HI
What is the best lubricant to use on the striker and spring mechanisms on the boot and bonnet catches and locks. I have heard that wd40 contains water and can freeze if we have a cold spell..
thanks for any help
alan
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I don't think WD40 contains water.....
Personally I used white 'spray grease with teflon' on the latches. Stays where you put it. WD40 is too thin.
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Right on, Aprilia. WD40 is not a lubricant, it's a penetrating fluid rather like paraffin - which means it doesn't contain water, but is claimed to be a water dispersant. Try SG85 for the catches, or any other treacly type of grease.
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I believe "WD40" means "water dispersant, effective for 40 days".
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No, I think the '40' comes about because it was the 40th formulation that they tried.
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WD-40 discussion and it's history here:-
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=17370&...f
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What about copper grease? Is this ok?
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Probably OK, but not what it is intended for - which I believe is to prevent seizing of non-moving metal/metal interfaces such as on wheel bolts and brake pads.
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Thanks, Aprilia. From the manufacturer's website:
What does WD-40 stand for?
WD-40 literally stands for Water Displacement, 40th attempt. That's the name straight out of the lab book used by the chemist who developed WD-40 back in 1953. The chemist, Norm Larsen, was attempting to concoct a formula to prevent corrosion?a task which is done by displacing water. Norm's persistence paid off when he perfected the formula on his 40th try. Please see Our History for more information.
www.wd40.com/Brands/wd40_faqs.html
Now I can tell the guy who told me and who was adamant about the 40 days meaning. But then, he was adamant about most things.
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There is nothing better than WD40 for shifting stuck locks, as it is full of solvent and will dissolve 'anything'.
However, it's highly volatile. This means that it evaporates. So you dissolve your gunk, free your lock. The WD40 evaporates, and a fortnight later you're back to square 1 with a stuck lock... except that the gunk is now nicely spread through the lock.
Put some '3 in 1' in after the lock has been freed. Or Lithium grease, available in spray cans. Some car doors specify powdered graphite as the relevant lubricant. Suggest that for this you take an HB pencil and rub it on the key. Then put the key in the lock. You'd be amazed what a bit of pencil 'lead' will lubricate once you realise that you've got a handy lubricant in your desk drawer.
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Free the lock/catch up with WD40 then immediately spray with the (previously mentioned) white spray grease designed for locks/hinges/catches. If you don't have this any grease is OK as it does not dry out but it will attract dust etc.
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When it first came out it was called "Rocket WD40". Some connection or other with the aerospace industry for marketing allure.
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I have found Waxoyl very effective for this application.
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Aprilia has it right but spray carefully and be mean it goes a long way. Wipe off any old stuff as it is full of dirt. Also use on hinge pins, door opening limiters and internal to the key locks. Do not use WD in the locks unless you are trying to clean out the lock assembly prior to relubing with Sray white grease. Regards Peter. May all your encounters be slippery ones !!
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For door lock advice see here:
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?f=4&t=84...3
For bonnet locks, copper grease would do (use it in spray form to get right into the workings). I use Castrol MT3, which is a moly disulphide loaded lithium grease. I also use this on my Rover door checkers as it's similar to that specified by the manufacturer (of the checkers that is, not what Rover specify which is wrong). Spray white grease is also effective on bonnet locks - being carried by solvent it gets into all the moving parts, but is thick enough to stay put once the solvent has dried off.
Good idea to use carb cleaner every 2-4yrs to clean out the dirt thoroughly too.
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I never put lubricant onto the actual latch because it usually transfers itself pretty quickly to your clothes as you get in and out of the car. I think that most latches have a nylon component which is self lubricating.
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I use motorbike chain spray lubricant on locks and hingepins, limited, etc.
Sticky, penetrating, long-lasting
(ooh, missus!)
rg
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In spite of what I found and reported above about the meaning of "WD40", some of my beloved friends still refuse to believe it, saying "You don't expect the manufacturer to tell the truth -- that it really is ineffective after 40 days -- do you?" There's a fiver resting on this. Can anyone come up with any other evidence that what the manufacturer says is true and what the ineffective-after-40-days brigade say is false?
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You're (now!) right, they're wrong.
Simple.
The name does indeed come from Norm Larsen's 40th attempt at making a water dispersant.
As for ineffective aftger 40 days, what a joke!
Only yesterday, I used my mitre saw for some DIY. It is stored in an unheated garage, and is therefore susceptible to moisture in the air. When I wiped the blade dry of the WD-40 I sprayed on over a year ago, it was as clean and rust-free as the last time I used it. Another blade, in the same box last used at the same time as the fitted one, but untreated with WD-40, was covered in surface rust.
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I never put lubricant onto the actual latch because it usually transfers itself pretty quickly to your clothes as you get in and out of the car. I think that most latches have a nylon component which is self lubricating.
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I usually get in or out of my car through the doors, not the bonnet or boot ?? ;-)
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You should not apply grease into the throat of door latches. Most likely it will gum up the internals, which generally need to be free to move.
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I am very keen on a trigger can of 10-40 semi synthetic for misc lubrication. So often the dealer use of spray-on grease does just that...sprays it *on* and none penetrates the moving pivot.
M.M
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