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Travel Containers for Grease and Brake Fluid

larrynew

larrynew

Well Known Member
Looking for small containers to hold grease for wheel bearings and brake fluid for our extended trip in the -10 to Canada and Alaska. I can't seem to crack the code on which plastic will hold up to either fluid without deteriorating and leaking. Any suggestions on plastic jars or maybe a better solution? Thanks!
 
Here we can buy Acetone in 1 litre plastic containers and I've found that these are quite robust (wall thickness is thicker). As it can handle the Acetone it can also handle the Hydraulic Fluid, so I decant my open tins into that plastic container.

For the wheel bearing grease, I typically use the grease gun plastic tube that the grease comes in, cut it in half and cap the open end. I would suggest you could then place this into a Systema plastic container with other similar items - like Copperkote (or whatever you use for your spark plugs), silicone grease (if you use it), CRC/WD40 and whatever else you need to provision for an extended trip.
 
Aircraft brake fluid is essentially auto trans fluid. I actually use Mobil 1 AFT as do many others. Any 1 quart oil bottle should work. Why would you want to take grease? I have successfully used plastic peanut butter jars. Peter Pan is my favorite.
 
I like the idea of peanut butter containers for grease!

For something less viscous (brake fluid), if you want something really trick, use an aluminum backpacking fuel container from REI. I keep my jet engine oil in one since i only use a third of a quart at oil change time, and need something to store the rest in until I use it. Rugged and travels well.
 
swjohnsey said:
Why would you want to take grease?
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Just in case I need a little extra wheel bearing grease if I have to change a tire or tube at a remote field in Canada or Alaska. I don’t plan to have a flat or drop a wheel bearing in the dirt but having some extra grease costs and weighs almost nothing to carry on our month long trip.
 
He built & Fly’s one of these.

Paul built & flys a Sonex powered by a jet engine.
F41AAA0F-AC5E-4400-9C98-9F21BF165FE4.png
 
Fill to the 150mark with grease. Snip the tip off for better application.
Cap the ends with cap and plug from hardware store.

Store plunger and container along with a pair of surgical gloves
and a rag in a Zip lock bag... One syringe is more than enough
grease for four wheel bearings.
syringe.JPG
 
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gasman said:
Here is Paul's.....
View attachment 40770
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It’s sooo cute!! :p

And oil capacity, 1/3 quart… my pea brain can’t even comprehend that tiny amount! And then there’s the old Helldiver that I fly, has a 37 gallon oil tank, but we usually run it at “only” 20-25 gallons.

And back to topic, I can see maybe carrying a wee bit of brake fluid, but the bearings should be fine even with a tire change in the field, not sure I’d even carry extra grease. I’m planning a AK/CA trip in June; will bring a spare main tire, but no grease or brake fluid. Okay, maybe I’ll bring a tiny bit of ATF for the brakes…
 
larrynew said:
Looking for small containers to hold grease for wheel bearings and brake fluid for our extended trip in the -10 to Canada and Alaska. I can't seem to crack the code on which plastic will hold up to either fluid without deteriorating and leaking. Any suggestions on plastic jars or maybe a better solution? Thanks!
Click to expand...

How much oil are you planning on bringing for your trip? One oil change plus a couple extra quarts? Or will you locally source?
Not a aircraft consumable, but are you planning on bringing any cleaning supplies for windshield, wing leading edges, or decreaser for belly?
Maybe a better question is what is your weight allocation for aircraft supplies separate from survival gear?
 
plehrke said:
How much oil are you planning on bringing for your trip? One oil change plus a couple extra quarts? Or will you locally source?
Not a aircraft consumable, but are you planning on bringing any cleaning supplies for windshield, wing leading edges, or decreaser for belly?
Maybe a better question is what is your weight allocation for aircraft supplies separate from survival gear?
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Planning on one oil change on the trip. I normally use 2 one gallon containers of oil so I’ll bring 2 empty and 2 full jugs with 2 extra quarts plus a plastic hose to connect to the quick drain. Yes on cleaning supplies and thanks for the reminder. I’m laying out all my equipment in the hangar and planning now.

Gasman and Paul, thanks for the good ideas. Ordering the syringes for grease and fuel container (MSR 11 oz) for brake fluid.

Only 2 of us in the -10 so plenty of capacity but I always try to be careful with weight. I’d rather use the weight for more fuel or altitude.
 
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swjohnsey said:
Which bring up an interesting question: What sort of survival gear do you plan to carry?
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Still working on the list. One reference is Alaska Statutes Sec. 02.35.110. For domestic flying we already carry a good selection of first aid and basic survival equipment copying what I carried in military flying. We have a Garmin Inreach Mini and now the iPhone has satellite SOS and texting. When adding things from the AK statute like a hatchet and a weeks food per person the challenge seems to be deciding among a million choices and suggestions.
 
swjohnsey said:
Which bring up an interesting question: What sort of survival gear do you plan to carry?
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Anyone have a good list or link to recommended survival gear? I don’t want to get mission creep and end up carrying a spare engine. 😁
 
larrynew said:
Anyone have a good list or link to recommended survival gear? I don’t want to get mission creep and end up carrying a spare engine. 😁
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Read this article, it covers everything! A really good guide to AK/CA; at the bottom is a list of references and links to everything we need to know.

https://backcountrypilot.org/knowledge-base/destinations/190-guide-to-flying-to-alaska

This PDF book is somewhat dated (2001), but it appears to be “The Bible”…
https://backcountrypilot.org/images/kb/destinations/flying-to-alaska/AlaskaAirmansLogbook.pdf
 
larrynew said:
Looking for small containers to hold grease for wheel bearings and brake fluid for our extended trip in the -10 to Canada and Alaska. I can't seem to crack the code on which plastic will hold up to either fluid without deteriorating and leaking. Any suggestions on plastic jars or maybe a better solution? Thanks!
Click to expand...

You may not like the extra weight, but a small ammunition can is extremely robust, will not crack, and when clamped closed, will not leak anything. you can pick them up at a gun show, Rural King, or Sportsman's Guide. One would last forever.
 
BlackhawkSP said:
You may not like the extra weight, but a small ammunition can is extremely robust, will not crack, and when clamped closed, will not leak anything.
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That’s a good idea. I have several being used as intended that could be repurposed for this trip.
 
larrynew said:
Still working on the list. One reference is Alaska Statutes Sec. 02.35.110. For domestic flying we already carry a good selection of first aid and basic survival equipment copying what I carried in military flying. We have a Garmin Inreach Mini and now the iPhone has satellite SOS and texting. When adding things from the AK statute like a hatchet and a weeks food per person the challenge seems to be deciding among a million choices and suggestions.
Click to expand...

Most of your camping gear is also survival gear. Don't underestimate how cold it can get in the summer, well below freezing. Also the mosquitoes can be brutal, worse than brutal. Get on youtube and look at Altoid tin survival kits, a little back-up kit you always carry on your person that has essentials like knife, fire source, etc. Space blankets can be had for a buck a piece off ebay, and mini-Bic lighters are worth their weight in gold.
 
To the original question:
A plastic 35mm film canister will hold enough grease to pack a wheel bearing.
I have used them for years to hold grease in my MTB tool kit that I keep in the house.
 
andoman said:
To the original question:
A plastic 35mm film canister will hold enough grease to pack a wheel bearing.
I have used them for years to hold grease in my MTB tool kit that I keep in the house.
Click to expand...

I have Lubriplate grease in an old 35mm film canister for the past 25-years and it (35mm plastic film canister) shows no deterioration.
 
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