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Good Chain Lube??? Mines WD40. :P

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Good Chain Lube??? Mines WD40. :P

Old 04-14-19, 02:18 PM
  #26  
FiftySix
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Originally Posted by Brocephus
Yep, I've thought the same thing. I have a can of some highly popular motorcycle chain lube, that i hung on to after selling my motorcycle, intending to try it out as a bicycle chain lube, but then recalled how dry,thick and tacky it got on my Honda XR, and had second thoughts.
Plus, that XR is a rooster tail throwin' off road ma-sheen. Dirt, mud, and sand are definitely part of the game.
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Old 04-14-19, 02:19 PM
  #27  
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Originally Posted by allout1
Haha, I use WD40. I was looking at Finish Line's Dry stuff. Not sure though. What's good and price conscious?

The WD40 drips all over the rim and frame when things get spinning. Then I have to clean those up afterwards. This happens even if I towel the chain down.

I want something that's not making a splatter mess all over my cleaning work on the bike. LOL
Just have a rag handy and wipe it down. A little oil on the rim and frame won't hurt a thing.
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Old 04-14-19, 02:27 PM
  #28  
allout1
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Originally Posted by u235
A chain lube thread. Can't wait to hear all of the new developments and advancements since the last one a few days ago. There should be new sub forum dedicated to chain lube.
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Old 04-14-19, 02:36 PM
  #29  
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Originally Posted by eja_ bottecchia


The OP is a newbie
You think?
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Old 04-14-19, 02:38 PM
  #30  
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Awesome thread. Learning a lot. I'll give that WD-40 Bike Lube a spray, and let everyone know.
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Old 04-14-19, 02:44 PM
  #31  
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I have used many brands over my 50 years of cycling. Currently I find DuPont Telfon Chain-Saver to meet my needs. I purchased from Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...ustomerReviews

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Old 04-14-19, 02:47 PM
  #32  
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Originally Posted by DowneasTTer
I have used many brands over my 50 years of cycling. Currently I find DuPont Telfon Chain-Saver to meet my needs. I purchased from Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...ustomerReviews
Does it sling off?
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Old 04-14-19, 02:53 PM
  #33  
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Originally Posted by allout1
Does it sling off?
NO. Been using it for the past two years or over 15,000 miles on my road and mtn bikes. Keeps the chain in good working non-oily condition. On my travel bikes that live off the back of our motorhome in during the summer months I need to treat more due to their continued exposure to the elements however. Water is not their friend.
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Old 04-14-19, 03:35 PM
  #34  
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Originally Posted by allout1
Haha, I use WD40. I was looking at Finish Line's Dry stuff. Not sure though. What's good and price conscious?

The WD40 drips all over the rim and frame when things get spinning. Then I have to clean those up afterwards. This happens even if I towel the chain down.

I want something that's not making a splatter mess all over my cleaning work on the bike. LOL

I like to use marine grease. It sticks, it lasts, it lubricates, and it ain't slingin' off. And you'll really like this. It's cheap.
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Old 04-14-19, 03:40 PM
  #35  
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ProLink on my chain, and Butt Butt'r on my a$$.
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Old 04-14-19, 04:21 PM
  #36  
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I do not have long term experience, but I tried a thick petroleum oil once and my chain became very dirty. I do ride through sand some, so I use a dry lube.

Dry lube
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Old 04-14-19, 07:54 PM
  #37  
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I've used wd40 on bike chains for years and it works great, period. Also I have the exact opposite affect from the OP. It doesn't get anywhere but the chain after wiping. The best part is, it cleans the chain and LUBRICATES it. Ever had a squeaky door and used WD40? I have, its a lubricant and says so right on the can.
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Old 04-14-19, 09:00 PM
  #38  
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WD-40 is not a lubricant but this works great! Use liberally!!


Last edited by drlogik; 04-14-19 at 09:10 PM.
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Old 04-14-19, 09:23 PM
  #39  
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Seriously OP, "The chain lube thread" lives in infamy here.
Here's one: Chain lube thread

The gist of it is:
Dry lube for dry/dusty summer conditions.
Wet lube for wet/rainy winter conditions.

Some will post a chart on the various chain longevity of various kinds of lube. It'll look like this:

aJ5IyhV7.jpeg by Richard Mozzarella, on Flickr

Tri-flo, WD-40 come out mid-grade at best & others came out worst, Phil's & Chain-L came out best.

I tried WD-40, used it regularly and my chains lasted 1500 miles. Half of what is expected. I switched to Chain-L and am getting 5000+ miles per, with regular 1000 mile cleanings. I don't know how long it actually lasts. I have yet to have one wear out. The trick is wiping enough off that grime doesn't accumulate.

When the Chain-L is runs out, I'm just going to buy bar-oil from the home improvement store. It's the same thing.

