ZOOM Brake hydraulic mineral oil?
- Thread starter Altaman
- Start date
I have a question.
I bought some mineral oil for my hydraulic brake. It was the last bottle on the shelf and it is less costly than at another store. However, on the label it says "heavy mineral oil". Should i use this heavy mineral oil or is there a "regular" mineral oil?
Both pharmacies i went to sold only heavy oil.
I hear (un)scented baby oil can be used, too. Is the heavy oil okay or should i use a regular mineral oil...or maybe the baby oil is best?
I can return the unopened heavy mineral oil to the store if another type of oil is best.
I have Tektro brakes and it's written "mineral oil", on the lever.
When my brake housing broke open, a clear oil came out...there was no color to the oil.
I hope a response comes quickly because i've been riding around the city with only the front brake since a couple of weeks, already.
Thanks for any advice.
I bought some mineral oil for my hydraulic brake. It was the last bottle on the shelf and it is less costly than at another store. However, on the label it says "heavy mineral oil". Should i use this heavy mineral oil or is there a "regular" mineral oil?
Both pharmacies i went to sold only heavy oil.
I hear (un)scented baby oil can be used, too. Is the heavy oil okay or should i use a regular mineral oil...or maybe the baby oil is best?
I can return the unopened heavy mineral oil to the store if another type of oil is best.
I have Tektro brakes and it's written "mineral oil", on the lever.
When my brake housing broke open, a clear oil came out...there was no color to the oil.
I hope a response comes quickly because i've been riding around the city with only the front brake since a couple of weeks, already.
Thanks for any advice.
Last edited:
theemartymac
Well-Known Member
Heavy oil has a higher viscosity, and that "might" have an impact, but I've seen the argument made by a number of riders that use drug store oil with no issue. if you ask Shimano, I'm sure they will say to only use approved Shimano oil. The heavy oil is medical grade for internal consumption, so I'm sure it's pure enough and won't wreck anything, and there "shouldn't" be any issue with general compatibility of mineral oils like there would be with DOT fluids. They may or may not mix anyway, and you get a product viscosity somewhere in the middle. Just make sure it's a pure oil with no additives/scents/etc..
Just don't mix/cross the Min Oil and DOT Fluid, as the seals are designed for either min oil or the proper DOT fluid. You can definitely get premature seal leakage or failure with the wrong product.
Last edited:
m@Robertson
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
I have seen tests using drug store mineral oil in brakesets and it works fine. With that said, you use so little of the proper fluid, why screw around with it? I have six sets of Magura brakes and I have bought two 4 oz bottles of 'royal blood' (blue mineral oil) over the last 5 or six years, and one of them is still 3/4 full.
120 ml of proper brake fluid will cost me CAD $20.00 +tax.
500ml of the heavy mineral oil will cost me CAD $7.30 + tax.
Plus i can use the mineral oil on other things.
So, does this mean i can use the heavy mineral oil, or should i bring it back and ask for baby oil?
Thanks.
m@Robertson
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
Yeah but you only buy that $20 bottle once in a year or two. If that. Brakes don't 'use' fluid that needs replenishment. You only need more if somehow something goes wrong and you have a leak. Or you change cables or something and lose a lot of fluid in the change. If you were buying it monthly I'd see some sense in it, but hey its unlikely you will harm anything I guess.
Its unlikely you get your brakes to boiling point of the fluid so the undoubted lower boiling point of the drugstore fluid will probably not matter.
The tests I have seen are all with mineral oil, not baby oil.
Its unlikely you get your brakes to boiling point of the fluid so the undoubted lower boiling point of the drugstore fluid will probably not matter.
The tests I have seen are all with mineral oil, not baby oil.
Ok cool.
So, i will try the mineral oil instead of the costly brake fluid. But i am still curious about it being labelled "heavy". I suppose i could google it but maybe you can tell me if there is another type of drugstore mineral oil beside "heavy" that is better?
Is the higher viscosity heavy mineral oil better than a lower viscosity drug store mineral oil, if another type of drugstore mineral oil exists? I have no idea.
Also, i am using a brand new housing.
Thank you
theemartymac
Well-Known Member
I'd probably go with it over the baby oil, as the baby oil probably has a few other additives that would be a wild card...
theemartymac
Well-Known Member
The heavy oil. I also have seen comments about baby oil being a little thin and leading to spongy brakes - especially when hot. And the introduction of additives like fragrances, aloe, etc, might also be a slight concern.
The only time that might be flipped, is if you run in very cold temps where high viscosity (Heavy) oil won't flow well, and that might mean reduced brake pressure. Then a thinner oil like a pure baby oil might work better.
The only time that might be flipped, is if you run in very cold temps where high viscosity (Heavy) oil won't flow well, and that might mean reduced brake pressure. Then a thinner oil like a pure baby oil might work better.
m@Robertson
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
oh hey whoa there. Lets make sure we are talking about the same thing. Your brakes are specifically made to use 'mineral oil' right? They don't use 'brake fluid'? There is a specific difference between those two terms. I think Tektro always uses mineral oil but I could be wrong and this is something we gotta get right.
This is not something I have fooled with personally. But here's one test that uses 'baby oil'. Looking at it... it doesn't look highly viscous at all.
I see. Well, i ride my ebike during Montreal winters and it gets very cold here. So, should i go with the baby oil. then?
Remember, in my first post i was asking if heavy mineral oil is the only mineral oil sold in pharmacies. I am not sure if there is a regular mineral oil as well as this heavy mineral oil that i bought.
I bought the heavy oil because it was the last one on the shelf and it was $3.00 cheaper than at the other store.
I can return it will the receipt and exchange it for something else. I am just trying to find out what to use
In my first post, i say "mineral oil is marked on my levers and i wrote when the housing broke, mineral oil came out, not a colored brake oil.
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