Josh, this seems like another product (nickel anti-seize)being pushed by the bike industry, for profit. I have been using anti seize, since the mid 90’s 1st aluminum, then copper based anti seize. I have seen to this day bike shops using grease on bikes in areas where anti seize, should be used. Aluminum to Aluminum you have to use anti-seize not grease, even similar metals exchange electrons, and form covalent bonds (that’s what the creaking sound is the bonds breaking) I went through the creaky 90’s , prior to anti-seize . Aluminum, copper, nickel are all readily available, for a fraction of what the bike industry wants to charge, and the difference amongst them is temperature applications. I’m the food.
I'd say it's more a product being asked for at the top of the bike industry to reduce warranties and solve customer complaints.. Pretty much every $25 for 450gm copper, or nickel anti-seize on the market contains graphite and should not be used with aluminum. Pretty much every aluminum anti-seize contains either aluminum or zinc and shouldn't be used with titanium..so considering that most every high end carbon stem and seatpost anymore uses Ti bolts in Al female thread inserts and that most every modern carbon frame uses Al threaded inserts which some customers will fill with Ti bolts.. we have potential issues. I'm with you 100% that you can also do all the research and just own all of them, keeping a chart of what to use when and where, but the reality is that most consumers and even shops will at best have one of them ensuring that most of the time they're using the wrong one and at worst won't even know what we're talking about and just be using bearing grease all over the place, or even worse, are just dry threading things together.. we see that all the time! This product is one of the only ones I know of approved for that Ti-Al interface which is so hard to solve for, and it's not something commonly found on Amazon or even in industrial catalogs with the cheaper stuff as it's really pretty specific AND it's a lot more expensive. Anyway, there's a ton of average product in this category and the world doesn't need another repackaging of HenkelLB8008 copper anti-seize which is pretty much what everybody else seems to be doing. Lastly, 12 grams of this stuff is enough to fully coat over 100 M5x12 fasteners.. you could disassemble and rebuild 3-4 entire bikes with this $20 tube fully coating every single fastener, all for the price of a beer at a football match.
Always on the educational edge! Awesome info
What do you do if you have a carbon seat post in a carbon frame, but the wedge to secure the seat post is aluminum? I would usually use carbon paste to aid in the holding power, but from you are saying I could have issues with the aluminum to carbon connection.
I would assume put the anti seize on the outer part of the seat collar, which contacts the carbon of the seat tube.🤷🏻♂️ Just my initial thought.
Coat any two different metal parts that come in contact with each other. The tightening screw of the wedge might be steel, the sleeve it screws through (bonded to surrounding carbon) might be aluminum?
Good video! Great job explaining the differences between grease and anti-siege. And I liked how you mentioned Rolls-Royce down the street…… BTW I work there as a test mechanic. I’m sharing this video with some of my cycling friends. Keep up the good informational videos!
Why should we buy this vs something like Permatex 77124?
I use Permatex Anti-Seize 80078 on my pedals cranks. They came out smooth years later and I put them on my new bike.
It's salt, corrosion, and moisture resistant - "ideal for marine use". I'm not worried about water or sweat getting into the threads and turning my bike into a battery. When the bottle I have runs out, I'll think about nickel anti-seize.
The temperature rating on the Silca stuff seems to be a fair bit higher. While the temperature isnt directly relevant, it might indicate the formulation of the Permatex stuff might be a bit cruder (more impurities in their formulation). Probably makes little difference from a practical standpoint, but I guess one would have to do some long term tests to compare the two formulations.
Probably could do some kind of accelerated test by spraying salt on the test samle products to speed up the corrosion like they do when testing anti-rust products, then we can see if the difference between the two.
My thoughts exactly. I think this is overdoing things.
Permatex 77124 contains Graphite and should not be used with Aluminum. See his reply to TheBikeWrench’s comment below.
Using an anti-seize or grease in the appropriate use case makes good sense. In what instance should a thread locker be used?
Thread lockers are great for fasteners that are low torque, high risk, and infrequently needing to be touched or adjusted, but be sure to check with the manufacturer to ensure that it is allowed. If your position is super-dialed, stem faceplate bolts are a good candidate.. chainring bolts also. I would avoid using threadlockers on aluminum fasteners as the removal torque can become so high that the hex key can round or damage the fastener when trying to loosen.
I’m not sure I understand why nickel is considered “galvanically neutral”, which is a term I think would only apply to an insulative material. My reading of the chart indicates that the galvanic potential between both titanium and nickel, and nickel and aluminum, is large enough for corrosion to occur. I can’t speak to the aerospace applications, but in many others, sacrificial anodic protection is used, commonly with magnesium or zinc. I guess in this case the nickel is mitigating the issue enough to work, given the mild operating conditions of a bottom bracket or other part of a bicycle. But I wonder if the larger benefit is coming from the compound staying in place better than grease, and as long as the dissimilar metal contact is minimized there really isn’t much galvanic corrosion occurring either way. Curious to hear your thoughts. Thanks!
Will you guys be doing a carbon paste with this as the base + friction additive?
Working on that currently but sadly, it's not something used in aerospace or automotive and all of the bike industry stuff is just silicone grease with glass beads in it.. so working to bring some actual technology to the category which is never fast!
@@SILCAVelo correction - plastic beads, at least the first ones by Tacx n such. I haven't seen anything to suggest they're glass beads, it's not like they crush if I smash it.
