ATF as general purpose bike oil?
#26
Clark W. Griswold
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I mean you have had bicycle lubricants for decades upon decades I see no reason at all to use random fluids for a task that has something designed for it in fact many things designed for it. You can even use melted wax and that is one you don't need to spend on buying a bicycle specific product but I think chain lube is not a huge expense and there is no need to use ATF or WD-40 or other random fluids.
I would understand trying to use ATF if I was in the middle of nowhere and there was nothing else out there for many miles and I really needed to semi lubricate my chain and couldn't wait at all. But that is a really specific situation that really wouldn't exist much because I have a feeling ATF wouldn't be that fluid available.
I would understand trying to use ATF if I was in the middle of nowhere and there was nothing else out there for many miles and I really needed to semi lubricate my chain and couldn't wait at all. But that is a really specific situation that really wouldn't exist much because I have a feeling ATF wouldn't be that fluid available.
#27
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Canola oil is cheap. A gallon should last a lifetime.
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#28
Newbie
Many many years ago (like 35) when I worked at a bike shop, Tri-flow and Phil wood grease were our go to's for nice bikes and everything else got WD-40 and bullshot grease. I use Park grease and Sri-flow on all my BMX builds. Getting ready to try the drip wax process on my road bike chain to see how I like it.
#29
Senior Member
Why? And no.
#30
Senior Member
#31
I don't know about canola oil, but I lubed hair clippers in a pinch with olive oil, big mistake, after a while it dried to a gum and locked up the clippers. Take apart the two blades and clean, a few drops of ATF and they worked perfect, and have for a couple years now.
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#32
There are now commercial formulations and homebrews of hot-melt chain wax with PTFE (and also moly- or tungsten-disulfide), the PTFE additive is a white powder (like the color of plumbing teflon tape), it does not dissolve in many things, that's one of PTFE's strengths in certain applications.
#33
Senior Member
I simply don't understand the constant search for alternatives to simple cost effective, proven bike focused lubricants
All you need is tri-flow, a tube of phils waterproof grease, Phills tenacious oil (drip into freewheels), your choice of chain lube (Silca super secret liquid is my new go to)
add a penetrating olil for recalcitrant parts (I like Freeze off) and wd40 is not a penetrating oil
50/50 ATF/Acetone is a great penetrant though if you are dealing in high volume
All you need is tri-flow, a tube of phils waterproof grease, Phills tenacious oil (drip into freewheels), your choice of chain lube (Silca super secret liquid is my new go to)
add a penetrating olil for recalcitrant parts (I like Freeze off) and wd40 is not a penetrating oil
50/50 ATF/Acetone is a great penetrant though if you are dealing in high volume
#34
I live in Michigan, about half way up the coast and have always used Phil Wood Oil in my freewheels and cassette bodies. Commuted for 20 years in all weather year round and never had any trouble with the freewheel or cassette locking up due to frozen lube inside. Commute distance at that time was 15 miles one way. The coldest I rode in was 0 degrees fahrenheit. Windchill down to -20. My feet froze, but not the freewheel!
#35
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Tri Flow "with Teflon" is my preferred bike oil, and has been since the 1980s. Actually, it's my preferred oil in just about any application.
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#36
Senior Member
I live in Michigan, about half way up the coast and have always used Phil Wood Oil in my freewheels and cassette bodies. Commuted for 20 years in all weather year round and never had any trouble with the freewheel or cassette locking up due to frozen lube inside. Commute distance at that time was 15 miles one way. The coldest I rode in was 0 degrees fahrenheit. Windchill down to -20. My feet froze, but not the freewheel!
Phil Tenacious Oil might have been OK, but after encountering those failures, I avoided using any lubrication in the freewheel that was heavier than the lightweight lube used at the factory. That's all that's necessary, since there are no load-related forces in play while the freewheel is freewheeling.
Last edited by Trakhak; 05-15-24 at 07:14 AM.
#38
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I'm not an expert in lubrication, but my opinion is that the choice of lubes on bikes isn't very critical. I used ATF for a while, and it was fine. Eventually, you have to clean or replace a chain regardless of the lube you use. I'm sure one can point out the downsides to any given lube, and I trust they'll be right. Some lubes attract more dirt than others, so the cost is that you have to clean or replace more frequently. Some lubes last longer between applications.
For my chains these days, I'm using Chain-L. It's quite heavy, so I expect it to attract dirt, but I find that it doesn't. Since it's heavy, it last a little longer than light lubes.
For other places that require oil, this is where I think the choice matters even less. Any petroleum oil is fine for me.
Some have mentioned vegetable oil and how it turns to gum. I'm sure that's true, but I can imagine myself on the road, needing lube, being far from a store, and I might use vegetable oil to get me to the next stop. I'm not recommending it; I'm just imagining it.
For my chains these days, I'm using Chain-L. It's quite heavy, so I expect it to attract dirt, but I find that it doesn't. Since it's heavy, it last a little longer than light lubes.
For other places that require oil, this is where I think the choice matters even less. Any petroleum oil is fine for me.
