Do you really need to lube your chain?

[Chriswright03 1,257]

I was just going to mention all of the fake reviews on Amazon.  Which magazine (are they any better?) wrote about it recently.  I read a lot of books from Amazon and read one 5 star review which said "I haven't read it yet but it looks like a great book"  WTF?

[Ciaran 6,880]

Hence I ask the question.  

 

I am aware of my choice being questionable now Im alive to the spurious nature of online reviews (and seeing the results in practice) and would far rather the experience of this forum informs me. 

Edited May 1, 2019 by Ciaran1602

[Chriswright03 1,257]

I too would rather take notice of real people on here that have real life experience of products which was why I joined in the first place.  This subject certainly doesn't have a simple answer though and I guess only time will tell if any of us adopt the principle of no oil is better than using it as per the video.  I intend to try that but obviously keep a close eye on the chain and sprockets.  I cannot abide even the thought of having to clean the chain and all of that palaver though so if it does get oiled/sprayed it might get a rub down with a rag but that is about all.

[Spindizzy 7,109]

36 minutes ago, Chriswright03 said:

I too would rather take notice of real people on here that have real life experience of products which was why I joined in the first place.  This subject certainly doesn't have a simple answer though and I guess only time will tell if any of us adopt the principle of no oil is better than using it as per the video.  I intend to try that but obviously keep a close eye on the chain and sprockets.  I cannot abide even the thought of having to clean the chain and all of that palaver though so if it does get oiled/sprayed it might get a rub down with a rag but that is about all.

 

Risk of repeating comments already made. I am certain the tacky lube damaged my chain, certainly it attracted crud. If someone said spray your chain with contact adhesive I would laugh in their face, but in effect thats what tacky chain lube is. The links are sealed with O rings so no point lubricating them with something tacky, albeit a bit of oil may keep them supple and protected from deterioration.

 

The only part we can actually lubricate is the rollers. Engines use oil to stop metal to metal contact so the same goes for a chain imho. It may extend the life of your sprockets but probably doesnt make much difference to chain life. Also stops that squeaking you get from a chains dry rollers and squeaking is basically metal complaining.

 

So in summary, either do nothing or put a bit of oil on works for me. if I were a high miler in all weathers then a chain oiler would be of benefit.

 

As for cleaning, its a lot easier to wipe off some dirty oil than a grit infested tacky mess. I can live with a bit of fling.

[Chriswright03 1,257]

Oh without a doubt  Dizzy spray chain lube is off the menu here and if anything it will be a drop or two of oil like chain saw stuff.

[wendeg 95]

53 minutes ago, Mr Toad said:

I've always been wary of supposedly targeted products like chain lube. To me they have a definite whiff of a product looking for a market and in particular a market where they can over charge you.

 

It's all very well spraying your chain with something like WD40 chain lube, or any of the others for that matter, and having it stick to the chain but all that gunk you can see might be reassuring but is it actually lubricating anything?

 

Oil is used to lubricate the chain where the rollers touch the sprocket and the O rings in the chain. All that gunk on the outside of the links does is attract dirt and other abrasives, not something you want.

 

Auto oilers drip the oil onto the sprocket which then does get onto the teeth and O rings but a lot of people don't like the mess. You can reduce or eliminate this if you get the viscosity and flow rate correct. 

 

I've never bought a proprietary chain lube. My uncle has been riding bikes since the 1950s and his advice was to take care of your chain, clean it weekly, preferably more often, then apply a thin coat of ordinary engine oil with a brush, leave it for half an hour then remove the any excess with a rag. 

 

I can understand that a lot of people hate cleaning and lubing their chain and they also hate the mess you get if you over lubricate it. Those people are looking for a shortcut, something they can spray on or apply then forget for a while and chain lube manufacturers are happy to charge them a premium while they look for lubricating nirvana. That's why there are as many opinions, mine included, as there bikes on the road. 

 

+1 from someone who progressed from bel ray chain lube, to oil & paintbrush, to gravity fed auto oiler to positive fed auto oiler

 

Up until a few years ago, all my bikes' manuals recommended only engine/geat oil. The nc is my first bike whose manual recommended both.

 

Oil creates a mess just as chain lube does but oil mess is soooo much easier to clean with just a dry rag.

[Grumpy old man 4,670]

1 hour ago, Chriswright03 said:

Oh without a doubt  Dizzy spray chain lube is off the menu here and if anything it will be a drop or two of oil like chain saw stuff.