Also there's the Motorex stuff which supposedly has whiskers in it but you can't feel anything, and Effetto Mariposa make one that's applied wet and then dries, they call it a resin. Which makes me want to try hairspray or gel.
Amazing lecture thanks
It makes me wonder about the longevity of an aluminum sleeve insert bonded to a carbon frame frame bottom bracket. Wouldn't there be galvanic corrosion of the aluminum sleeve with time and failures of the bonding?
There are ways of compensating for this in frame manufacturing, typically the aluminum is bond prepped with a CAA or PAA anodize and then wrapped directly with fiberglass before carbon fiber to act as an insulator between the two.
@@SILCAVelo Is that reasonable to expect this as the common practice adopted by carbon frames manufacturer, when an aluminum sleeve is bounded inside a bottom bracket?
Is that why we see fiberglass used inside a fork steerer tube?
Everybody knows this nowadays so you don't have anything to worry about with any legit brand-name frames on the market. Yes, it is also why there's glass inside the steerer tube.. it prevents corrosion with the compression plug which is generally aluminum and which is also in such a high-sweat area.
What if there’s only one electron in the whole universe?
Thanks for the lesson 🫡
Would Tef Gel anti-seize be a good option for Ti + Al? It's most used in the marine industry to prevent corrosion between aluminum and stainless steel fasteners. Best of all it is non-toxic.
Also one potential problem I see with grease/anti-seize is that bike manufacturers (and other industries/companies) often do not provide BOTH wet and dry torque specifications... Repeatability is great but you can be consistently wrong if you have the wrong information.
Hmm, what about ceramic paste (i.e. from LIQUI MOLY)? 🤔
Galvanic neutral, acid/lye resistant, corrosion/water resistant, high temperature resistant, non-toxic, cheap. 🙈
That is a good question. At least it does not contain Nickel, which seems to be a bit unhealthy (ok, most mineral oil products are, and you will not use it as a spread on toast, but anyways...).
Ceramic paste is developed for high temperature applications like automotive brakes. The ceramic additive works great for insulation and temperature, but should not be used with aluminum fasteners or aluminum female threads as it is slightly abrasive and will score/damage surface anodizing on aluminum components and can lead to premature wear and/or failure
In my work on wash down packaging machines nickel did not provide good results between aluminum and stainless
On boats it’s important to take pumps apart on a PM schedule no matter what you use to avoid the worst issues
Traditional 'nickel' anti-seize from most major suppliers will contain up to 50% graphite which can be very reactive with aluminum (ours has NO graphite).. I'd imagine this is where you had issues as those products can be very troublesome with aluminum, particularly in high water and particularly salt-water environments.
I’ve had aluminum goose necks bond with the fork steering column
I quit using never seize years ago for Class 8 s-cam brake drum rollers .
I use silicone paste . It keeps water out more effectively .
Interesting, but the EMF difference between nickel and say 6061 aluminum is still ~0.6V. Per NACE, anything more than ~0.15V is enough to drive galvanic corrosion.
Just get a $20 tub of Loctite Marine grade (8023). Take things apart occasionally, clean, and re-apply any you’ll be fine.
I agree the copper-based stuff is ridiculous, and never should be used anywhere around aluminum.
Project Farm tested like 10 anti seize compounds and copper almost always at the top.
Did you actually watch either video at all? Project farm did their test on cad plated steel bolts from the hardware store while our whole premise is that for dissimilar bolted joints involving Titanium or Aluminum copper is 40 year old tech which has been replaced by this newer, better tech. It's like saying Project Farm says 87 octane runs better in a mower engine, so that should also be true in a jet turbine.. sorry but no.
Aluminum based anti seize will last you a lifetime when it comes in a quart can. Bought one in 1982, still using it.
Is aluminium based anti-seize worse than copper based? It seems to be what park tools anti-seize is made of, yet they recommend it for titanium parts? When alu and titanium seems to be the main problem?
There's something in the way Josh shares knowledge that always leaves me wishing for a longer video. Awesome stuff!
It's an overpriced product that is carcinogenic. This is marketing BS and you fell for all of it
@@RespiceFinem90 I wasn't aware Nickel in its metallic and compund forms were carcinogenic, now I know. Not sure if anything in the process Silca uses would make it different, knowing the way Josh makes content I would expect a clarification from their side.
What are the downsides, if any, of just using nickel on everything from spark plugs to exhaust bolts to bike parts? Just cost?
Would love to know what grease you bought and put in that syringe. I think there are lots of other options for much less money, less carcinogenic and work just as well.
Because you talk about carcinogenics I see that you've been sucked into the outrage machine. Please note that NTN bearings so beloved by the outrage machine also have the same Prop65 warning when sold in the US.. so yes, by that logic, those BB's are in fact carcinogenic: ntnamericas.com/ca-prop-65/
The reason you'd love to know what's in the syringe is that you don't actually know.. even thought we pretty much gave you a roadmap to figure it our.. pure nickel in full synthetic base.. not nickel-graphite, not mineral oil base (as 99% of them are), and no, nowhere on earth can you buy it for $20 for 500gm
@@SILCAVelo I’ll Stick with Ferroslip. Good luck with it.
Think how differently this goes if you aren't hyped up by the outrage machine..
