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Are all mineral oils the same? Can I mix them?

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s3si1u:
Hi y'all,

I've got a TRP Hylex brake set for my gravel bike and about to install and undertake the initial bleed (if necessary). Before I do that, I have a question for y'all with more mineral oil brake experience.
Are all the different kinds of mineral oil the same? e.g. TRP red, Shimano red, Finish Line green, Campy/Magura blue juice, etc.
Can they be mixed? I'm assuming these brakes are filled with the red TRP oil, but I currently only have Finish Line on hand. Am I safe to mix, or should I find TRP oil? My gut says go ahead and mix...is there any difference other than color and the name on the bottle?

Wet Noodle:
While some manufacturers may put a lawyers' passage in their manuals regarding which oil to use, I don't think anyone gives to Fs about it in real life (and just puts in what they have on hand).

Or maybe that's just me. Let's see what others say as well.

carbonazza:
I did put blue oil in Shimano  XT brakes few years ago, and they are still fine.
If for other reasons you get in trouble, rebleed them to the right color if you return them under warranty 8)

Sebastian:
As far as I know, you can basically use every mineral oil (for hydraulic brakes, that is) and it's going to work. Nothing's going to fail and your seals won't leak or anything. There might be slight differences in viscosity. I think the red Shimano oil is slightly thinner than than Magura's Royal blood.

The coloring in the oil really only is there so that your dealer can tell whether you used other oil than what the manufacturer recommends and therefore tell you that your warranty is void.

I personally use Campagnolo Ekar levers with Magura calipers and I got Royal Blood in there. No issues. And in the MTB world where discs have been around for a long time, people just put whatever into their brakes with no issues.

Just don't use DOT brake fluid as that will kill your seals if your brakes are not made for it.

And can you mix them? I have in fact mixed the oil that was in my Ekar levers (red Campagnolo stuff) with Magura's oil. And of course it works. It's rumoured to be the same anyway.

Crash217:
They are all pretty much compatible.  I like having two different color types on hand so that I can definitively see when the system is flushed of the old fluid.

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