ATF, STP and Mobil1 30 grade in a 2:1:1 mix has been my go-to lube for almost everything for over 30 years now. The perfect blend of penetration, cling and heat resistance.
If WD40 isnt a good lubricant, what is?
- Thread starter Mid570
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I use LP-1 when nothing else works. Expensive, $16 for a can. Does meet MIL specs. If anything is better, I want some.
Another good use for WD-40 in the gun cleaning process..... I started using it over the waste basket, to flush the bore solvent and dirt out of my bronze cleaning brushes after I use them on a dirty bore.
A lot of bore solvents on the market are formulated to dissolve copper. If you don't rinse them in a neutral solvent, they'll eat the hell out of a bronze bore brush in no time.
WD-40 works perfectly for this. It's cheap, (I buy the 16 ounce, "Industrial Size" from Wal-Mart for like $8 bucks). It doesn't stink up the house or garage. And it comes out in a forceful enough stream to blast all the solvent and dirt off the brush.
I used to use a jar full of Kerosene to swish it around in, but that's a PITA. After I rinse it in WD-40, I just knock the cleaning rod with the brush attached, against the top of the waste basket to get rid of any extra liquid. Takes 10 seconds.
A lot of bore solvents on the market are formulated to dissolve copper. If you don't rinse them in a neutral solvent, they'll eat the hell out of a bronze bore brush in no time.
WD-40 works perfectly for this. It's cheap, (I buy the 16 ounce, "Industrial Size" from Wal-Mart for like $8 bucks). It doesn't stink up the house or garage. And it comes out in a forceful enough stream to blast all the solvent and dirt off the brush.
I used to use a jar full of Kerosene to swish it around in, but that's a PITA. After I rinse it in WD-40, I just knock the cleaning rod with the brush attached, against the top of the waste basket to get rid of any extra liquid. Takes 10 seconds.
I know WD40 isn't a lubricant. However, when I didn't know this, it used to make my car doors open and shut better as well as eliminating squeaking noises. It stopped working as soon as I found out it isn't a lubricant. This is like when Elmer Fudd is able to walk in midair until he learns that about gravity.
There’s got to be a a 100 posts on the best penetrating oil. Hands down the best work on the topic is that provided by Project Farm. Liquid Wrench is hard to beat.
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I had to replace all my "garage" chemicals some years ago due to a fire. It was kinda eye-opening; I didn't consciously know how many products I was using. I just did a mental inventory; I'm up to 70 items; and there'd be more if I actually walked out to the shop and did a "real" inventory. Lots of that stuff is fairly specialized and "could" be replaced with a more-universal product if I had to.
So, taking you at your word for "basic" (automotive) tasks, I'll whittle-down my list and eliminate duplicates (same sort of product in multiple brands/sizes/colors.) I'm listing brand names I use; competing products are probably just as good unless noted.
Lubes (Aerosol)
JB-80 Advertised as "Twice as good" (the un-said comparison is to WD-40 as a "lube".) They're lying. This stuff is at least TEN TIMES as good as WD-40. Maybe a hundred times as good.
Lubes (Liquid, non-Aerosol)
3-In-One oil
Federal-Mogul/Sealed Power 55400 4 oz bottle of Engine Assembly Lube. There are many competing products from big names and boutique names. Any one of them is fine. Aside from a liquid assembly lube for all sorts of machinery, I use this stuff to lube my ratchet gears 'n' pawls. Another web site has called this thick, sticky liquid the "Lube of Love" for ratchet mechanisms. Stays-put better than most liquid lubes.
Milton 1001-16B Bio-degradeable, vegetable-based air tool lube, less-hazardous to breathe the oil mist exhausted from the air tool. 'Course, if you don't have air tools, you don't need air-tool oil.
Lubes (solid or stiff--Greases)
Valvoline "GM/Chrysler/Import" "Red" grease 1lb tub and 14-oz grease-gun cartridges
and/or
Valvoline "Ford/Lincoln/Mercury" "Grey Moly Fortified" grease 1lb tub and 14-oz grease-gun cartridges (I use both red and grey greases. Both are rated for wheel bearing AND chassis lube applications.)
Permatex Dielectric silicone "Tune-Up" "Electrical system" grease
Sil-Glyde general-purpose silicone grease Good on weatherstrips, for example; or to seal turn-signal or taillight bulb bases instead of dedicated "NYK-77" bulb grease. Likely could be used on brake caliper slider-pins although I use a specialty product.