You: why do I need this, I love Ferroslip
SILCA: yes, Ferroslip is a great product, just note, it's not approved for use with aluminum, hard metals only, I'm sure if you call the company they can recommend something they make for Ti/Aluminum interfaces
you: oh, I didn't realize that, yes, I'll give them a call because I want to be using the best possible stuff for my customers
This has helped me deep dive, & your data checks out. Thank you, from Mearns Cycling Club club Scotland!
Lps nickel anti seize. No graphy
What about "zinc grade" anti seize as it is good for aluminium and its alloys and with components fabricated from similar or dissimilar metals....it is also intended to provide corrosion protection to the metal surfaces.
Zinc anti-seize are recommended for aluminum-aluminum assemblies and also for use with iron/cast iron/carbon steel. For Titanium and Ti-Aluminum, and stainless/ti, stainless/Aluminum nickel will be much better.
pls what to use when tightening titanium into carbon , pls ?
Hambini sent me here 🎉
Just received new Ti frame and cranks for my first custom build, and coming up to speed on use/need for anti-seize. Both came with small tubes of Copper paste. Thanks for the in-depth discussion/info. Very informative. Will definitely consider this as an alternative. Question: apart from threaded interfaces, do you also recommend for the aluminum dropper-post (Al) surface, and should I apply it only underneath the collar, or along the whole length of the recessed seat tube. If the latter, seems like I would need quite a bit of product ($$). Thanks.
You absolutely want to use anti-seize anywhere you have aluminum touching titanium. The dropper especially as the galvanic corrosion of a seatpost will see the aluminum oxides that is formed expand in the joint between the two seizing the post in place.. we've seen frames where the seattube ruptured from the pressure of the expanding post corroding inside of it! You can use grease here and then just be sure to pull the post 1-2x per year to clean and re-grease. Copper anti-seize will work OK, but nickel based will work better. There are cheaper nickel anti-seize products on the market but most contain graphite which will not work in your situation so make sure there's no graphite in whatever you end up using.
How about Teflon (PTFE) tape? It is used when connecting (screwing) pipes in plumbing installations, etc. The same principle should work for screw connections on a bicycle.
SILCA is committed to not using harmful options. We consider it harmful to the environment and human health in some ways.
@@SILCAVelo OK, thanks for the answer.
@@SILCAVelo By the way, Teflon tape is also used in medicine - in surgical operations, as well as in dental procedures. Therefore, Teflon tapes are not harmful to health.
According to the information on Wikipedia, Teflon itself is not harmful to health, but can be harmful (as a carcinogen) only when heated above a certain (very high) temperature, in which case the danger comes from a specific acid used in the production of Teflon.
At the same time, however, paraffin wax can also be harmful and potentially have a carcinogenic effect when heated above a certain temperature, in which some harmful substances are released. Moreover, these dangerous temperatures for paraffin are much lower than the dangerous temperatures for Teflon.
However, paraffin wax is strongly recommended by various sources of information as the optimal solution for lubricating bicycle chains.
Ordinary plastic is also harmful and pollutes the planet. But no one has given up on ordinary plastic for bicycles.
The rubber from which bicycle tires are made can also be harmful (when burning rubber) to health and also pollutes the environment, much more than Teflon. However, no one has given up on using rubber.
Where exactly is the line between substances and compounds that are considered harmful to health and the environment and as such should not be used?
I'm just curious.
how is it between brass nipples and steal spokes? i find powder there too on bikes that go in winter here in Sweden. We salt the roads and that just eats up components and seize bolts in alu frames.
This will work well in both spokes/nipples as well as Al frame threads.
If I wanted to use your anti-seize on say my seat post and tube, do I need to thoroughly clean the inside of the seat tube of whatever grease was already in there? If so, got any recommendations for how to do that short of removing the whole bottom bracket?
Shimano anti-seize contains mostly calcium carbonate, some zinc oxide and aluminum benzoate, without graphite and metal. Can it provide adequate protection for stainless steel / titanium / aluminum?
It's very similar in composition to many "food grade" anti-seize products.
That type of formulation is great for steel to other metals, but not as robust for Ti-aluminum or aluminum-carbon interfaces.
This is why I love Silca. I learn something new every time you post a video. Thank you
I'm not sure about this product, but I did lose faith in Silca when I tried their hyped tubeless sealant:
It didn't seal the rim/tyre very well. Needed air every day.
Didn't seal holes.
Carbon fibres were way too heavy for the thin medium.
Dried out way too fast (see sealing the rim/tyre above).
Fibres ended up in a ball together; great if you wanted to balance the wheel and rely on guesswork as to where the ball of fibres will end up!
The sealant I use now requires air seven to ten days, and I can refresh it with water (because it doesn't dry out) rather than have to use another overpriced product. Oh, it's really good in inner rubes too keeping pressure for around four weeks!! It also has fibres that are held within the thick solution.
And yet here you are spending your valuable time watching and commenting on our videos.. don't worry, all of the Hamibini sycophants have said the same thing $20 for 500gm? Crazy!! Outrage really is his superpower and it's amazing how good he is at boiling down talking points that motivate people to go and spread those talking points.. well done to him!
@SILCAVelo Well, I don't subscribe to your channel, but I do to his and other channels whose opinions I value.
I have a few Silca products, but the sealant was a real low point for me. Massive hype and promises yet very poor performance.