I've read somewhere that chainsaw oil isn't good for rubber o rings.

[DaveM59 1,603]

Chainsaw oil is similar to ATF so quite thin. Not sticky so good in that respect.

I wonder if brake fluid would be any good. It's HP like gear oil only more so, is rubber friendly and not at all sticky although it's very thin.

I know it also tends to cause rubber to expand slightly as it used to be a trick used on old land rovers when the steering box seals (or gearbox) started to leak, add a cupful of brake fluid to the power steering fluid and in minutes the leaks stopped. Mine dripped like a tap and this sorted it permanently with no other effects.

If used on oldish chains occasionally it may keep the o-rings working for a bit longer.

[Grumpy old man 4,670]

21 minutes ago, DaveM59 said:

Chainsaw oil is similar to ATF so quite thin. Not sticky so good in that respect.

I wonder if brake fluid would be any good. It's HP like gear oil only more so, is rubber friendly and not at all sticky although it's very thin.

I know it also tends to cause rubber to expand slightly as it used to be a trick used on old land rovers when the steering box seals (or gearbox) started to leak, add a cupful of brake fluid to the power steering fluid and in minutes the leaks stopped. Mine dripped like a tap and this sorted it permanently with no other effects.

If used on oldish chains occasionally it may keep the o-rings worki for a bit longer.

Chainsaw oil thin? Not the chainsaw oil I use. 

[Chriswright03 1,257]

2 hours ago, DaveM59 said:

Chainsaw oil is similar to ATF so quite thin. Not sticky so good in that respect.

I wonder if brake fluid would be any good. It's HP like gear oil only more so, is rubber friendly and not at all sticky although it's very thin.

I know it also tends to cause rubber to expand slightly as it used to be a trick used on old land rovers when the steering box seals (or gearbox) started to leak, add a cupful of brake fluid to the power steering fluid and in minutes the leaks stopped. Mine dripped like a tap and this sorted it permanently with no other effects.

If used on oldish chains occasionally it may keep the o-rings working for a bit longer.

Not sure about the properties of brake fluid for keeping the chain serviceable but I do know it is a good paint stripper so if oil is likely to fling off I wouldn't want brake fluid to take it's place under any circumstances.

[Spindizzy 7,109]

Chainsaw oil I used in my Stihl saws is like ruddy treacle. And stringy like a cheese pizza. 

[Chriswright03 1,257]

No one has mentioned cheese pizza.  Does that ruin the O rings or fling?

[listener 11,157]

6 hours ago, Mr Toad said:

 

Ciaren, go and have a read up on all people making money writing fake reviews for products on Amazon and elsewhere. You can get free products from manufacturers, the only condition is that you write a positive review even if it is complete rubbish!

 

[To be read in a cheesy Yank accent]

Having difficulty deciding on what sh*t to put on your chain?

I use new improved "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" (now in an easy to apply spray bottle).

Put too much on? Simply lick it off!

 

I give it 11½/10

 

 

[larryblag 14,236]

I recited as instructed but struth, oi did it with an aussie accent. It worked quite well. 

[halfabusa 98]

My 2p worth: I am no expert at chain lubrication and nc is my first chain bike in over 10 years. When i bought it at 6k miles, there was no oiler and the chain had a little bit surface rust, so no idea how it was oiled before me. First thing i did was to install a tutoro and i've been using their oil since. It's had the 14k service a few weeks ago and approaching 15k now. The chain looks in a better condition than when i bought it, and my mechanic said it's got a few more thousand miles of life left yet. I'll see how long it'll last and try to align the chain /sprocket replacement with the rear tyre to get them all sorted in one go. I reckon it's the original chain which is well talked about in here as made of chocolate, so even 15k from it (with a questionable first 6k) sounds impressive to me. 

 

I do get a bit of fling on the rear wheel and regularly wipe it off the wheel as i like my bike clean even though i do 1500 miles a month. I am almost through the tutoro's big bottle now, so i'll be ordering some more. Considering it lasted me 7k and still have some to go, say till 8k miles, i'd say it's not that expensive overall. Bottle costs £7 after all. 

 

I also clean the chain every month or so with a brush and a spray cleaner. It's probably overkill as the oiler keeps it clean enough but even then, i see a little bit of accumulated particles between the links. More for looks than functionality maybe, but that's just me

 

Regarding the fling, i suspect it may be also down to me adjusting the drip flow a bit too liberally, as i'd rather have a well oiled chain with a bit of fling than a dry one. Perhaps over time as i get used to having a chain bike again, i'll tune it down. 