Last edited by base2; 04-14-19 at 09:40 PM.
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Old 04-14-19, 10:19 PM
  #40  
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Originally Posted by Brocephus
So, yeah, i was talking about plain (synthetic) motor oil, not transmission fluid. But, both of them are popular as gun lubricants, and presumably would be as effective on bike chains.
Not trying to be argumentative, but I'm curious why you felt compelled to inject the, "nor will I".
The rationale (my understanding of it anyway) for using the transmission fluid (leaving out the motor oil) as a lubricant for firearms is that transmission fluid needs to keep a transmission clean, lubricated and doing so in a hot environment. Firearms have those same needs and also in a hot environment. The big difference, to my mind, is that in a transmission the fluid is constantly being distributed. Not the case with firearms particularly regarding the slides on a semi auto. So hence the reason I personally won't use it but I know folks that do with seemingly no ill effects. However I do shoot competitively so things need to be kept lubricated for more than 100 or 150 rounds. The stuff might be fine on a bike chain but I don't know if that's true or not.

I apologize to everyone as the above is a bit off topic.
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Old 04-14-19, 10:37 PM
  #41  
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Rock "N" Roll Gold ...duh.
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Old 04-14-19, 10:42 PM
  #42  
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I really like Muc-Off C3 Dry Ceramic. It becomes touch-dry a few hours after application, so no spatter and it resists gunk build-up on the chain. Gear shifts are also silky smooth and I’ve noticed that the drivetrain is quieter.
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Old 04-15-19, 05:18 AM
  #43  
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I only use dry lubes on my road bike. Anything that leaves oily or sticky residues will pick up dust and grime in time and will turn the chain into a black mess. Rock and Roll Gold or Finish Line dry.

Mountain bikes are a bit different and /I use wet lubes on them. Finish Line wet.

Dupont chain saver looks interesting though.
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Old 04-15-19, 05:37 AM
  #44  
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I am tired of trying to educate you people, but here I go again: NFS is the best chain lube. Period. End of story.
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Old 04-15-19, 06:46 AM
  #45  
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Originally Posted by u235
A chain lube thread. Can't wait to hear all of the new developments and advancements since the last one a few days ago. There should be new sub forum dedicated to chain lube.
Thanks! I just spewed breakfast smoothie when I read this. :-)
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Old 04-15-19, 07:59 AM
  #46  
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Originally Posted by LesG
The rationale (my understanding of it anyway) for using the transmission fluid (leaving out the motor oil) as a lubricant for firearms is that transmission fluid needs to keep a transmission clean, lubricated and doing so in a hot environment. Firearms have those same needs and also in a hot environment. The stuff might be fine on a bike chain but I don't know if that's true or not.

I apologize to everyone as the above is a bit off topic.
I always thought transmission fluid and paint did not play together well. I might be wrong though. In any case It does seem kind of thin in viscosity for the sheer forces of a loaded chain roller. Transmission fluid is intended to lubricate under pressure against a predominantly compressive load. Most importantly, in an automatic transmission is the fluids need to take heat away acting as a coolant. Lubricative properties are a secondary requirement. That's why it is only changed every 30-90k miles; 1/3 to 1/60th as often as motor oil whose primary purpose is to lubricate.

The thin viscosity of transmission fluid helps for simple pumping volume. Fluid that is too thick would not flow into the bearings & rollers in high enough volume to have the necessary cooling effect. Then there is pump cavitation of air & non-condensable gasses in the pump from driving the fluid too hard & the risk of foaming from air entrapment as the too thick fluid does not allow bubbles to rise/escape easily.

Water is a fantastic lubricant too. It's used in the stern tube & strut bearings of ships & screw-type air compresdors. But I wouldn't recommend it for bicycles.

Aaron (who In a former life I did fuel oil/lube oil quality management as part of my duties to operate & maintain an engineering plant.)
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Old 04-15-19, 08:14 AM
  #47  
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Ya, I don't know why people use ATF for a lube. It eats paint good. It eats thru asphalt good. I would not use it as a lube.
I have used Chain-L and yes, you need to wipe the outside off several times so dirt will not stick. I think this is where people have problems.
I ran low on Chain-L and added some PhilWood tenacious oil to the Chain-L, with some mineral spirts to get it to flow.......OMG
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Old 04-15-19, 08:21 AM
  #48  
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Originally Posted by drlogik
WD-40 is not a lubricant but this works great! Use liberally!!

But the downside is you will have every neighborhood dog & cat following you.
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Old 04-15-19, 08:44 AM
  #49  
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^^^ I actually did use butter as chain lube quite often when I was a kid. It gunked up pretty quickly though.

For the last few years I have been using Finish Line Wet lube, and I can't complain.
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Old 04-15-19, 08:45 AM
  #50  
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Originally Posted by drlogik
WD-40 is not a lubricant but this works great! Use liberally!!

NO! The salt in bacon grease is one of the best rust makers ever!
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