Anyway, you promote your stuff on a public forum, so expect public feedbaxk. It was nice of you to take my feedback about my genuine experience seriously 🙄
Think how differently this goes if you don't show up having been hyped up by the outrage machine..
you: Hey SILCA, I had bad experience with your sealant
SILCA: So sorry, yes, we had some real manufacturing issues for the first few months as the stuff breaks the bottling machines. Here's a blog post and youtube video explaining it.. how about we send you another bottle? Since solving the bottling we've won like half a dozen awards with that product and numerous pro teams are running it off sponsorship..
You: Nah, I've found something I like better OR OK, sure, I'll try it again..
So much easier without the outrage.. we're happy to engage publicly, but when the basis of the conversation are half truths and mischaracterizations intended to drive clicks and get people worked up.. we will poke back.
@SILCAVelo Fair comment, and I have edited my original post.
I do not follow you, and therefore, I have not seen the blog or video and was ready to throw in the towel with tubeless after getting a blowout with Silca sealant instaled only to find all the fibres had dried into a ball.
I assume the Blog is explaining this is still available to read?
Thanks 👍🏻
It's explained in the video that normal grease can't work as anti-seize under the pressure of thread interface. So is it correct that silicone grease is also useless as anti-seize in the same manner? Also, is copper anti-seize the second-best alternative for the case of aluminum crank bolts in an aluminum axle?
Silicone grease is not a good antiseize alternative as it is rather easily driven out of threads and from under bolt heads by load. The general recommendation for Al-Al interfaces would be Zinc anti-seize, www.ellsworth.com/products/by-market/general-industry/lubricant-products/anti-seize/henkel-loctite-zinc-anti-seize-lubricant-gray-1-lb-can/ there are also aluminum based anti-seizes that work well and many marine anti-seize products are rated for aluminum. The key is to avoid products with graphite in them, which can be quite hard.. so many copper and nickel anti-seizes add graphite to reduce friction in high torque tightening which makes them a poor choice for use with aluminum so make sure to really read the description on any product you are looking to buy.
Honest question do I need this if my cranks are alu and my pedal Spindle are Ti.
Whenever there's titanium involved, I'd use anti-seize.
Yes, that's pretty much the perfect application for it!
we need a video about when to use grease and when anti seize and carbon paste and so on... they are out there... but we need it from you...!!!11!!
Sooo much bad information out there. Pretty please!
This one is on the list for a coming video, thanks for watching!
I'm scratching my head... so just because copper anti seize is not used on jet engines, then it must be bad for bicycles? I've been using various anti seize greases over the years on cars, bicycles, motorcycles and electrical with the copper anti seize being my favorite. If the grease keeps out the oxygen and water, then you don't need to worry about galvanic corrosion since it can't occur. The copper helps prevent possible galling. Most people don't have titanium on their bikes, more likely Cr-Mo steel and aluminum. I assume with regards to carbon fiber you wouldn't want to use anything that might attack the carbon fiber glue/resins. The whole science on using things like stretch bolts on cylinder heads is way off topic since the known stretch of the bolt materiel is what determines the forces applied. It just has no basis in bicycles as far as I know otherwise you'd be throwing bolts away after they were used once.
Maybe watch the video again.. the focus here is on stainless or Ti to aluminum interfaces which is pretty much every modern stem, seatpost, pedal-crank interface, and copper is great, but for this particular application, has been supplanted by nickel which is better. Nothing against copper at all, just that much of the bike industry for 30 years has associated copper anti-seize with Ti-Aluminum interfaces and we've known in aerospace for 20+ years that there are much better alternatives.
@@SILCAVelo Could it be the real reason the choice of anti seize is critical on jet engines is all the heat? Anything carrying the compound would burn off, leaving connections exposed to air, humidity and moisture. A non issue in bicycles.
Very helpful video. What do you recommend for seatposts - titanium in titanium and aluminium in titanium? Would this product be the best thing for each? Thanks in anticipation
This will work in all of those scenarios, but in general the one scenario where you can save your money is when materials are same-same, so Ti into Ti or Al into Al and you're fine with EP grease which is cheaper than anti-seize.. but if you could only have 1 on the shelf, then Anti-seize would be that one. In aerospace, they typically have specific types of anti-seize for specific combinations, so Nickel Anti-Seize would be used on all the Ti-Al, Ti-Stainless, or Stainless-AL while Ti into Ti would generally use pure MoS2 anti-seize, but then that stuff isn't recommended for use with AL.. hope that makes sense.
Thank you @SILCAVelo - very helpful 😊
I like my copper snti-sieze "grease". Been using on my bikes for decades.
Been all over my clothes for decades as well.
I think you guys do a great job at bringing tech and knowmedge to the bike. It comes at a cost, all these trolls need to realize that low volume high perfromance is costly. If anyone thinks the raw material cost is the cost, your line of thinking is not elaborate. I work with sail boats, parts and raw material is 20% of the cost. Low volume and long shelf life triples that initial cost(thats to run a surviving business, anything with word marine in it will be 3-4x the cost). On top of that 130% is custom engieneering, 50-500% is craft when getting it installed. So a 2000$ piece of equipment easily costs 10-12k installed.
Top tip from high performance marine: look into tef-gel. I use it for every nut and bolt on high performance yachts. Flawless. Very high torque. FYI, it is free form teflon, so do not taste the paste and get cancer.
thank you! this is so helpfull
i can't help myself. If Josh is sellin it gotta try it. Never been let down.
Is it ISO 9102 compliant?
I use pure nickel antiseize for my automotive & motorcycle applications for awhile now, unless you need the high temp of copper nickel is the less reactive option, anywhere corrosion could be an issue it should be used.
