Chain lube/maintenance

C

Crazy Grandma

New Member
I need the right set. And should I put grease or spray on my chain much. I feel like shes dry but I read different stuff. So confused
 
Re: WOW ! I thought I was on my own...

Its ok mate I dont mind, theres loads of chain lube out there, you dont need to buy anything expensive though, if your using oil just keep it wet, I keep a little pot of chainsaw chain oil (nice and tacky) by the back door with a brush in it when your passing just brush a bit on the chain you can see on your way out and it'll last ages, just dont make it too wet or it'll go everywhere and might contaminate your brakes with obvious results ! :-||
 
Re: WOW ! I thought I was on my own...

Most especially for rusted chains. I use bacon grease. Works awesome and is free. Doesn't rot and entice dogs to chase me. (lol, every time I say this some one writes back or PMs me saying one or both will happen)

Is kinda lite though.
Great for any rusted parts too.
 
Re: WOW ! I thought I was on my own...

Dan said:
Most especially for rusted chains. I use bacon grease. Works awesome and is free. Doesn't rot and entice dogs to chase me. (lol, every time I say this some one writes back or PMs me saying one or both will happen)

Is kinda lite though.
Great for any rusted parts too.
Click to expand...

I'd be real carefull with lubricating things with bacon grease Dan, there was a rumor that the British army where lubricating the guns and ammo in India 1857, when the natives found out it damb near cost us the Empire !
 
I use Dumonde Tech G10 Chain lube or Bel-ray chain lube. Normally every few hundred miles I lube my chain but I also do a visual inspection and lube it sooner if need be.
 
Here near the ocean where there's a lot of salt in the air, the bike shops recommend we not use any oil, but instead spray on silicon lubricant.
 
It kis really up to you Grandma as long as you do some kind of chain lube and clean it you should be fine. Just don't ever use WD-40 on it that is the worst. I personally use a wet-dry lube like white lightning. It goes on wet to penetrate the chain and the dries into a lube.
 
Dougy's idea to use chain saw chain/bar lube is a good one. It's a heavy, thick, sticky lubricant formulated to not sling off (unless you really over do it).

I like to remove my chain every couple of hundred miles and clean it by submerging in a solvent then re-lubricating. It's amazing how much dirt and grit washes out of a chain.
Tom
 
2door said:
I like to remove my chain every couple of hundred miles and clean it by submerging in a solvent then re-lubricating. It's amazing how much dirt and grit washes out of a chain.
Tom
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This is excellent advice if you want a chain to last, any chain either motor driven or pedal. It's a bit of messy work, more so the first time if the chain has been neglected. We hear of chain "stretch" but that's really a misnomer, chains don't stretch. Chain wear at the plates and pins is what causes them to gain length, and this is mostly caused by the abrasive grit they are subject to. Thorough cleaning by immersion in solvent is the best antidote. If the chain is not cleaned, just continuing to add more oil or chain lube does nothing to remove the abrasive grit and the chain continues to wear.

Unfortunately, lubing an open chain with a petroleum base acts like a magnet to dirt so your clean chain gets right back to where it was pretty quickly and the thicker or more sticky the lube the more dirt it holds. Chainsaw bar lube works well on a chainsaw because it is being cast off constantly in the cut and replenished with clean lube.

The dry lubes don't gather dirt as much but they can be pricey. Also, I guess I'm old fashioned and doubt whether they really lube the the wearing parts and inner bushing well. This may be overkill for many hobbyist riders but I've had excellent results taking a tip from long distance touring cyclists. I make my own: 3 parts mineral spirits to 1 part cheap 30 wt. motor oil applied in a drip bottle to the clean chain. For a few dollars you can make a near lifetime supply. The mineral spirits thin the lube to a consistency that allows it to enter the inner parts of the chain and then evaporates leaving just a film of oil where it's needed. I still clean them but with this treatment need to far less often and they are nowhere near as grimed up when I do.
 
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I recently reviewed advice from a chain manufacturer which declared lubricant which is applied, and runs off is superior to lubricant that clings.
If it clings, it will attract road grit and contribute to wear.

Unfortunately, we must deal with the facts.

Chain drive is an efficient method to transmit power.
It must be lubricated.
The lube is messy.

Such is life.
rc
 
In my previous post I mentioned cleaning the chain in a solvent. I've tried several and the best to date is a wood cleaner and preserative called Scott's Liquid Gold.
It's a product that has been around since the 50s and was originally formulated for cleaning and preserving natural wood furniture. Nevertheless it contains cleaning solvents and lubricants that are compatible with bicycle/motorcycle chains.

I have a friend who with his two sons are avid dirt bike devotees. He uses Scott's Liquid Gold exclusively on his chains and agrees with happyvalley in that heavy, sticky chain lube attracts dirt/grit. He maintains that the Scott's product cleans and lubricates in one step. Because I typically don't ride in dirty/dusty environments the chain saw lubricant has served me well as long as I adhere to a chain cleaning schedule. When I clean them I use the Scott's product.
Tom
 
I use a commercial spray on lube. What you want to do is get it in the pins and bushings and the best way to do this is to spray the stuff right on the sprocket / chain interface as you spin the wheel.

So I lock the clutch, elevate the rear wheel and spin by hand and spray.
 
Teflon spray is cool, but I usually just use Molly Grease.

A graphite lube I'd like to try though.

Toxic is right though - don't use WD. It's not a lubricant (though it does have a fish oil in it), it's actually a cleaner. It's abrasive.


I actually Ctrl-F'd this thread for "WD" first thing to make sure nobody was saying to use it. :D
 
I've had a lot of luck using "DuPont Teflon Lubricant" on my Triumph Bonneville.

It goes on wet and dries like a wax so it doesn't pick up all sorts of **** from the road.
You can buy it at Lowes for about 5-6 bucks a can :)

Best Lubricant for Motorcycles and Bikes
 
Dave31 said:
I use Dumonde Tech G10 Chain lube or Bel-ray chain lube. Normally every few hundred miles I lube my chain but I also do a visual inspection and lube it sooner if need be.
Click to expand...

I use Dumonde Tech BHP Chain Lubricant & O-Ring Conditioner. Comes in a squeeze bottle and goes on thin. After the "thinner" evaporates it leaves behind an almost dry grease that sheds grass and other things that try to cling to the chain. This stuff is better than the spray I used to use racing.
 
I bought some special grease for my rifles. It's the same stuff the military uses on their big chain guns and such. It's made for high temps, and some how chemically made so sand and stuff does not stick to it. The only way to get it off is with alcohol. It works great, Montana gun grease is on all my guns and my bike.
 
I like the dry lube of White Lightning, but the bacon grease makes me salivate...mmmm bacon

whatever you use, just put a drop on each link, dont smear the whole chain and make a gummy mess
 
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Both times I bought White Lightning's Epic Ride, the nozzles were busted up. First time, I exchanged it. The second time I just got my money back. It seems like it'd work well though.
 
i used to use epic/white lightning but ive found if your running a 415 chain...then you need the motorcycle stuff....it wasnt thick enough for me....i have used some liquid wrench chainlube...works pretty good
 
Liquid wrench is good enough if it's all that's available. I prefer to use Maxima spray wax. You can also take the chain off and put it in a baggie with a some oil and let it sit over night.
 
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