Some have mentioned vegetable oil and how it turns to gum. I'm sure that's true, but I can imagine myself on the road, needing lube, being far from a store, and I might use vegetable oil to get me to the next stop. I'm not recommending it; I'm just imagining it.
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#39
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LOL True...did no consider colder climes...... but I grew up in north central Montana, so I do know below zero temps if that counts for anything
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#40
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I suspect that you used 3-in-One oil if you cycled anywhere near the days of the Schwinn Stingray. “Sewing machine oil” in those days was probably 3-in-One. It’s not that well known that 3-in-One oil was originally formulated as a bicycle chain lubricant in 1894. My mom would steal my dad’s can of the oil for her sewing machine and both were too cheap to have 2 bottles.
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Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
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Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
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#41
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I worked at an aerospace company (interestingly "The Aerospace Company") in one of their labs for a couple of summers while in college (long, long time ago). They had so much cool stuff! One of them was a lubricant (I shy away from calling it an oil) that had phosphorus in some form (I forget what). It was super, super slippery, so I put an ounce or so in my wheel bearings and freewheel. The difference was incredible. I went into work on Monday and mentioned it to one of the scientists. He said: "I bet, but you want to be careful as it is highly corrosive of most metals, especially aluminum".
Bummer. I don't think I got it all out of the freewheel as it didn't last long.
Bummer. I don't think I got it all out of the freewheel as it didn't last long.
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#42
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I suspect that you used 3-in-One oil if you cycled anywhere near the days of the Schwinn Stingray. “Sewing machine oil” in those days was probably 3-in-One. It’s not that well known that 3-in-One oil was originally formulated as a bicycle chain lubricant in 1894. My mom would steal my dad’s can of the oil for her sewing machine and both were too cheap to have 2 bottles.
#43
Senior Member
ok... I'm tired.
Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms as a what?
Fine, I'll get some sleep!
Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms as a what?
Fine, I'll get some sleep!
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#44
Senior Member
I've got hub bearing grease for hubs, headset bearing grease for headsets, ring drive lube for freehubs, and finishline grease for BBs; is that close enough? The first cross bike I ever ran had the headset completely seize after 3 races, its replacement king has now been through 3 bikes and still feels like new. The matching hubs have had 4 rim changes from the old rims wearing completely out and 25yrs later the original bearings still roll super smooth, if they say there's a different grease for the purpose I'm willing to trust there's enough difference to need them.
#45
I've got hub bearing grease for hubs, headset bearing grease for headsets, ring drive lube for freehubs, and finishline grease for BBs; is that close enough? The first cross bike I ever ran had the headset completely seize after 3 races, its replacement king has now been through 3 bikes and still feels like new. The matching hubs have had 4 rim changes from the old rims wearing completely out and 25yrs later the original bearings still roll super smooth, if they say there's a different grease for the purpose I'm willing to trust there's enough difference to need them.
Someone said recently in a post somewhere, that Phil Tenacious Oil is a synthetic, and if so, it should still flow very similar at well below zero F as well above it. I went to school where it would get 20 or 30 below F, and I first started using Mobil 1 synthetic back in the '80s, flowed fabulous at subzero temps, easy engine starts with good lube right away. The same is true of the 75W-90 synthetic gear lube I have been using, though I'm planning to go back to wax as chain lube.
#46
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I suspect that you used 3-in-One oil if you cycled anywhere near the days of the Schwinn Stingray. “Sewing machine oil” in those days was probably 3-in-One. It’s not that well known that 3-in-One oil was originally formulated as a bicycle chain lubricant in 1894. My mom would steal my dad’s can of the oil for her sewing machine and both were too cheap to have 2 bottles.
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#47
I find today that sewing machine oil is thinner then 3-in-1. We actually keep some around in needle type dispensers for oiling up gummy trigger shifters and other tight areas.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/292190162722?
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I think back in the day... WAY back in the day, they used whale oil, it was supposed to be a very fine oil. EDIT: Wow, just read this on wiki:
In the United States, whale oil was used in cars as a constituent of automatic transmission fluid until it was banned by the Endangered Species Act of 1973.[23] It was also a major component of hydraulic fluid in tractors (like the ubiquitous JDM Type 303 Special Hydraulic Fluid) until its withdrawal in 1974.[24]
Last edited by Duragrouch; 05-16-24 at 11:46 PM.
#48
#49
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Today, jojoba oil has replaced sperm whale oil as a particularly fine lubricant.
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Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
#50
Spermaceti is the “sperm [whale] oil” that was used. It is not the oil that was rendered from the fat layer that whale have. It is part of an organ in the head of the whale (about 500 US gallons) that helps them with buoyancy and/or echolocation. It has a particularly high lubricity compared to petroleum oils, especially 19th century distillations. Herman Melville describes someone falling into the organ in Moby Dick.
Today, jojoba oil has replaced sperm whale oil as a particularly fine lubricant.
Today, jojoba oil has replaced sperm whale oil as a particularly fine lubricant.