I don't use mettalic anti seize on my bikes btw, molybdenum & graphite...
Molybdenum and Graphite are both problematic with aluminum threads, so I'd be mindful of what the female threads are on your bikes as so many of them are aluminum in modern frames.
How is this stuff any different from the loctite nickel anti seize?
Loctite 771 Nickel also contains graphite and is not recommended for use with aluminum.
@@SILCAVeloohh, cool! I really appreciate the answer! You guys really are two steps ahead
So when would you select blue thread locker instead of antisieze?
Anytime you have something that you really don't want to move that you also don't plan on adjusting anytime soon can be a good place to use threadlock. I use it this way on cleats. The other application are fasteners that you don't want to fully tighten but also don't want to loosen, so brake clamp bolts are a good application here where they need to be just barely tight and stay that way. Threadlockers are generally not re-usable if you need to loosen and re-tighten, so I avoid them for anything that might need adjusting like stem, seatpost, saddle. Also beware with crankarms and pedals as those generally want to self tighten in use and threadlock can really make them hard to disassemble!
@@SILCAVelo thank you for the reply! Excellent point on cleat screws.
Why not use a non-metallic anti seize like ceramic paste?
Ceramic pastes are damaging to aluminum anodize and aluminum substrates. Those are designed for high temperature brake applications for use on steel and cast iron.
@@SILCAVelo just because the ceramic particles are too abrasive for aluminium? Or why is it a problem?
Is this for use on pedals?
This works for that... and any place on the bike where corrosive environments exist whether from the environment or the mating of materials where galvanic exchange can quickly occur.
Some of the best content on this platform ! 🙏🏼
This also needs to be sold in a bigger quantity though…
Dang it! Whenever Josh talks, I have to buy it. Such good explanations. 😅 👨🔬
right?! Haven't met a Silca product yet that I don't like.
Lol, I think it's good marketing
@@TnFruit Accurate information clearly presented is the best marketing.
@@timpurcell2717 do you really think, Josh is the first person who invented the one and only over prized Montage Paste? If it is so, buy it.
Good explanation but you can definitely buy anti-seize paste based on nickel much cheaper that this so be smart with your money.
So is it also good with like to like? Great vid
9:48 - it is fine with like-to-like, but so is grease.
What about Nulon Teflon based anti seize?...it's neutral
It works OK with about half of the compressive force capability of copper and 1/3 that of nickel based anti-seize, but our company has strict rules against using PTFE and other PFAS chemicals due to the increasing understanding of their toxicity in both wildlife and humans. These chemicals will largely be banned in the EU and much of the Americas within 10-15 years, and it will take us hundreds of years to clean up the damage from that past 80 years of their manufacture.
I believe anti-seize acts as a lubricant and unless you reduce torque values could strip out a bolt. not 100% sure but that’s why I’ve always heard about using it in automotive situations so why not the same for a bike fastener
Almost all torque specs I've seen for bicycles and their components never mention dry & wet torque and it should be common sense that no bolt is fastened dry (especially the bolts of cockpits) unless it's mentioned, like SRAM's UDH hanger bolt.
Torque spec standards in the cycling industry isn't as extensive as in other industries.
@@sbccbc7471 thanks. I know a lot about cars and you almost never torque stuff wet.
This is a good question, especially when you consider that it’s common in bikes for a steel fastener to be going into aluminum alloy threads. I always reduce torque values if I’m using a lubricated fastener on bike parts. Like, a lot of bicycle components will list a torque range (instead of one single number as is more common in automotive etc). If my bolt has grease or anti-seize I’m always gonna choose the low value from the range just to be safe. (Industry torque charts typically show around a 25% drop in torque values between dry and lubed threads.) So I don’t want to strip out threads, or crush carbon handlebars from the increase in clamping forces, for example. The bike industry is definitely lagging in this regard.
Just made a video to address this, but pretty much every single fastener on a bicycle should be torqued wet, be it anti-seize, grease, or loctite (or dry if it has a pre-applied loctite patch on the fastener as this stuff wets out under pressure and then hardens) The SRAM UDH is an outlier as the female threads are actually plastic on that part.. any many common greases can soften or damage plastics, not to mention the risk of overtension and possible thread failure. In automotive you see lots of dry torque used, but that's because they don't want greases used in the assembly for cleanliness so they use fasteners with special coatings and the like to allow for dry assembly.
As an engineer and former bike mechanic, please please bring good anti-seize compound into the bike market.
I mean, fair, using grease on threats and friction fits like bearing seats is better then nothing to prevent galling and moisture ingress and I have done it myself countless times when nothing better was at hand but realistically, a modern bike has almost no need for grease. Bearings are sealed and pre-lubed nowdays, everything else is joints that are meant to not move.
And with grease, especially on new parts, the torque properties change. More force will be required for a clamp, bolts are easily overtightened etc.
With what you find on the consumer bike market, mostly metal based anti seize compounds (e.g. copper or aluminium paste) you constantly need to be mindful of which compound to use in which material pairing due to galvanic corrosion. And while I know where and what to get, most bike riders just buy bicycle specific products and sometimes end up destroying their bikes. (Wouldn't be the first time I had to drill out stem bolts after someone used a copper based anti seize for stainless screws in an aluminium stem).
Having a galvanically neutral anti seize compound marketed to bike enthusiasts might save a lot of parts.