Penetrants
ACDelco Heat Riser Lube 10-4020 Unique smell. If I'm actually counting on a penetrant to save me, this is the stuff I use. Otherwise, it's whatever aerosol penetrating oil catches my attention. B'Laster, Liquid Wrench, Knock'r Loose, Seafoam Deep Creep, store-brands. None of them work all that well, and I have a half-empty can of each of those in the shop right now. None of them have ever made things worse, either. I use them more out of habit than any real hope of success. MOSTLY, penetrating oils leave a dark stain on the concrete just below a hoplessly-rusted fastener that's about to be broken. God bless the oxy-acetylene torch. Mister Torch has solved more problems for me than penetrating oil ever did.
Adhesives
Locktite 271 "Red" high-strength thread locker. I use this for sealing engine core-plugs, too.
Loctite 242 "Blue" medium-strength thread locker
I might replace both of these with the newer "Orange" thread locker. Haven't decided.
3M Weatherstrip adhesive (Yellow or black) Some folks use this as a gasket sealer. DON'T. It's a disaster to clean-up when the assembly comes apart next time.
Gasket Dressings/Gasket Makers
Permatex The Right Stuff As fabulous as RTV silicone gets. Expensive. Use this INSTEAD of a gasket, NOT applied "to" a gasket.
Loctite and Permatex both sell a "592" PST (Pipe thread Sealer with Teflon) (PTFE). Either one is strongly recommended over "ordinary" "Teflon" (PTFE) thread sealers that rely on evaporation of a solvent. Useful for pipe-thread, and for regular bolt threads--head-bolts going into the water jacket, for example. This stuff is anaerobic like thread lockers, but low-strength so threads can be easily dis-assembled. There are other grades--565, 567, and a chap-stick kinda semi-solid. All recommended, the 592 seems to be the easiest to source. Expensive compared to the crap sold in a brush-top tub, and worth every penny. Special note: "Teflon" tape has NO BUSINESS anywhere near an automobile. Works great on stuff that doesn't get disassembled for decades--natural gas pipes, maybe. Not suitable for anything on a car that may be disassembled, perhaps multiple times during the life of the vehicle. The stuff WORKS...but it shreds. Bad enough in the cooling system, but real trouble in the fuel or oiling system.
Gasgacinch gasket dressing/sealant. My favorite, works great, easy to clean up the next time I have the assembly apart. There's a dozen competing products--High Tack, Copper Coat, Indian Head, Hylomar (really expensive) Permatex #1, #2, and "Aviation", etc. Fel-Pro says you don't need a gasket sealer/gasket dressing with their gaskets. I'm not sure how I feel about that. Hard habit to break, and it's tough to mess with success. DO NOT use RTV silicone to seal a gasket. VERY common mistake.
Permatex 518 Anaerobic gasket maker. For use between two machined, rigid castings, not a rough-cast casting and a stamped-steel cover, for example.
Anti-Seize
Permatex 80078 "Aluminum" anti seize The common stuff. I've been using Permatex Copper anti-seize almost exclusively for fifteen years, and apparently I'm using the wrong stuff. According to Permatex, I should have been using the "aluminum" stuff instead.
Miscellaneous
Whatever oils/fluids your equipment needs Engine oil, trans fluid, transfer case fluid, brake fluid, PS fluid, Gear lube, Hydraulic fluid for the tractor, chain lube and fork oil for the sport-bike, air compressor oil, engine coolant
Chevron Techron Complete Fuel System Cleaner I dump a 20-oz bottle in the gas tank at every oil change. Between that and buying gasoline at "Top Tier" fuel stations, I have no problems with injectors or intake-system deposits downstream of the injectors.
Aerosol carburetor or throttle-body cleaner I've used many brands--Cyclo, Mac's, Gumout, and lots of others. I have a mild preference for name-brands, and NOT the newer "eco" formulas if you can still find 'em. Aside from cleaning varnish and other deposits, it works well for finding vacuum leaks on the intake side of the engine.
Aerosol brake cleaner Spray the brake shoes/pads/etc as needed, before working on them, so you've got the brake dust "wet". That way you don't breathe the brake dust (asbestos, and other fibers) when working on the brakes. DO NOT use brake cleaner to test for engine vacuum leaks, or to clean metal before welding. SOME brake cleaners when burned produce toxic gasses that can damage you for life. Or death.
Mineral Spirits in my solvent tank. The solvent tank sits on a 30-gallon drum, but I only have 5 gallons of mineral spirits in it at a time.
Heat sink compound for ignition modules and other heat-sensitive items.
And the most important one of all:
ZEP CHERRY BOMB hand cleaner for when you finish and have to be civilized again. WAY better than "Fast Orange".
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WD40 is a great cleaner and water dispersant. That is about it.
For penetration, I like acetone/ATF mix, or PB Blaster
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