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normal mineral oil in shimano brakes?

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normal mineral oil in shimano brakes?

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flag Tom2008mtb
Posted: Feb 5, 2023 at 12:43 Quote
does anyone know if there is any difference between shimano brand mineral oil and mineral oil you would buy in a car/hardware shop? i know seth’s bike hacks did it on baby oil, but would there be any difference in performance?
flag JonnyTheWeasel
Posted: Feb 5, 2023 at 13:47 Quote
Might be fine, depends what it is. I use motorbike suspension oil (Putoline) in mine. Fixes the wandering bite point too.
flag asdfg3
Posted: Feb 6, 2023 at 3:52 Quote
Effectively no difference, if you want better you need to put in Redline Likewater or something thinner with a higher boiling point.

You can check the MSDS to confirm it. Still if you're in warranty and the bite point is solid you may as well stick with the original oil.
flag cstaniewski
Posted: Feb 7, 2023 at 0:29 Quote
Shamino makes it clear that shamino mineral fluid is the the only fluid compatibile with their brakes. They state that any other fluid will compromise the seals. Could something else work? Maybe. Could it do irreversible damage to seals? Maybe.
flag Reaperactual
Posted: Feb 7, 2023 at 2:38 Quote
Also been using Putoline HPX R 2.5w mineral oil in my Shimano's for the last two years, no issues whatsoever. Not gonna be paying for the overpriced Shimano stuff again.
flag aer0
Posted: Feb 7, 2023 at 16:21 Quote
As others mention, yes you can use other mineral oils. Just understand you will void your original warranty if you have one.
Ive been using WPL mineral oil on my XT's an XTR's for many years now with zero issues. And yes it does help fix the wandering bite point.
flag thekragle
Posted: Feb 9, 2023 at 14:18 Quote
WPL mineral oil? Didn’t know they made such a product…. Care to elaborate?
flag hainman
O+
Posted: Feb 12, 2023 at 4:19 Quote
For years I’ve used the stuff Halfords sell for cars
It’s green and not red/blue (magura or Shimano)
And not had any issues
Half the price of the Shimano stuff
flag JonnyTheWeasel
Posted: Feb 12, 2023 at 8:38 Quote
hainman wrote:
For years I’ve used the stuff Halfords sell for cars
It’s green and not red/blue (magura or Shimano)
And not had any issues
Half the price of the Shimano stuff

DOT fluid?
flag badbikekarma
Posted: Feb 2, 2024 at 20:18 Quote
thekragle wrote:
WPL mineral oil? Didn’t know they made such a product…. Care to elaborate?
Im guessing hes using teh 2.5w shock oil
flag uberfranz
O+
Posted: Jan 7, 2026 at 11:03 Quote
Anybody know of an equivalent to the Putoline available in the US?
flag leftypumpkin
O+
Posted: Jan 7, 2026 at 15:35 Quote
uberfranz wrote:
Anybody know of an equivalent to the Putoline available in the US?

Redline like water - find locally at motorbike shop or order online (I know Summit Racing carries it). It now comes in various weights, you want the original which has the lowest viscosity.
flag tylerguest1
O+
Posted: Jan 7, 2026 at 18:39 Quote
Shimano oil is way more consistent and seal-friendly. Car/hardware mineral oil might work short term, but it can swell seals or feel weird at the lever. Baby oil is a gamble, not a move. If you care about long-term feel, just run Shimano oil.
flag leftypumpkin
O+
Posted: Jan 8, 2026 at 10:57 Quote
tylerguest1 wrote:
Shimano oil is way more consistent and seal-friendly. Car/hardware mineral oil might work short term, but it can swell seals or feel weird at the lever. Baby oil is a gamble, not a move. If you care about long-term feel, just run Shimano oil.

I switched over to the Redline Likewater stuff because I couldn't get consistent feel from my Shimano brakes in winter - lots of wandering bite point in cold temps. So far, pretty consistent.
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