alij2018

Hi, what motor oil can I put on the pawls in my freehub body? Between 20w to 40w is OK?

DaveSSS 

Use grease, not oil.

alij2018

It is not recommended to use grease on pawls.

Crankycrank

What brand and model freehub? They don't all use the same viscosity lube. Can't think of any that 20-40wt oil would be the best weight lube for. Too thin in most cases. It works but can tend to seep through the seals leaving you with no lube. Also, if you ride in extreme heat or cold you may need to adjust the viscosity to suit the temps. Be prepared for lots of differing opinions on this.

alij2018

FH-TX505. A shimano hub. What is the best you think to use?

HillRider

No, that's a recipe for problems in cold weather.

20W to 40W should be fine with a slight preference for the higher viscosity. I have used Tri-Flow in my Shimano freehub bodies for decades and 10's of thousands of miles each with no problems or failures and it is lighter than the oils you asked about.

Crankycrank

I use ChainL chain lube since I already have some but 90wt+ gear oil works well or I used to mix my own using grease and motor oil mixed until it was just light enough to drip. "Phils Tenacious Oil" is another good one for Shimano. Can't argue with Hillrider's recommendation if it works for him as he has more experience and knowledge than I and I would agree that grease can prevent the pawls from engaging in very cold weather but for me, lighter lubes always leaked through the seals of various Shimano cassette bodies in 75+ degree temps. I recommend trying what you have on hand first whether it be the motor oil, Tri Flow, Heavier Oils and see if any work for you. None are going to ruin your cassette body but you may find one you prefer over the other.

70sSanO

I’ve used Phil’s Tenacious Oil on freewheel and freehub bodies without any problems.

John

alij2018

Will decathlon chain lube all weather be good?

70sSanO

If you disassemble the freehub body, then a little grease on the races and light oil on the pawls is probably the best method.

John

dmark 

I use ND30 (compressor oil) since it is on hand but a heavier multi is fine. Oil does not carry a load it just keeps the pawls loose. If you disassemble you will want grease to hold bearings in place. If you have Phil's on hand it is perfect for this.

byscott

I use Phil Wood Tenacious Oil also. I suspect it is a repackaged gear oil, but have no idea which one or what type. If I didn’t have Phil’s oil on hand, I would probably pick up some synthetic gear oil and use that. Unless you have a lot of freehubs on hand, I imagine that a quart would last several lifetimes.

Dave Mayer

On Shimano freehubs (except for 7800) remove the unit by unscrewing the hollow bolt, and carefully remove the rubbery seal at the back of the freehub. Marinate the freehub in a container of mineral spirits for a few days, and then drain and let dry in the sun. Spritz out any residuals on the inside with WD40, and again let dry.

Lube: Phil's Tenacious is a good choice for temperate to warm conditions. I found a cheap supply of 'Gear oil' (85-140W) at a yard sale that I may try next.

You'll want to go lighter, such as 10-weight motor oil or Tri-flow for arctic riding.

sweeks

I think just about any grade of motor oil should be fine. Start out with a lower viscosity and see how you like the sound of the pawls. Personally, I like silent pawls and 30W motor oil works well.

Polaris OBark

Chris King recommends 10W-30

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/29...56820612942588

Crankycrank

I know nothing about the Decathlon lube but I recommended Chain L because it has a high viscosity, maybe 90wt ? but don't know for sure. Most chain lubes are much thinner so, IMO at least, won't work as well and wax lubes are not likely to work well.
Should also mention that it's a good idea to flush out any old, dirty lube from the FH body before adding new lube.

jccaclimber

Would soaking a free hub in solvent to bad things to the lubricant in the freehub bearings, or are they better sealed than that?

For the OP, I used Vactra#2 last time I had to oil pawls, but only because it was a few feet away at the time. Unless you’re putting on a ton of miles any readily available oil will probably fall into the “close enough” category.

Dave Mayer

The purpose for removing the seal at the back of the freehub is so that solvent can get inside for a thorough flushing. It is amazing how much brown vile sludge comes out of some freehubs. And then how they can be restored to 100% functionality after a cleaning and relube.
You obviously don't do this with a water-based solvent such as anything 'eco', 'Green' or whatever. These solvents, as ineffective as they are at actually degreasing, would also do major damage to the innards of the freehub after only a day of exposure.

This is why you want to flush with mineral spirits; I have left bike parts like freehubs (forgotten) in mineral spirit baths for months with no adverse effects.

jccaclimber

I was wondering about the lubricant on the rolling elements in there opposed to the ratchet system. I haven’t opened one in a while so I don’t remember if it’s grease on the rolling elements and oil on the ratchet or oil all around.

I wouldn’t feel at all bad about doing this on a gunked up freehub, but I don’t know if I would do it on one that was still functioning well. Much the same way I’ll open and regrease hubs as a preventive activity, but won’t degrease an STI shifter until it shows problems.

squirtdad

Chain L and Phil's tenacious are pretty close

easyupbug 

Your profile says you are in MU, if that is Mauritius like i think you are a luck cyclist. I had the pleasure spending two weeks at a resort in December years ago with gorgeous weather which is not uncommon. My guess you are between 60 and 80ºF year around and exotic lubes can not be found so I would use at least 40 wt and a little high would not hurt, don't believe grease would be appropriate.

alij2018

I have put Motul 10w-40. I hope it will be good. By the way I will renew the oil again every 6 months.

alij2018

Yes I'm from here. I put Motul Oil 10w-40. Our lowest temperature is 12⁰ and max is 35⁰ celcius.

WizardOfBoz

Well, first, yes. Of course you can. Motor oil is very high quality and won't break down. But it may not your best option. I'm extrapolating from machine tools but...

Motor oil has detergents that keep dirt in suspension in the oil. The oil is continually filtered so any particles floating around get strained out of the soup. In machine tools (and bicycles) there generally is not a filter. Gears run in oil baths or sometimes have rings running on gear shafts. The ring dips into the oil sump and as it rotates on the shaft, it brings oil up onto the shaft a slings oil onto the gears. But whether a sump or a sllinging ring, you want dirt to settle into the bottom of the sump. So machine tools generally don't use detergent-based oils.

It's probably not a big deal (wheels and cranks rotatating probably keep dirt stirred up anyway) but that's one reason I'd probably use a non-detergent oil if I had a choice. If motor oil was the only thing available, apply it and ride.