And frankly, I don't care too much about the price. I can get proper stuff at any automotive parts store and bike shops as well. The kind of consumer I'm talking about likely spends a lot on their hobby for parts they 'want' but don't need anyway. For them, it's a hobby after all.
Little addition, with galvanically neutral, I don't mean inactive, I should have phrased that differently. But any compound that doesn't actively contribute to corroding the mating materials. Using a sacrificial material like Nickel is one way to do that. Usign an electrically neutral material like some anti-seizing tread locking glues is another.
What about the derailer high and low bolts? I'm guessing you don't *need* anti seize because of the force applied to those bolts?
Those come pre-lubricated from the factory with a sort of sticky assembly grease. I would only worry about them if you are doing a derailleur overhaul where you strip and clean all of it off using an ultrasonic or the like.. otherwise, that factory grease is probably good for 30 years of normal use!
i got a tub of permatex nickel paste for a lifeitme
Similar to Loctite 771, Permatex Nickel contains graphite and is NOT recommended for use with aluminum.
Don't forget the Cannondale Six13? Same issue especially at the BB junctions
I'm happy to report that my 2005 Six13 has no sign of any galvanic corrosion. I assume it's very dependent on climate and other use conditions.
@@stephenturkLA I'm pleased for you.
Hambini claimed you can get this stuff at 20£ for 500g. He also said it's carcinogenic. What do you have to say about these claims?
He will have no response, even the SILCA packaging says it's carcinogenic.
Hambini turns $30 of industrial bearings and aluminum bar stock into $300 bottom brackets so I assumed he'd be proud? Also we literally tell you exactly what it is, where we found it in use, and that we don't directly make it, so if you want to go sleuthing about and find something similar for cheaper, (though that price you're quoting is for nickel-graphite which is quite a bit cheaper) go ahead.. I mean we essentially build you a roadmap in the video. Anyway, these syringes are sold in aerospace and light aircraft for $75-100 per syringe in bulk and as much as $200 per syringe as singles. As for cancer, well those NTN bearings that Hambini loves so much carry the identical California prop 65 cancer warning when sold here in America: ntnamericas.com/ca-prop-65/
@Hambini, not sure if you sell many BB's to California, but you are technically breaking the law if you sell them into California without this prop 65 statement clearly stated on the packaging.
@SILCAVelo Great response. I follow Hambini and agree with some things he says about the bike industry. But I also enjoy your channel very much, and find it contains a lot of great information. I wasn't criticizing you, just quoting him. I will definitely be buying some wax lube from you in the near future.
@@SILCAVelo I do not have 10 employees so I have no legal requirement to display labels. Whilst you are quite right the bearings may contain substances that require a prop65 warning, in this context, it's chalk and cheese. NTN's bearings in normal handling are trace elements. Your grease has a large consituent of nickel that is semi fluid in form. You probably know the reason for the nickel is predominantly for the heat, yet you conveniently forget to mention it. Good luck with your sales mate.
If you would just engage conversationally, results would be different.. but you can't help yourself, it always has to be outrage and how much smarter you are than everybody else and how stupid and ill meaning the bike industry people are...I get it, it drives clicks and youtube revenue for you, but it's just not productive. Like I said in the video, we learned that this is the stuff used for Ti-Al fastening in jet engines, while the bike industry is generally still recommending copper, or in many cases is ignorant to anti-seize as a category.. we then worked with the RR supplier who's data show that Nickel really is the best from a corrosion perspective in Ti-Al and Stainless-Al interfaces as it's a strong galvanic barrier while also being soft enough not to damage the Al threads or coatings, and corrosion really is our biggest enemy in cycling. As a result, we went with the recommended formula from one of the top suppliers in the industry and this product is pure nickel in a full synthetic grease, which is quite different from nickel-graphite/mineral oil which comprise all of the 500gm for $20 tub products that you reference (most of which are recommended against using with aluminum due to the graphite content). If it were just about high temp, you would use ceramic which is way higher temp rated, but can cause micro scratching and coating damage in aluminum.. similarly, for higher temp Ti-Ti bolting they primarily use pure MoS2 as that's best for galling, but then that product isn't considered as good when used with Ti-Al or Stainless-Al interfaces. If you have something different or better, please enlighten us, I'm just bringing what I've learned to the table, but shitposting for the sake of outrage and clicks certainly isn't helping anybody out and certainly isn't moving the conversation forward in any meaningful way.
Amazing how people rode bikes for 100 years using grease without anti-seize assembly paste. Been building bikes for past 10 years using ALU/Carbon/Steel parts with grease, never had problems.
Hi Josh an interesting take on a real problem.
You are right that grease/antisieze makes torque tightening less variable, but then you need a new set of torques with the more accuracy.
Given that the torques quoted for bikes are generic only, I always use the lower figure as near as.
Got any figures on all that?
Bicycle industry torque is rather variable in how it is calculated, but particularly for things like faceplates and stem/steerer clamps, the most important bit is consistency. Most torque tools already have +/-5% accuracy, and unlubricated or improperly lubricated fasteners can add as much as 25% more variability in bolt tension for a given torque tool reading. We recommend working slowly, using step torque (making a video on this now, but essentially if you need to go to 6nm, go to 2, then go to 4, then go to 6). Go to the lower of recommended torque values, and then increase if necessary to prevent slippage.
How do I open the syringe? Tip cut?
Before Silca released this product all bikes fell apart after 6 years. For some reason copper anti-seize has been working very well for me for 30 years now. Strange.
