TargetTalk

I've "searched", and got too many varying results to trust any single one of them!
What kind of grease is recommended for CA cylinder threads? I've got a tube of Castrol synthetic grease "in stock" …should I NOT use that? I'd be happy to buy something else, just please tell me what to get.
Thanks, todd.

I use Feinwerkbau "special grease" for the o-rings as well as the cylinder threads. If you have powder burners, you would have heard of Mil-Comm TW25B grease, it works great on all metal to metal areas and is harmless to rubber and plastic parts.

I have found that a very small amount of SuperLube on the threads works very well.
The emphasis is on the "very small" of whatever you choose.

Super lube works well on the threads of reloadable rocket motors and is safe to use on hybrid motors using Nitrous Oxide where petroleum based greases would start a fire in the o rings or cause an explosion. I bet a tiny amount of Super Lube would be OK.

Which super-lube product?

Any Scuba dive tank Silicone Grease 100% Pure Silicone Lubricant.

David M wrote:Any Scuba dive tank Silicone Grease 100% Pure Silicone Lubricant.

Having had big problems removing a cylinder after using silicon grease on the threads, never again.

The problem of galling has been discussed several times before.

I've used white lithium grease, soft and creamy stuff sold under the Campagnolo label, for several years with no problems. A tiny dab smeared around the threads once in a while with a cloth seems about right, just a trace film. No binding, no galling, just threads on and off smoothly. We used to use it for high-torque threads in bike shops, Cr-Mo nuts and bolts which are highly susceptible to corrosion, and need to be easily dismantled regularly. The 'Campy' grease was the go-to grease to make predictable tightening possible, avoiding any damage to the threads due to binding prior to reaching full torque. Zero danger of ignition under high pressure with lithium grease, and I've yet to see it damage a rubber O-ring.

Guys,
in my lab I have most apparatuses working with high air pressure.

I use 2 different greases both, from Dow Corning.

release compound and
high vacuum grease
http://www.dowcorning.com/applications/ ... CCSF=397EN
http://www.sigmaaldrich.com/catalog/pro ... &region=IT


I would suggest the normal one. The high vacuum is more expensive and is not necessary for ordinary applications. Moreover is more viscous.
I highly recommend the release compund.

Personally, I think that you are all way over thinking this. I had a small tube of grease that I got from Aprilia when I was racing one and it was to prevent galling from their aluminum hardware. A tiny, tiny bit is all that is needed. If I didn't have that, I would use an even smaller amount of anti-seize or any other lube that isn't combustible.

Joel

I tend to agree with this post. Standard o-rings are nitrile o-rings and have a great resistance to chemicals. So no need to worry with special grease.

However the Dow Corning release compound is great for releasing and greatly prolongs the life of o-rings.

In many years of shooting PCP, I've never used anything on the cylinder threads. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Misny wrote:If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

In this particular case, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. When there is metal to metal friction, wear and tear is bound to happen...

Yeah, I'll agree with that whole-heartedly. There are always those who will ride their ancient 10-speeds year-round without ever, or rarely, oiling the chain and performing other basic maintenance. But I've seen what happens to a body when stuck by a vehicle in an intersection. So I maintain my bicycle, know that it is unlikely to fail or falter when I'm pounding on the pedals to get out of the way of all those high speed deathmobiles. An airgun cylinder's threads may not be a life-or-death sort of affair, but preventing corrosive bonding or metal-on-metal galling is just common sense. My Pardini K10 started becoming difficult to change cylinders after about a year, so I started cleaning the threads, inside and outside, and lubricating them with lithium grease to prevent this happening again or getting worse. No problems since. If the anodizing on your particular threads happens to be acting as a lubricant so far, great, bully for you... but anodizing isn't meant to perform that function and it will eventually break down. Lubrication will prevent or at least postpone that eventuality.

I help coach a college team & recently replaced a Hammerli AP40 cylinder that was missing about 80% of its threads. Like most students, she was oblivious to the fact that there was anything odd going on. The pistol has fairly heavy anodizing on the threads, but the cylinders have next to none. They also supply the pistols with an aluminum fill adapter. Unless you are religious about using anti-seize compound and keeping everything clean, it's a recipe for disaster. Larry's Guns has a brass fill adapter that solves that problem, but you still need to be careful.

We use this anti-seize compound: http://www.all-spec.com/products/41205. ... 7Aodm0gAiw (when we can get the students to use it...). Almost any grease is better than none, but why risk damage with stuff that isn't meant for this application?

I read somewhere on an ISSF forum that using a synthetic moly grease is okay for CA cylinder threads. I have some of the moly grease Larry's guns sells for lubing Hammerli sears. Will this do the job if used sparingly?