Lubricating chain and gear sprockets

[jdallan]

May I ask what members use for lubricating chains and sprockets? After seeing a You Tube video which impressed me I've been using White Lightning which seems OK but I wonder if the wet lubes would be more suitable for my purpose. I don't take the bike out in wet conditions (although I've been caught in the rain) and I normally cycle on roads or good tracks. Any advice would be appreciated.

Jim

 

[tillson]

Everyone has their own opinion on how they like to maintain their chain. I tried a few different methods and settled on the following:

The biggest problem, I find, is dirt and grit working its way into the links and causing wear. So, I now have two chains with a joining link for each bike. I remove the chain, immerse it in de-greaser and really flush all the dirt out. Then I immerse the chain in hypoid oil for about a week, remove it and hang it up to drain. Then I wrap it in an oil soak clothed store until I need it. It's a quick job to swap the chains over and repeat the process when necessary. The sprockets can easily be cleaned once the chain has been removed and residual oil on the freshly serviced chain deposits itself on the sprockets thus lubricating them.

This is a quick process and works for me.

 

[Clockwise]

I tend to use dry lubes and things that leave a teflon coating as they help against rust a bit more(apparently) and can repel dirt which helps I guess. I generally go for whatever is cheapest or my local bike shop seem to be stocking/selling lots of as it will be more average stuff, you might think "but I don't want average, I want the best" but generally speaking the "best" is aimed at pros who have someonelse clean/lube/grease/rebuild bikes before and after each ride, I on the other hand want to go a couple of weeks between doing much and a month before I even consider really scrubing everything.

The current stuff I have knocking about are some cans of gt85, poundland pink degreaser for washing, weldtite tf2 for greasing bearings, some muck off samples(wet/dry) I got with a wiggle order, an old style "bike oil" in a bottle with drip thing(not used that in a while tho).

 

[RobF]

Everyone has their own opinion on how they like to maintain their chain. I tried a few different methods and settled on the following:

The biggest problem, I find, is dirt and grit working its way into the links and causing wear. So, I now have two chains with a joining link for each bike. I remove the chain, immerse it in de-greaser and really flush all the dirt out. Then I immerse the chain in hypoid oil for about a week, remove it and hang it up to drain. Then I wrap it in an oil soak clothed store until I need it. It's a quick job to swap the chains over and repeat the process when necessary. The sprockets can easily be cleaned once the chain has been removed and residual oil on the freshly serviced chain deposits itself on the sprockets thus lubricating them.

This is a quick process and works for me.

Tillson's method would work well.

As he says, dirt and grit on the inside of the chain causes the most wear.

As I can't be bothered to remove the chain, I use a wipe, wipe, wipe, lube routine.

Wipe the chain with a rag/old sock after each ride, and then every fourth or fifth ride, apply some chain lube.

The lube needs to be applied on the inside of the chain, lube on the outside does nothing other than prevent rust, and the wipe method ensures there's enough lube on the outside to prevent that.

 

[jackhandy]

Chainsaw ( low fling ) oil or Hypoid gear oil:

I'm afraid I'm not at all retentive about lubing - probably once-a-month.

GT85 & WD40 never get anywhere near my chains or sprockets - They both have lots of other uses.

 

[KirstinS]

I use wet lube in winter, dry in summer

And good ole gt85 at times

Being on the coast the sea air just rusts everything really quick if not careful

 

[RobF]

I sometimes spray some GT85 onto the wiping rag because it helps lift some of the dirt off the chain, but I would lube afterwards.

Years ago, we used to refurb a chain in a bath of paraffin.

Worked OK provided you made sure the chain was properly dry before relubing.

