[DHperu]

hey guys, dont know if much of you know that you can actually run any mineral oil brake system with Johnsons and johnsons baby oil and it works PERFECTLY, a friend that races MX told me that they some pro teams even use the stuff in their clutch....CRAZY

anyways...

has anyone else tried this? im using it on my 4 pot XT brakes cus i've had some problems trying to get mineral oil so i just said screw it, and started using the baby oil, has been working great for months.
up to now i haven't had any problems altough some of my friends say that my brakes feel a bit more squishier...i think their the same, brake the same and each time i bleed my brakes they'll smell nice...

so people, try it out, post your opinions, you'll be surprised!

if this has been posted before...well its been posted again..hahaha

 

[Ciaran]

Ask Mack about that, he just did it to his XT 4 pots, I believe. I just installed a set of XT 4pots and while bleeding them I noticed that the rear (which came assembled and filled, I just had to bleed) had clear oil in it, not the Shimano red stuff. Both brakes feel the same to me.

 

[Kopiklokoli]

Yea, ask teh mack.

 

[WhiteRavenKS]

i did the baby oil stuff with my xt's once when i was in a bind. it performed just fine. didnt notice much of a difference at all after 5 minutes on the bike. when i bled it out it had turned all cloudy but was still working just fine. go for it.

 

[Jayridesacove]

Shimano tries to "scare" the ignorant with their bleed kits. I recall somewhere in the instructions that you need to use their oil because there are certain additives, including the pink coloring, that help the oil sustain the higher temperatures involved with disc brakes. Though there is no real scientific evidence to back their claim up.

I've only been using the regular shimano stuff since I got my brakes because I stocked up back in 2001; when this bike shop closed down and they had shimano mineral oil for like a 70% discount.

But, when I run out of my stock, I'll be trying out the mineral oil I can buy at CVS

 

[Monkeybidnezz]

I used it w/o any problems before, I would just make sure to get the fragrance free ones since it seems like there could be additives that may not be good for the seals...

 

[vitox]

hypoallergenic and your golden

 

[MikeD]

I just used plain generic "mineral oil" (no fragrances added) from rite-aid with mine...cheap and easy...

MD

 

[Nick]

I've used J&J unscented baby oil in XT 4-pots on two bikes for years without a single issue.

 

[BigMike]

does it only work in Shimano?

 

[marlopez]

ive been using 2.5-5 wt fork oil in my 4pot xts. never been better.

 

[DHDror]

hmmm....I wonder whats the boiling point of baby oil ?....

funny nobody mentioned brake fade or lever pumping on long descents.

 

[dhpimp]

I used 2.5wt Rochshox oil and it worked fine for a while, but after consistent braking it would just fade and i couldn't lock the wheels...

Shimano's mineral oil actually IS made for them by Shell Products. It contains no additives that the stuff at CVS does. You can swallow the stuff sold at drug stores, but not Shimano stuff.

As for J&J brand, I personally haven't tried that brand, but i know like all other mineral oils it is will absorb water over time. In the case of DOT fluid, this is why people use DOT 5 oil - it does not absorb water over time like DOT 3 or DOT 4.

Use it only if you don't mind bleeding your brakes often. I couldn't use regular mineral oil for more than 4-5 weeks without getting significant fade. Your lucky if you have gotten away with it for a while.

 

[MikeD]

hypoallergenic and your golden

Will your brakes break out in a rash if you don't?? Or get an odd swollen lump of some sort?

 

[greenreese]

As for J&J brand, I personally haven't tried that brand, but i know like all other mineral oils it is will absorb water over time. In the case of DOT fluid, this is why people use DOT 5 oil - it does not absorb water over time like DOT 3 or DOT 4.

DOT 5 fluid is different from DOT 3 and 4. DOT 5 is Silicone based and should only be used in brake system specifically set up for it(not any bicycle brakes). Dot 3 and 4 are Glycol based. Most cars use 3. The only difference is the boiling point. DOT 3 boils at 401 degrees, DOT 4 at 446 degrees. If there is any kind of other moisture or fluid in the brake system, the boiling points drop to 284 and 311 degrees respectively. DOT 5 boils at 500 degrees, but starts to become compressable at a lower temperature, giving it a soft feel and less power.

 

[buildyourown]

DOT 5 fluid is different from DOT 3 and 4. DOT 5 is Silicone based and should only be used in brake system specifically set up for it(not any bicycle brakes).

Both Hopes and Avid Juicy's can use DOT 5. I don't see the point as it costs about 10x as much, but you can.

 

[DROP]

Both Hopes and Avid Juicy's can use DOT 5. I don't see the point as it costs about 10x as much, but you can.

they use it because it has a much higher boiling point so if your going to be really really hard on your breaks it could be a good idea to go with dot5

 

[chicodude]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mineral_oil




So if I need to take a massive dump, I just drink some shimano mineral oil and I should be set right?

 

[MikeD]

Ah, grasshopper, but mineral oil used for brake fluid should 'stop' you up, no?

MD

 

[ncrider]

In a pinch, I used baby oil to choke my monkey once.

 

[Dan-Rides-Bikes]

Hope Use Dot 5.1

 

[dhtahoe]

Ask Mack about that, he just did it to his XT 4 pots, I believe. I just installed a set of XT 4pots and while bleeding them I noticed that the rear (which came assembled and filled, I just had to bleed) had clear oil in it, not the Shimano red stuff. Both brakes feel the same to me.

Are you kidding I would not ask that guy how to tie shoes. DO NOT ues baby oil in your brakes. NO NO NO NO NO!!!!!!! Man... where is that smack you along side the head smilie.

 

[Frankenschwinn]

Are you kidding I would not ask that guy how to tie shoes. DO NOT ues baby oil in your brakes. NO NO NO NO NO!!!!!!! Man... where is that smack you along side the head smilie.

I have used Mineral oil found at the drugstore and my brakes felt squshy. I think the viscosity was diferent. My friend is currently using mineral oil for treating butcher blocks and it seems to be working very well. I now use finish line mineral oil.

 

[greenreese]

Both Hopes and Avid Juicy's can use DOT 5. I don't see the point as it costs about 10x as much, but you can.

That is DOT 5.1, not 5.

 

[Scurry]

Thats cool, I use hayes and I think we just got some DOT 3 from the supermarket. Nice post.

 

[zerossix]

im gunna stick with my mineral oil made for mercedez-benz or BMW motorcycles. haha nah i wish id known about this before i dropped almost 30 bucks on a liter of that stuff that i used hardly any of. but then donated to my shop hoping to get 20 bucks for it but my boss wouldnt pay up...bastard.

 

[Mani_UT]

Both Hopes and Avid Juicy's can use DOT 5. I don't see the point as it costs about 10x as much, but you can.

It is NOT DOT 5 it it DOT 5.1 which is NOT silicone based. DOT 5 and DOT 5.1 have nothing in common. Do not mix them up or you're in trouble

 

[4xBoy]

I tried KY but had to replace the pistons with oversize ones.

 

[Westy]

I was going to try it when I was living in the woods.

Careful, rendering babies will attract bears.

 

[johnbryanpeters]

Careful, rendering babies will attract bears.

Fat chance, or only bearly.

 

[Nick]

Careful, rendering babies will attract bears.