Ti. post, steel frame – galling prevention

I shall be getting a nice titanium seat post for Christmas (if Yodel get it here) and I’ll be fitting it to my steel Singular Swift. The post is 420mm long, so there’ll be a fair bit in the frame.

I’ve always used a smear of coper grease on my Thomson in the same frame to protect against galling & corrosion and it’s been fine for years of riding in all weathers (although I do tend to be a tad anal when I’ve been out in the rain and always remove the post to allow airing, which in itself will stop galling).

I’ve always used copper grease on static, metal-on-metal parts, but have a vague recollection that I read somewhere that copper grease may actually promote galling with certain metal combination.

Would copper grease still be thing to use with titanium & steel, or is there something better?

Copper promotes galvanic corrosion so shouldn’t be anywhere near dissimilar metals, especially seat posts! Not sure why it would cause galling though, unless you’re moving it in and out constantly that shouldn’t be a worry.

I bought this when I got my Ti Frame:

https://store.pedalrevolution.co.uk/dpt/pgr/finish-line-assembly-anti-seize-grease-8-oz-240-ml-with-brush__972

If it isn’t coppaslip repackaged it sure looks like it. Never had an issue with alloy bb cups or thomson posts in a Ti frame using it (so ymmv with a steel frame!).

Do many people buy Ti posts anymore? generally more expensive and heavier than Carbon innit?

Anyway ‘Galling’ tends to affect Stainless on Stainless assemblies, especially threads, it’s essentially Frictional cold welding.

I used to work with a chap who wrote a lovely detailed paper on it for a job we were both on, the long and short of it was a recommendation to use a Graphite loaded lubricant on fixings (DAG 580 IIRC).

But you’re describing contact between two dissimilar metals so does a Ti post clamped into a Steel frame cause more of a corrosion issue than an Aluminium post would?

Absolute ‘best‘ solution is just to use an undersized post and a Plastic Shim. 🙂

I think that galling is associated with movement under pressure and shouldn’t really affect a seat post/frame. A Ti seat post bolt might well cause a problem though

You can get specific titanium alloy anti-seize pastes and non-metallic anti-seize that will do everything, which is what I’d look at

Moly paste is the answer.

I’ve always used Coppaslip/Ti Prep and had no problems.

Moly paste is the answer.

That’s for moving parts during assembly, like when assembling an engine?

Unless you’re confusing it with a product form the liquid-moly brand?

Copper promotes galvanic corrosion so shouldn’t be anywhere near dissimilar metals, especially seat posts!

Not 100% sure on that, to get galvanic corrosion you need a circuit and an electrolyte.  The typical examples are a ships zinc anode, which is bonded to the hull and the engine and anything else via an earth strap/wire, and the salt water.  The zink then fizzes away protecting anything it’s connected to, or aluminum boats which have been known to sink in harbors when an earth leakage via their shore power cables turns them into a big galvanic cell with the steelwork of the harbour!

If all you have is 2 metals, and copper sticking them together you’re no worse off than if they were just stuck together anyway.  The grease component is keeping the ‘electrolyte’ out and the copper is just there as a last resort keeping the metals a few microns apart if the grease washes away.

The modern equivalent is ceramic particles in a silicone based grease which is both more waterproof and more electrically insulating.  Not that it really matters, it’s actually good practice to put some non-conductive grease on electrical connectors in order to actually promote better contact!

I’ve had an aluminum brake mount thread corrode away around a steel bolt because salt got at it as the thread was open at the other side of the frame, but I’m not sure a thin smear of grease would have helped there, it was just a poor design that collected road grime in the wrong place.

Mmm. What post as thinking of treating my steely to one

https://singularcycles.com/products/singular-ti-seatpost

Still a silly amount of cash for a seat post (it is Christmas) but considerably better value than a ti. Thomson (£350!

Thanks for link @PJay

Would you mind posting pics once received and get chance.

What frame will it be fitted to?

?

Anyway ‘Galling’ tends to affect Stainless on Stainless assemblies, especially threads, it’s essentially Frictional cold welding.

This was my understanding of galling – is this correct then?

I once used margarine as a seat post lube when I was desperate. It worked perfectly for years on a steel frame with aluminium post.

Some people even eat the stuff

If it is not recognised by the human digestive system then sure wouldn’t be going on my bike

;d

According to the video posted in this thread yesterday you should be using a nickel based anti-seize

Anti Seize: Ally to Ti, Ally to Carbon and Carbon to Carbon…

According to the video posted in this thread yesterday you should be using a nickel based anti-seize

I must confess to being a tad more confused now, than before I’d posted.

Since Copper grease seems to be synonymous with ‘anti-seize’ I’ve always used it on static, metal-to-metal parts (without, I have to say, any issues). If it actually promotes galvanic corrosion between dissimilar metals, I may have a problem with my aluminium HTII cups torqued well up on my steel gravel bike!

I asked primarily as titanium is a rare treat for me and I’m unfamiliar with it. I suspect that that my propensity to remove the seat post after wet rides, will be enough to prevent corrosion/galling and I don’t imagine that a smear of copper grease will be catastrophic.

Yeah it rocked my boat as well. Makes sense though.

I’ve a Ti frame with an alloy post in smeared in copper slip. It’s been fine but I do have an alarm set for twice a year to move all my posts and reapply copper slip if needed. Seen a lot of stuck posts on customers bikes so maybe it’s overkill but better safe than sorry.

I think folk only have problems when they put nothing on and leave for years.

My interpretation of that video was that copper may not be the best but it’s mostly pretty good and I will continue to use it.  If I didn’t already have a tub of Copperslip that is going to outlast me I’d buy the Nickel stuff though just because why not

+1

My interpretation of that video was that copper may not be the best but it’s mostly pretty good and I will continue to use it. If I didn’t already have a tub of Copperslip that is going to outlast me I’d buy the Nickel stuff though just because why not

This +1. For a bike that’s easy to inspect I’ll carry on with my 500g tub of copper grease

…or is there something better?

Yes, but I won’t be buying it