The Copper slip/grease debate

[Trigger]

I built a Kawasaki z650b1 engine some 19 year's ago. Today it was time for a strip down. I had forgot what pigs these are to get out with out scratching the frame. All inline fours are much easier to lay the frame down on a thick polystyrene sheet, unbolt the frame and lift it off. All engine casing bolt's had a smudge of copper slip when i built this all those year's ago. The bolt's removed easily apart from one on the sprocket cover, but one smack from my impact driver and it was free. I guess some NASA scientist will comment very soon. Basically grease is not compressible and is used in roller bearing's to lubricate the rolling action. Copper anti seize is compressible and is good for threads to help any seizing problems due to oxidization. Most people over do it, when you only need a smidge. Never use copper slip/grease on titanium. There are some copper slip/grease on the market that are a little to copper colored and feel a little course, keep away from this cheap imitation. Copper slip/grease is too viscous to be used on any moving parts and never use it on any external parts of a motorcycle.           

[Atodini]

Something that might be relevant......

There's copper grease and there's copper grease. The tubes you buy in Halfords (Car Plan?; Copper Slip?) are very different to commercially available products used by the motor trade.......

The Halfords stuff is thin, watery and very "coppery" and also easy to wipe off the excess squidged out after application. The trade stuff is very thick and glutinous, dark brown in colour and all but impossible to get off without solvents......

During 2012 I rebuilt the chassis on my old Reliant Kitten - body off, disassembled, shot blasted, welded, galvanised then reassembled with everything new. I liberally copper greased all the suspension and chassis fixing bolts during the rebuild using a copper grease from a tin bought on e-bay made by Morris's - amazing stuff! It was the suspension "polybush" suppliers who tipped me off about the copper grease differences - the thinner stuff is intended as a lubricant, a copper slip rather than a copper grease...........

John

[Johnwebley]

I recently needed copper grease for bolts,screws and disc pads,
went to a local factorer,he told me it had been withdrawn due to being a Hazardous substance,

the "green" replacement was hopeless !!

 as it happens,I visited another motor supplier in another town,found it still on sale !!


this did the job well,

anyone know if the first guy was spinning a yarn

[LesterPiglet]

I'm still using the same tin of "Copaslip" I purchased in the early 80's. Tight or what? 
I use it on almost everything except moving parts.

[Trigger]

Getting your moneys worth there then lester.

[Ewan 500 K1]

no advances then ? .... on the (possible urban rumour) that copper grease accelerates the chemical reaction between aluminium alloys and steel , so copper whatever is not so good where you have a steel bolt going into an alloy threadway ...

[matthewmosse]

I've only had it happen once, on the front engine mount bolts - never on engine componnts, just that big casing bolt - so I'd look at contamination too. Just not sure with what. I still use the suff quite a lot, but mostly steel on steel where it is very good indeed. One factor I should mention is I'mona farm and the bikes get used in all weather as only transport and do get a coating of muck sothinking about it there is plenty of oppertunity for all sorts of contamination.

[LesterPiglet]

The only time I've had a problem was when I first started using it. I stupidly used it in my steering bearings (balls) because it was all I had and knew no better. It quickly left a copper coating on the races and destroyed them.