You mean the part in the video where Josh literally says that copper was the standard for the last 30 years and now we have something better.. Yes, strange.
What about the Giant Cadex frames frome the 90s ? same issue as bikes mentioned in video
I‘d say yes and since Giant is (and was) OEM for many other brands, I would not be surprised if some of the mentioned examples were actually be built by Giant.
Do you have a store front in Indy?
We do not have a store or anything like that, but if you are local you can pick up your order from our office. Email us from our website if you are interested.
Too make it simple could I always use Silca titanium grease in every threaded situation?
I know it would cost more, but is there a functional reason to not use the Silca ti grease even in an aluminum into aluminum for example ?
You can use it everywhere
Or regularly take parts apart and clean them and re-grease with a lot cheaper product and don’t forget your not flying a plane.
So, just to clarify, should it be used on seat rails, or just the bolt that's being tightened? (Same goes for the seatpost area I guess?)
Works in all of these areas
Hmmm galvanic corrossion... where have I heard that term around bikes before..... I think it had to do with something that rhymes with mano y mano... 🤔
But is it food safe? Is it edible? Josh - what's the flavour profile?!
Great explanation! What if the surfaces are powder coated like it is the case for most aluminium seatposts or colorful anodized like aluminium or titanium screws?
What looks like powdercoat is actually black anodize over top of a grit blasted or bead blasted aluminum surface, so most all stems and seatposts you encounter will be anodized aluminum. This is the perfect application if you are using stainless or Ti screws on these aluminum parts.
Anti seize for headset bearings?
Absolutely, however, if you are using that bike on the trainer, then I would go for a heavy slathering of marine grade grease.
@@SILCAVelo thanks - I'll be ordering some. does the trainer advice also go for a touring or bikepacking bike out in the rain a lot?
btw - I rode the GDMBR last year was was the only one using synergetic that I knew of. no one knew about it and everyone was surprised how clean my chain was and I was lazy and only lubed once a week over about 4k miles last yr.
I think its the same stuff as the discontinued "Syntace Ti-prep".
I tried researching it and can't find a ton of specific info, but in photos, the Syntace Ti-Prep looks like a copper anti-seize. As we say in the video, that was the state of the art 30 years ago so that would make sense as that product appears to have been sold as far back as the 1990's when it was included with early Syntace aero bars.
@@SILCAVelo it's a silver shiny thick paste. I own one. Not copper.
@@SILCAVelo you were looking at Finish Line Ti-prep, which is a copper paste and reddish like copper. Different product
Excellent explanation. Thank you.
Where does loctite fit in to this equation?
Loctite is it's own separate category and should not be mixed with other assembly lubricants. Most loctite products have some galvanic resistance, and all of them specify what materials they do and don't work with. In general, I save loctite for things that you really want to stay put for at least a year and also for fasteners with robust tool interfaces as there will always be some damage risk when loosening loctited fasteners. I loctite my cleat bolts and spoke nipples, everything else gets anti-seize except thru-axles which get heavy, clear assembly grease.
That's an incredibly tiny tube for $20. You're really taking the piss with this one, im afraid. Pennies worth of paste in that tube. Your packaging costs will be what, 100x the cost of the compound?
The syringe only adds about $1 of cost, but reduces waste of the material considerably when using it. Each syringe is enough to build 3-4 complete bikes, and cost is 10X less than the same stuff purchased through the aerospace supply chain.
Great video! This is a very misunderstood topic that can genuinely make working on bikes much better. What about galling of similar metals though? This is something I encounter quite a lot and usually use a copper anti seize to prevent it. Things like the alloy sram DUB crank bolts that are always insanely tight to remove even when torqued correctly with grease (alloy bolt in to alloy spindle)
Al/Al interfaces at high torque are a good place for anti-seize like this, but EP grease with high MoS2 or WS2 content work well here also as those particles are lower friction than the metals used in anti-seize.
There are pure zinc anti-seize pastes that are specific to al-al situations, this is also a good place for highly MoS2 loaded EP greases. Nickel anti-seize would be better than copper in this application due to it being closer to aluminum on the galvanic spectrum.
This is great info, thanks Josh. Quick question. How does anodizing help/hurt in terms of the galvanizing process (with AL/TI i guess)? I presume not much at all, so using anti-seize on galvanized AL would still be a thing?
Most aluminum parts in cycling are Type II or color anodized.. this is the weakest type in terms of corrosion resistance, but more importantly, in fasteners, it is brittle and tends to fail at the pressure faces of the fastener. It also makes the fastener way more likely to gall (this is the creaking and smoke smell people often hear when tightening aluminum screws) so you want to use an anti-seize especially with any aluminum fastener.
How about aluminum and steel?
Works in that interface as well. Overall, it's better than grease in every interface between dissimilar metals, so we only recommend grease be used when the two metals involved are same.
@@SILCAVelo I guess I need to strip the bike back down again.
I guess the copper paste in the bike industry came over from automotive. Why are they using copper? Is it because it is half the price of nickel? Could you just use a non-metal material like shredded glass fiber? What‘s in assembly pastes that don‘t look metal-like and what‘s in products marketed as Ti-anti seize since the 90s?
Agreed, copper paste seemed just fine and Josh doesn't really back up the scary implications from his aerospace pals about using it vs his nickel product. Next time I need some of this stuff I'll probably buy Silca's but I don't think I need to toss out my copper stuff and not put anything together until I get some of this nickel product.
