When I rebuild brakes, I test them beyond normal use. I use two hands on the lever for high hydraulic pressure, I heat them up, and do panic braking, to make sure nothing is going to let go should a real emergency occur and I need them the most.
I had trouble finding the pure silicone grease
specified in the Honda shop manual.
The auto parts counterman assured me Sil-Glyde would work for my application. The auto parts counterman is not an engineer, has knowledge about flipping pages in a book and receiving money from customers. No science or engineering degree (or knowledge) is required for that position. Amicable and convincing communication skills ARE of benefit, but I digress.) Nonetheless, Sil-Glyde was all I could find.
Since it was easy to find, I used it, and then did my stress testing of the front brake. Started off great, and then got worse than before I rebuilt them.
Close inspection revealed the grease had migrated to the friction pads. Well, that 'splains" the brake function loss!
I found some of the pure silicone grease
specified in the Honda shop manual for this bike, replaced the pad swith new Honda, cleaned the rotor, repeated my stress testing and the grease did not migrate to the friction pads. Brakes worked better than they ever had, which I attribute mainly to the SS brake lines I installed during this same overhaul cycle. No, it isn't Honda pure, but I prefer function over form.
I then did the oven test of the two materials side by side in my oven to discover that indeed the real silicone grease by far outperforms the Sil-Glyde by a very wide margin. I actually posted my test procedure and results to the SOHC4 mail list when I did this many years ago.
I can't believe this "discussion" has turned into a religious argument rather than a scientific one. I really don't care if 12 people vs 4 agree to change the speed of light. The speed of light simply isn't going to change. I don't care if 5 people have jumped off a roof and survived with only minor mental disabilities, I ain't gonna do it.
If anyone actually cares about science, I'll offer this.
I know of no cars that use stainless steel brake rotors. Most use carbon steel which has a far higher heat dissipation ratio. They also rust far faster, which is acceptable if they are hidden by the wheel. The SOHC4 rotors don't rust very quickly at all, and are prominently exposed to demonstrate this fact.
Heat from the SOHC4 rotor, transfers right through the pad to the steel backing bonded to the pad material. There is a nylon ring, and minimal steel to piston contact to keep most of the heat from transferring to the piston, (which is hollow, providing an insulative air space), all designed to minimize heat being transferred to the brake fluid.
The silicone material under discussion is applied to the pad backing steel and the caliper bore where the pad backing slides, to help keep water and dust from accumulating behind the pad backing steel. It is a high heat area that Honda engineers recognized, and found a grease that would more than withstand temperatures that can be attained at that point.
Comparing this particular brake caliper design and it's requirements to the thousands and thousands of other designs similarly called "disc brakes" is rather like saying all pancakes are the same no matter what materials they were made with. I have found "pancakes" in pastures that I have no desire eating. There are some here who seemingly would, as after all, its all in the syrup poured over it, for them. I suggest the term for comparing the SOHC4 disc brake to all other "disc brakes" may be aptly termed junk science. There are far too many details in the actual design that differ among examples.
MY experience will Sil-Glyde for this application, demonstrated FAILURE for the brake system. I'm just glad I found out about it in non-emergency conditions, and not during. You all get to decided for yourselves which is best for you. I've tried my best to warn you. Maybe you CAN jump off buildings and eat any pancakes with no ill effects. Perhaps you've never encountered kyrptonite, either.
The committee will now decide by caveate what actually works. We all know how well design by committee functions in the real would. The majority may rule, but, the majority is most definitely NOT always right.
I'm done.
Best of luck to you all.
