3M Silicone Paste, 08946, 8 oz, Clear

I purchased this 3M Clear Silicone Paste (#08946) to use on my brake guide pins and the back of my new brake pads I would be installing. The delivery of this product was quick and without problems. The plastic bottle's lid has a brush attached underneath that is used to apply the silicone paste to your particular job. It is a heavy paste, about the consistency of jelly you would use on bread (do not use this silicone paste on bread!). It worked well for my brake guide pins and pads. I have used it on my electric gate opener arm and the rubber bulb on my antifreeze tester....all with good results. It should come in handy for other lubrication needs around the home (door hinges, tools, electrical contacts, O-rings). It is a thick paste, so it has to be spread with the brush on your project, but it won't run off. If your "project" can't come apart, this is probably not what you need, as a silicone spray would be more appropriate. While this paste is not completely clear, it most closely resembles in appearance the clear silicone caulk you would use for sealing cracks around the home (but this doesn't harden like caulk does). For the purposes I have used it for so far, I have been pleased. The price for a bottle of silicone was the only thing about this product that made me think twice about purchasing it. Seemed a little expensive....but it should last a while!

Just contacted 3M customer service since this product, which I LOVE, is so hard to find anywhere. Welp, unfortunately it's been discontinued. Here's the reply:Thank you for contacting 3M, where we apply science to life.3M™ Silicone Paste, 08946 has been discontinued. Unfortunately, we do not have a suggested replacement.Bummer!

As many have already said, you can use this stuff on a lot of things around the house, automotive, electrical, etc. For detailing cars, I have found it works very well to restore and protect weather lining in the doors and trunk or hatch back, faded plastic parts like on bumpers, or where plastic is exposed between the windshield wipers and hood, also apply to the wiper blades to extend life. If you want to get really fancy, you can also apply it to rubber and plastic parts under the hood to make your engine bay look great. I have used Armor All products to restore car rubber and plastic parts in the past, but in the weather being outdoors that stuff fades fast. This 3M silicon paste really "sticks" so to speak- you can use just a little and wipe it in with a cloth, it goes a long way. I am sure I will find many more uses for this stuff over time. One of my door hinges is squeaking lately in the house, better take a look :)

I use it on vehicle weatherstrips (around doors, trunks, and at the back of car hoods) with good result. The weather strips remain soft and continue to work well. Vehicle doors do not generally freeze shut and when you force them open, you do not tear up your weatherstrips if they have been coated with this stuff in the past year or two. Best to clean the weatherstrips (perhaps with a soapy wet rag, then just a wipe with a wet rag without soap), let them dry (or dry with a dry paper towel), then coat them down with this paste, that resembles clear grease. I generally rub the grease all over the weatherstrips with my fingers, in the crevices and everywhere I can touch. Way best to wipe the excess off after applying (paper towel here), then again in a day or two, else dirt sticks to the weather strips and/or you just generally have a slightly greasy mess. On that second wipe , wipe the metal that the weatherstrips seal against free of silicone paste as well. The second wiping will generally do you until next time, a year or two in the future. My opinion anyway. I gave a can to my neighbor and he used it on his faded black exterior plastic body parts on his Vibe and was pleased as punch. I am clueless about this plan. For better or worse, I try to use nitrile gloves when I play in this stuff.

I bought this to do a few brake jobs over the weekend and after reading several reviews i decided on this product over the synthetic ones based on the reviews. I was not disappointed to say the least. The silicone itself is fantastic. Its thick enough to comfort you into knowing it will stay on without too much of a mess while holding up to water and weather. I kept knocking over the bottle and none of it spilled once, which is great since its a paste and nothing should really be leaking out. Although it is a thick substance pushing the brakes between braces by hand was very easy. The reason i didn't give it 5 stars is because the cap has a brush attached to it which is what i expected. But since the paste is so thick (at least i don't think it was done on purpose) the brush came bent at the center. So the brush had some sore of V-shape to it. for the most part it was still easy to use except when it came to greasing the caliper piston and the rubber seal around it. It made it near impossible to do so without another set of hands. If this isn't done intentionally i would assume most come this way because the paste is so firm when i would purposely replace the brush into the bottle it can feel the brush giving way first and not the paste. a firmer stick to the brush would do the trick. This wasn't that big of a deal i struggled between 4 or 5 stars and i imagine most people won't mind this at all.Pros: cost, qualityCons: brush

This paste is fantastic and useful for just about anything. I have used it on brake hardware, conditioned automotive door gaskets, storm door lock mechanisms, and dielectric grease for battery terminals. Just be aware that if when you open the bottle it looks like "there should be more", you arent wrong. My mother just bought me some more as a gift and the new one is full to the brim. When I bought my first one i felt like it seemed a bit low but I wasnt sure so I didnt think anything of it. I must have gotten a low weight one from the factory or someone used it and returned it. Either way too late to do something about it now. Great stuff.