Viewing 24 posts - 1 through 24 (of 24 total)
  • Bleeding brakes mineral oil choice ?
  • TheSlider
    Free Member

    My first ever go at bleeding some SLX brakes and I got it set up but then realised my mate had used all my mineral oil when he did his.
    Can I use ANY make of mineral oil ? Shimano is twice the price. Can I use the really cheap stuff ?
    Advice needed asap. Cheers guys

    jairaj
    Full Member

    Yes no maybe.

    Mineral oil is a generic term the ingredients in one oil can be very different to another, it’s not like DOT oil which has tighter constraints.

    Using the wrong oil can damage the rubber seals and gaskets in the brake, they can swell up or corrode away with the wrong oil leading to poor performance or failure.

    Many people sell Shimano compatible mineral oil. Take a look at Halfords own brand stuff or look at Epic Bleed Solutions website.

    dc1988
    Full Member

    See if you can get a big bottle of Shimano fluid, it’s much better value and doesn’t go off like dot fluid so will last you a while

    Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middling Edition

    Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middlin...
    Latest Singletrack Videos
    temudgin
    Full Member

    I’m a fan of Comma LHM+ Halfords sell it for about £9/l
    Used it without any leaking seal issues for a good few years. Once even used 3in1 no problems 😄

    reeksy
    Full Member

    I ran out and now just use Singer sewing machine oil. I can’t tell the difference and it’s cheap.

    feed
    Full Member

    I ran out and now just use Singer sewing machine oil

    Tried this as well but found it to be only so so. Just never hit the right note.

    feed
    Full Member

    .

    scaredypants
    Full Member

    👍 – feed !

    timba
    Free Member

    Just never hit the right note.

    This oil (linky) hits the right notes

    timba
    Free Member

    I ran out and now just use Singer sewing machine oil

    Is this the right thread?

    timba
    Free Member
    pothead
    Free Member

    https://www.dirtbikexpress.co.uk/workshop__and__tools/motocross_oils/putoline_motocross_oils/putoline_hpx_r_fork__and__suspension_oil_2.5w_-_1_litre?gclid=Cj0KCQjwm6KUBhC3ARIsACIwxBh3pKtR6Hjuyzh-s28XMCnoKug1qGgySVXL13Bkl-ivgC3iOHrjgcUaArj8EALw_wcB

    I’ve used this in Shimano brakes on a mates bike (can’t remember the exact model), recommended as a way to get rid of the ‘wandering bite point’ issue but it’s also cheaper than Shimano mineral oil. As far as I know it worked fine although I’ve not used it in my own slx brakes yet

    argee
    Full Member

    As said before, comma LMH+, cheapish, can get it easy and pretty much the same viscosity and density as shimano oil.

    TheSlider
    Free Member

    Like that ‘timba’I was thinking of a variation of sew.
    Cheers guys.
    I guess jairaj nailed it there with his first line but I’ll take a look at Halfords.

    Neb
    Full Member

    Putoline hpx 2.5 fixed the wandering bite point issues for me. Its like water so makes the bleed process much easier too.

    theotherjonv
    Full Member

    I ran out and now just use Singer sewing machine oil

    thousands of pounds on high tech mountain bikes and we can’t be bothered to spend a bit extra for the specified hydraulic oil to go with our brakes. I don’t know why but that just needles me.

    (i developed a chain squeak on a ride one time, at the cafe stop they gave me a bit of napkin with some veg oil on…..job done at least until we got home!)

    jimmy748
    Full Member

    +1 for Putoline hpx 2.5

    simono5
    Full Member

    + 2 for Putoline

    reeksy
    Full Member

    I feel like I’m being stitched up here!

    timba
    Free Member

    Presumably you flush the Shimano fully through with LHM+ or HPX, as appropriate?

    Putoline HPX 2.5 users…
    Has anyone mixed HPX (a synthetic base) with Shimano mineral oil?
    Some synthetics won’t mix with mineral oils producing a residue. A simple test is to gently heat a mix, then allow to cool and sit for a while and see if it remains clear of crud

    rhayter
    Full Member

    I used some Cyclo in a pinch on my GRX rear brake that simply WOULD NOT bleed properly. It worked a treat and the brake feels really good.

    argee
    Full Member

    I’ve used the Cyclo before as well, again it’s mineral oil and about the same weight and viscosity, you can always double check if they’re similar via their MSDS, which are freely available online:

    Shimano Mineral oil – https://si.shimano.com/content/safetydatasheet/HydraulicMineralOil_Eng.pdf

    Cyclo Mineral oil – https://www.ison-distribution.com/pdf/hse/weldtite/LUWTHBFM.pdf

    LHM+ Mineral oil – https://www.morrislubricants.co.uk/products/28ec8520c8ff25f2e0c7580d971006b6.pdf

    They’re all much of muchness in terms of physical properties, percentages look wild, but that’s just MSDS sheets and companies keeping stuff secret, they’ll all be basically >95% mineral oil and <5% additives.

    malv173
    Free Member

    @timba I’ve not mixed it. I drained my brakes, then did a couple of flushes before a final bleed.

    I run a zee up front, and Saint rear. The putoline definitely improved the consistency of the brakes, but I think the rear feels a little less powerful/ bitey. Still more than enough for me. They do feel like another bleed is due, so that may resolve it.

    stayhigh
    Full Member

    I ran out and now just use Singer sewing machine oil

    Tried this as well but found it to be only sew sew. Just never hit the right note.


    @feed
    You’re welcome 😉

Viewing 24 posts - 1 through 24 (of 24 total)

You must be logged in to reply to this topic.