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Can Teflon-based spray lubes be used on a chain?

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Can Teflon-based spray lubes be used on a chain?

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Old 02-19-12, 08:36 AM
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Dancing Skeleton
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Can Teflon-based spray lubes be used on a chain?

Can I use a Teflon-based spray lube on my chain?
I like a clean-looking drivetrain, and many of the lubes that I have used
attract dirt rather quickly. I've used these sprays for non-cycling
applications and I've had good success.
Will one be OK on a bike chain?

Can I just add some of the spray to supplement the lube that is on there now?

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Old 02-19-12, 08:38 AM
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only if you want to apply it every 50 miles.


you might want to try boiling the chain in vat of paraffin wax.
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Old 02-19-12, 08:58 AM
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Agree with AEO. I've used it in the past, and though it is a very clean lube, it is a little on the thin side. If you're not riding in the rain, go with a wax lube or follow AEO's advice.
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Old 02-19-12, 10:05 AM
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Originally Posted by Dancing Skeleton
Can I use a Teflon-based spray lube on my chain?
I like a clean-looking drivetrain, and many of the lubes that I have used
attract dirt rather quickly. I've used these sprays for non-cycling
applications and I've had good success.
Will one be OK on a bike chain?

Can I just add some of the spray to supplement the lube that is on there now?
I think you are referring to a Dry Film Lubricant: https://www.lpslabs.com/technical_inf...ilm%20PTFE.pdf

I tried that and as the web site indicates, it doesn't list chains, or cables as its intended application.

A few years ago, I tried it on a brand new chain and it didn't work. Yeah, it dries on with a white powdery substance but the noise of the chain indicated to me that the rollers and plates are starved for lubrication...too much friction.

I went to W.W. Grainger to buy the can and it was expensive. You might note that the LPS web site link also says that its not silicone. You can buy silicone based lubricants at Home Depot for garage door applications. Sill, silicone doesn't do the trick either.

I suspect that regular petroleum based lubes that includes some teflon really doesn't do much. Same goes for the big companies that sell bottled water with some vitamins and minerals in it, flavored and tinted with color.
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Old 02-19-12, 01:07 PM
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Yes. You can use spray Teflon, or anything else for that matter, on your chain. How well it will work in extending chain life is another question. IMO, the best lubes are wet lubes that will keep the pin/bushing surfaces wet. Dry lubes may work for a short while, but once they get pushed out of the joint, they don't flow back in. The black stuff on the chain is actually wear products from the chain. If you wash a chain in solvent you'll find that the black stuff left in the solvent is magnetic.
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Old 02-19-12, 01:27 PM
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alpha_bravo
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I use Finish Line Teflon dry lube. It works well and is much cleaner than other lubes I've used in the past. I will say that I do lube the rollers with a drop after every ride and ride in very dry conditions so YMMV.
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Old 02-19-12, 02:12 PM
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Originally Posted by Looigi
Yes. You can use spray Teflon, or anything else for that matter, on your chain. How well it will work in extending chain life is another question. IMO, the best lubes are wet lubes that will keep the pin/bushing surfaces wet. Dry lubes may work for a short while, but once they get pushed out of the joint, they don't flow back in. The black stuff on the chain is actually wear products from the chain. If you wash a chain in solvent you'll find that the black stuff left in the solvent is magnetic.
really? I could have sworn that black stuff was dust that made itself into oily mud.
I'll try that magnet trick sometime.
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