Old timer at the co-op told me to stop using Park Tool grease on everything

Back when I started wrenching at a community bike co-op in Portland, this guy named Jerry who had been fixing bikes since the 70s kept telling me I was wasting money on that blue Park Tool grease for bottom brackets. He said just grab whatever marine grease from the auto parts store for half the price and it'll outlast the frame. I thought he was crazy because everyone online swore by the name brand stuff for anything bearing related. After 2 years of using his trick on my personal bike and dozens of customer bikes, I finally had to open up a BB that had been sitting in rain for 18 months. That marine grease was still perfect, no water got in and the bearings were smooth. Now I only use the fancy stuff for headset installation where I want that precise feel. Anyone else have an old school mechanic give you advice that ended up saving you cash?

3 comments

3 Comments

rileygarcia4d ago

You're lucky Jerry didn't steer you wrong, but honestly that marine grease trick can backfire hard. I seen a guy use regular auto grease on his pivot bearings and it turned into this thick crusty paste after a season of muddy rides basically wrecked the cups. Park stuff is formulated different for bikes with lower rotational resistance and it actually holds up in wet conditions without hardening up. Plus if you ever overpack a hub or BB the cheap grease gets stiff in cold weather and drags like crazy. I'll keep paying the extra few bucks to not have to redo my work every six months.

lily574d ago

Man I read something similar on a mechanics forum a while back, someone tested different greases in a freezer and the marine stuff turned into basically candle wax while the bike specific stuff stayed smooth. Same guy said the marine grease attracts more grit too because it stays tacky on the outside even when the inside dries out. Did you ever test yours side by side just to see what happens?

michaelgrant4d ago

Read on a mtb forum where a guy tested marine grease at 20 degrees and it cracked like old candle wax.