One thing this video should have stressed to anyone paying attention is: dissimilar metals + moisture + salt = battery, as in galvanic corrosion, which is why WASHING the bike and RINSING with plenty of clean water is essential if you want your bike and components to last more than a few seasons. No pressure washers though!!!
Copper anti-seize has been the standard in cycling since Ti bikes showed up.. it was cheap and common and works better than grease, but technology has moved forward. There are non metal anti-seize compounds that use ceramic or PTFE, but those each have their own issues and uses and PTFE/PFAS chemicals are being phased out and/or banned worldwide so there is real time pressure to continue to innovate.
@@SILCAVelo Talking about innovation, a (micro)plastic-free towel to dry your bike or wipe your chain would be highly desirable.
This is beyond stupid. Does Josh not realize that everyone that ever built an engine, motorcycle race bike, etc., uses this? Just go to an auto parts or motorcycle store and buy the proper antiseize. It will probably cost
Actually this stuff is different, I thought the same but got schooled today when I asked
Thanks Josh for this great advice! I'm swapping all the bolts of my handlebar-stem from aluminum to titanium; I would have used Loctite 243 to fix fillets. Would be best the effect of anti seize? Thanks!
We love 243 and use it on a ton of things in the shop.. for me personally, I'd consider it like this.. are you just replacing the screws and you know for sure that your install will be one-and-done? If so, then 243 will work great. If you think that in any way you might need/want to adjust this interface in the next say year, or might travel with the bike and need to remove the stem or whatever, then anti-seize will be your better option. Loctite is fabulous, but theoretically, every time you loosen and re-tighten you should be stripping the product and reapplying as it only gives proper torque readings when used full wet on clean surfaces, and then once hardened, will not re-harden or provide nearly the loosening resistance on a second use or after an adjustment. Hope that helps! - Josh
Hekped a lot, Josh. Thanks for pushing forward your innovative and common sense approach in this business.@@SILCAVelo
Great info, many thanks for the detailed explanation.
Interesting video and product. Two questions remain for me. What does “Titanium Optimized” mean as proclaimed on your product tube? Also, when/where do recommend the use of “carbon paste”?
I use carbon paste in the following areas:
Carbon handlebars
Carbon stem (only at the area you clamp your handlebars on)
Seatpost-seat tube area (if either or both are carbon)
Seatpost wedge clamp recess
Some saddle clamps (only if either area or both are carbon)
One place I don't apply it is the steerer tube. In the event of a tumble, if carbon paste is applied there, there's a chance of the stem shearing the steerer tube due to a high friction coefficient. It's better to let it slip around, but riding normally has little to no chance of doing so.
probably 99% of the time grease will work fine
Lps nickel anti seize. No graphite
Never heard of nickel antiseize? sigh
Oh brother.
While I understand the utility of antiseize and grease when it comes to sliding, pressfit, or threaded interfaces, I have a few questions:
1. Would EP (extreme pressure) grease have similar effects to antiseize due to its film strength?
2. In interfaces that need threadlocker, how do I apply both threadlocker and grease/antiseize?
EP grease is a great substitute in a pinch, but many of the EP additives are not particularly good insulators and can play their own role in galvanic corrosion within dissimilar bolted interfaces. The proper anti-seize will always be better, but EP grease will be far better than nothing. When using threadlock, you only use the threadlock as greases or anti-seize will contaminate it and prevent it from hardening. Also note that some fastener materials require threadlock primer for the product to work properly, so be sure to match the threadlock to the materials involved.
Thanks Josh and Silca Fam for the knowledge on such a key product! I just admire how y’all find solutions across various industries. What Silca product would you recommend to clean off a bolt/part with this anti seize paste?
Bio-degreaser and a good mechanical wiping will remove it nicely (gear wipes work as well).
Fantastic explanation and information, Josh. I will definitely be picking up some of your anti-seize. After your comments about about frame to lug bonding failure, it makes me wonder if something similar is the cause of Shimano's recent crank failure issues. I read a release that stated it was only a concern in cases where bikes were ridden in wet conditions (presumably creating a galvanic reaction between the bonded sections of the cranks).
77124 like Loctite 771 contains graphite and is NOT recommended for use with any aluminum, only stainless steels, nickel alloys, and titaniums. If you look carefully, most inexpensive 'nickel antisieze' is really more of a graphite loaded grease with nickel added and should not be used with aluminum, so just be careful!
@@SILCAVelothere is so much misinformation about anti seize, it's hard to keep it all straight. Some places say not to use copper or nickel in the presence of aluminum. Others say to avoid graphite with aluminum, which makes the most sense to me. However, anti seize manufacturers seem to say it's all good in all those situations, and that nickel is used for higher temps. I switched to Marine nonmetallic anti seize to hopefully avoid the argument altogether, but now I'm concerned with the graphite content.
I understand that anti seize can provide a barrier, but isn't there a secondary function where the additives offer sacrificial electrons to save the structural components?
The syringe for anti-seize is a brilliant idea… that stuff gets *everywhere*
Thanks for noticing and yes, we were thrilled to learn we could get this into the syringe.. so much less waste!!
Let me just give you my bank account information Silca...............paychecks go straight to you ;)
Okay I buy.
Hello Hambini fans!
Sounds like crap, been riding bikes many years using cheap normal grease no problems at all.
Dammit Silca! Here goes my wallet again…..