Bianchi84

I am looking for suggestions for a less-expensive substitute for Phil's Tenacious Oil. For the amount I need to use it, I can't justify (too cheap to pay) the price. I want it for freewheel use and most lubes, even motor oils seem too thin. I know, ideally, I should re-grease them, but for various reasons that's not possible right now. Any suggestions for a heavier, "stickier" basic lube that won't gum up the works?

merziac

Bianchi84

I have good luck with 20-50 racing oil for freewheels after I do a pathetic gravity flush with Marvel mystery oil, like I said, pathetic but has worked just fine many times for a long time.

nomadmax 

Fluid Film

Kilroy1988 

I've been using the same Phil oil and grease for almost a decade, and before that the tubes were sitting NOS on an old dealer's shelf since the early 1980s. I think the product is a worthwhile investment! I'll be buying more once I run out, even if it does take a sizeable fraction of a lifetime to use the stuff. It's only $8 or so for a bottle...

-Gregory

Bianchi84

Thanks for the suggestions!

WGB 

Is there a "special" oil for Sturmey-Archer 3 speed hubs? Was going to add sewing machine oil in the port.

noglider 

For viscous oil, I use chainsaw and bar oil. It's pretty good.

But then I discovered Chain-L is even a little nicer. Sure it costs a lot more per ounce than a bottle of motor oil, but I only use it on my chains, so the cost to use it is still low.

randyjawa 

When I worked as an industrial mechanic, I had access to a parts bath (steaming hot with some kind of strong soap in it. That solution (kept in a big steam heated tank) coupled with a strong water flush, followed by a blowing out with compressed air, did a pretty good job of cleaning the insides out.

Once clean and blown dry, I would lubricate with thin consistency hydraulic oil. These days, no tank but a good flushing with WD40 and compressed air blow out works OK. For lube, I flush with WD40 and blow most of that out. Then Pro-Link dripped into the freewheel until it starts to come out the other side.

Been doing that for two or more decades now. Still going strong and I feel so free as I wheel my way from here to there and back again.

Mr. 66

I'd go with an "all season" chainsaw oil. The reagular oil gets really slow in the winter.

noglider 

I just noticed you're asking about a lube for a freewheel. I wouldn't use a heavy oil there. If it gums up, it's a problem.

branko_76 

Does anyone know why the new Phil Tenacious Oil bottle is white? Same goes for the grease, it's no longer in the minty green container.

Salamandrine 

Phil Tenacious oil works great on freewheels. Nothing like that smooth quiet whir. I've used it my whole life and never had any problems. It is possible there could be some issue in subfreezing weather. I don't know.

I cheaped out for a couple years and avoided buying it. The price has gone up. I'm sure I spent more on various alternatives that didn't work as well. Eventually I just ponied up the $10, and I'm glad I did.

Perhaps 140w gear oil might be similar, if you happen to have some around already. Really almost any oil will do the job, but the Phil's makes them run very quiet and smooth.

repechage

sewing machine oil is pretty lightweight.
Others have over time suggested 30w Non Detergent.
IF the hub has been sitting for a long time... decades even.
I have flushed it out to dissolve the "varnish" (monitor the color of what flushes out)
Then 30 w.
After repacking the outboard bearings
Oh, if it has an earlier metal flip lid port, park the bike with the oil port up.
The plastic ports sealed better, even they leak some.
The seal on the metal lids are most likely dead.

wesmamyke

They just changed the packaging at some point. It's actually kinda handy, now you can tell if the bottle/tube is new-ish, or 30 years old.

scarlson 

+1 for bar&chain oil!

I can't really tell the difference between this stuff and Phil oil. have a theory that Phil just buys bulk stock bar&chain oil and adds green dye.

I have oiled Shimano freehub bodies with bar&chain oil and they work down to the teens of degrees, Fahrenheit, on my daily commute.

dmark 

I use ND 30w (non detergent); it is what is recommended for compressors.
A multigrade 20w-40 is a 20 weight oil at bicycle temps.

clubman 

Yes indeed there is. No SA hub will work without it. Yours for $200 for an NOS can. (ballpark estimate from pbbikes)

But seriously, just don't use vegetable based 3-in-1. You can use the dino version, I think the can is blue.

merziac

I would be willing to bet good money the white plastic is cheaper, probably saves a whole 1/100 of a cent per unit.

masi61

Pedro's Syn-Lube has been a good product for me for not much money.

squirtdad

I am curious what is the situation that you use so much oiil that $10 for 4 oz is too expensive? i have a bottle that has lasted for years...mostly used to smooth quiet freewheels....not a lot other use for me.


I fully admit these and similar (what grease, what chain lube, can i use mineral oil from the laxative section in my hydraulic brakes, can I use bear grease on my brooks, etc) make me ask why? Why cheap out from products designed to do what they are supposed to do with substitutes? I can see if maybe it is a coop doing 1000 bikes a month...but then you can probably get industrial amounts and lower cost on the right stuff

.

mechanicmatt

I like finish line wet lube, very similar but I think it is better. I think it is the same price though.

curbtender

A mechanic at work gave me a can of this stuff to lube some of the pins for lifts on my truck. It sprays in, bubbles up then coagulated. I didn't realize how expensive it was until I just searched and I'm almost out, dang...
https://www.ebay.com/p/1407376980?ii...xoCplIQAvD_BwE

WGB 

repechage Thanks. I'll try the 30w non detergent. The hub was stripped fully and scrubbed of all old grease. It has the plastic oil ports. I haven't a wheel to build up at this time but don't want to leave it and forget it and have it rust inside in the meantime. I had two hubs to rebuild but lost a pawl spring for one and after cleaning all those parts only to lose that spring I don't want to now let either hub get rusty.

clubman
Lol! I bet there were many owners who bought that oil. Cool looking collectibles!!

clubman 

I bought 3 or 4 cans back in the late 80's. I use them on all my 3 speeds and they'll outlast me. The applicator nozzle is the shiz for those SA filler caps. I've been told they are straight 20 weight machine oil.

verktyg 

Phil Tenacious Oil is 120W transmission gear oil. You can smell the sulfur used as an extreme pressure additive. Packaging the stuff in those little bottles is the most expensive part of the cost.

I've used the stuff for years on FWs and also some pedals, a few drops at a time. I had a bottle that I bought back in 1980. I replaced it a few years ago. Price amortized over ~35 years? Priceless!

Lubricating FWs with grease is a bad idea because many automotive type greases consist of mineral oil blended into a paste like material. Over time the paste hardens and the oil dissipates which can cause the FW pawls to stick allowing you to spin in both directions!

Grease comes in handy to hold the ball bearings in place while reassembling a FW.

BITD I rebuilt several FWs but then I realized that for $5-$7 for a new one, it wasn't worth my time.

A few years back, I had a NOS Suntour New Winner Pro that needed to have a shim or two removed because it was too loose. I used a prick punch to loosen the lock ring and all of a sudden I had a shower of balls raining out. As I was reassembling the FW with new balls, I remembered why I don't rebuild them.

Something everyone should try ONCE!

pastorbobnlnh Pastor Bob our resident FW guru should be chiming in soon.

verktyg