 

[john h]

i used to clean mine with paraffin, then heat up paraffin wax in an old can and dunk chain in ,would last for a couple of months, then re do

 

[Streethawk]

I clean mine with citrus degreaser, then WD40 to disperse the water and provide a light oil to prevent corrosion and put it away to dry fully until the next morning. Then i lube it with Finish Line Dry or White Lightning, they are much the same. Always a dry lube though, they dont last as long as Finish Line Cross Country or other wet lube, but they stay cleaner for longer, less black gunge that eats away at the metal.

 

[jerrysimon]

At £9.50 a chain I buy a new one every 6-9 months and about 1500-2000 miles when its stretched too much anyway.

Cleanest easiest method. I use to try and clean/lubricate them and make them last longer but found it a false economy in that cleaning and lubricant plus changing a worn sprocket, if I left it on too long cost, more than/about the same as a new chain.


Jerry

 

[EddiePJ]

I was talking about this very subject to a cousin of mine recently. I thought that I was anal about keeping my chain mud free, clean and lubed, but he removes his chain every couple of weeks and puts it in an ultra sonic cleaner!

 

[Geebee]

I use Pro Link Gold, as I have a couple of recumbents with massive chain runs I wanted a chain that stayed clean and lasted, this cleans and lubes so makes the job easy, after one ride wipe chain again and then you can handle it without getting dirty, untril it needs lubing again.

 

[jdallan]

Many thanks for all the replies and information. It would appear that what I'm doing is not too wide of the mark. I should have said that before lubing with White Lightning, I use Fenwicks FS1 as directed to clean the chain and sprockets to the best of my ability. Between thorough treatments I've been wiping over after a light spray of GT35. I wish I had the application to do what you suggest Tillson, however I don't; also I'm lacking in manual dexterity due to arthritis so I try to keep "fiddly" jobs to a minimum!

Jim

 

[John F]

My Woosh has a stainless steel chain, and I'm wondering if I need to modify my White Lightning technique that I use on my non stainless chain equipped bike.

In other words as it's S/S what do I care if it's protected or not - I want it to shine nicely in the winter sun! I assume that it's just the visible bits that are so endowed and that the important bits inside are of a suitable hard wearing steel which will require some oil.

So how about simply using normal oil on the links then wiping over the whole chain with a clean rag thus bringing up those lovely shiny bits?

 

[Streethawk]

Stainless steel chains will likely still rust as it wont be high enough grade to completely avoid it. You also want lube on the chain to prevent too much friction between the gears and the chain, which would cause excessive wear and tear. If you use motor oil, it will work but it wont last long and it will get very black and messy very quickly as it's more sticky than a dry lube.

BTW, stainless steel on chains is a bad idea because it's not as good tensile strength as some other steels used in this area.

 

[John F]

Stainless steel chains will likely still rust as it wont be high enough grade to completely avoid it. You also want lube on the chain to prevent too much friction between the gears and the chain, which would cause excessive wear and tear. If you use motor oil, it will work but it wont last long and it will get very black and messy very quickly as it's more sticky than a dry lube.

BTW, stainless steel on chains is a bad idea because it's not as good tensile strength as some other steels used in this area.

That was my view too re tensile strength. However having just checked it, I think it might be slightly thicker than my other bikes normal chain, but I might be wrong. Not a good idea then to fit a weaker chain on a a more powerful electric bike!

I have found, with White Lightning, that after a while the stuff seems to harden up and tends to clog the rear derailier sprockets. Just a mile annoyance though.

I tend to lube the chain with engine oil into the pins, wipe it off, then White Lightning to "seal" in the oil.

 

[jackhandy]

There's so many grades of stainless steel - Many years ago a local fishing tackle wholesaler asked me to knock out some gaff hooks as he'd lost his suplier.

The first batch were in a very stiff grade that was a beggar to work & sharpen - and they rusted in salt water.

The next batch were in srust-resist grade, which was much easier to work - and the damn things tended to straighten-out with a big fish on.

I told him to find some other mug to make 'em.

 

[mike killay]

I posted on another thread that I suspected that the reason for many spokes snapping these days might be because they are made of stainless steel.