 

 

[SteveThackery 3,090]

8 hours ago, halfabusa said:

Regarding the fling, i suspect it may be also down to me adjusting the drip flow a bit too liberally, as i'd rather have a well oiled chain with a bit of fling than a dry one. Perhaps over time as i get used to having a chain bike again, i'll tune it down. 

 

Actually I think the fling is a good thing as that's how dirt is removed from the chain.

[Golflad 459]

So, I have been right all along. Followed my dad's advice way back in 1960 when I got my first bike (Ariel Arrow) and have stuck with gear oil ever since. Yay!

[Grumpy old man 4,670]

4 hours ago, SteveThackery said:

 

Actually I think the fling is a good thing as that's how dirt is removed from the chain.

Yeah I like to see a few spots on the rim it tells me the job is being done. 

[embee 7,288]

6 hours ago, Grumpy old man said:

Yeah I like to see a few spots on the rim...………...

…. you need ointment for that ……………………….

[temp 359]

From thinking about this convo and having had experience of a Loobman (thanks pjm!) I've ordered another Loobman... and bogof.

 

So a surplus Loobman, cost price to a Forum member and free delivery if you live somewhere interesting

 

North of Watford may take longer to plan

 

[SlasherMCT 161]

Like other riders, this is my first chain bike for many years.  Just had the first service (a bit late) at 8600 miles and the bike was slightly snatchy riding at constant revs through town.  Dealer did mention I ought to lube the chain more and they had a bit of trouble adjusting the tension because there are a couple of tight links in the chain.  So then I look on the web as how much should I worry about tight links.
  

It seems from reading here that an oiler might recover the chain - but I am now concerned that maybe I should replace the chain.  I'll look at the other threads.
 

I'll certainly investigate the oiler solution as my problem could well be failing to remember to lube it.    I started with the Castrol sticky chain lube, but then I cleaned that off with WD40 chain cleaner (bought a chain brush from Amazon) but sheesh what a messy job that is - and then used WD40 brand chain wax which is far less messy.   Now the dealer has sprayed the sticky oil stuff all over the chain again. 

[alhendo1 3,031]

I use paraffin or parasene as it is from B and Q or other such places...stick some disposable gloves on, wet a rag with it and it'll take a couple of goes to get rid of the stuff...then stick some on your chain brush and work it into the chain...that'll get the rest....it'll free up any stiff links and your chain will be gleaming. Dry off with a clean rag then oil chain with your chosen stuff...I just apply gear oil or clean engine oil to the inner run of the chain with an old toothbrush. ..jobs a good un....time will tell if the links are past saving but hopefully they'll be ok.

[elbee 753]

11 minutes ago, alhendo1 said:

I just apply gear oil or clean engine oil

 

I did my own 600 mile service leaving me 3 litres of virtually clean engine oil that should last me through the ownership of the bike. Come to think of it, even if I'd had that first service done by a dealer, asking for the waste oil back would mean no disposal charge and free chain lube for life.

[SteveThackery 3,090]

I've got a good way of cleaning the chain, although I use it less now that I don't commute every day.  (In fact not at all, now that I've got a belt drive!)

 

Keep two chains, one installed on the bike and the other ready to install.  When the chain on the bike is looking dire, split a link, hook the clean chain onto the old one and pull it through.  Join it up.

Now, with the old chain:  get a 4 or 5 litre plastic container, half full with white spirit.  Drop the dirty chain into it.  Tighten up the lid and shake the container vigorously.  The chain gets rattled about violently, exercising all its joints, and the white spirit power-washes all the dirt into suspension.  After a few minutes, hook out the chain (which will be spotless) and hang it up to dry.  Put the container down and do something else for the rest of the day.

 

The next day, the chain will be dry and ready to lube.  Put it somewhere clean ready for its next trip out on the bike.  All the dirt will have sunk to the bottom of the white spirit container, so pour the clear white spirit out into a bowl, then discard the final 10% which will be sludgy and horrible.  Put the clean stuff back into the container.  Job done.

The vigorous washing inside a closed container really does work well.

[shiggsy 529]

Engine oil is pretty pointless, its to runny.  I tried using old engine oil in my chain oiler once,  after it was parked the oil would just drain down the chain to the lowest point and then drip off.