Cheap? Chain Lubricant

[Ingah]

I can't think of anything myself so i guess i'm asking on the off-chance, but does anyone know a properly cheap way of lubricating my bike's chain (and no, i don't consider the £7/£8 cans of chain lubricant "cheap" enough considering how quickly i seem to get through them - i'm a student and that's the equivalent of a day or so of my student loan each time!), bar the Loobman chain oiler (which i don't really get on with well as it occassionally moves around).

The idea of trying to "paint" 10W40 oil onto the chain regularly doesn't appeal either, unless someone has worked out a way of applying it that's less of an annoyance (maybe something from a container - i don't currently have the luxury of a garage or anywhere readily accessible to store loose containers of oil and paintbrushes).

So any ideas? I can't imagine i'm the only person who laments buying these expensive spray cans.
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-- Ingah

[Itchy]

Used engine oil and a paint brush, if you are uber poor go round a mechanics place and ask if they have some saves them a trek to the local dump.


Beware it is messy though


If you really want to be flash you can buy the uber cheap £8 for 4 litre mineral oil stuff you can find in costco and Asda and paint your chain with it, but used engine oil is what I use, I stick it in a scot oiler bottle and lube occassionally , though I do have a scot oiler anyway.
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Spain 2008France 2007Big one 2009 We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will. In the end, your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it is worth watching.

[neatbik]

Yep, the only cheap way is engine oil really.

Get yourself a Tutoro chain oiler -
https://www.tutorochainoiler.com/

Some cheap oil Focus DIY or similar and you are good to go

[ms51ves3]

I'm working my way through a bottle of chainsaw oil at the moment that Craigs23 recommended in one of his cleaning threads. Once that's run out though I'll be moving onto the old engine oil I have saved for the job

[neil.]

Engine oil and Loobman for me. As long as you don't apply too much oil, you won't get much fling at all. Clean the chain with one of those stiff plastic brushes that has bristles around 3 sides and paraffin every couple of weeks, although the constant renewing of oil keeps it quite nice. Had the current chain running about 4k miles and not adjusted it once. Why bother with expensive chain lube?
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CBT February 2008 | A2 June 2008 | Yamaha YBR125 (written off) | Honda CBF125 (current)

[Walloper]

You lube a chain every 300-400 miles.
Takes about 5ml.
Where is the expense in the hassle less system in a can of chain lube?

Why use old oil? It is full of acids and abrasive carbon.
Use fresh oil.
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W-ireless A-rtificial L-ifeform L-imited to O-bservation P-eacekeeping and E-fficient R-epair

[cb1rocket]

loobman and old oil for me, best way of recycling old oil!

Its far better than spray cans or can oilers.

As others have said, i have never once even adjusted the chain on my old bike and I have already been past 10k miles!

[ZRX61]

If you can't afford a can of fucking chain lube it appears you really can't afford to own a bike. I suggest you sell it & buy a fucking bus pass.

[UnspeedySam]

I was just thinking about this today, as I haven't lubed my chain for about 3-400 miles. Although it does still look pretty well lubricated, I used the stuff Lidl had on sale recently and most of it seems to be on my back wheel and back of my number plate...

I was about to go out to halfords and buy a spray can of the castrol stuff people seem to swear by. I don't have any old engine oil, so shall I go and buy some for the job? What weight is least likely to end up all over my back wheel?

Also, how much should I paint on? I don't really have a concept of how much 5ml is. I assume you're supposed to paint it on the top and bottom of the chain as you rotate the back wheel?

Apologies for the stupid questions, I've only owned a bike for 2 months...
____________________
Riding: BMW R1150RT `02 bought mildly crashed
Fixing: Also the BMW as I get less broken bits
Gone: ZZR600 '00, TRX850 '97, RXS100 '93, JS125-6B '07, BMW R1100RS '93, Kawasaki ZX-6R-J2 '01, Honda Bros NT400 NC25 '88

[neil.]

[neatbik]

[hondapartsman]

[hondapartsman]

[quote=
In my tutoro i'm currently using ep90 gear oil and it works a treat.
[/quote]

I've used ep80/90 gear oil applied with an old toothbrush for years, in the winter I mix with a little old engine oil as well to make it last longer and I think as it's thicker then due to the cold helps thin it bit and it get into the links better. The chain, which is a cheapo non o ring one has got me through three years and has a bit left in it yet as well and that is every working day use on an 80 mile weekly commute.
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In the end all comes back to the beginning

[iooi]

[Pete.]

If you've an oiler fitted then I'd say any engine oil old or new or even EP as beatnck2 uses would be good enough, but lacking an oiler the cheapest way of lubing your chain is with proper chain lube. You can buy a large can of Rock Oil chain lube for well under a tenner, it'll last for thousands of miles and so will your chain.

The added lifespan of your chain will easily off-set the cost of a few cans of lube. You also reduce the risk of a failiure of the chain which can cost you your engine or worse.
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a.k.a 'Geri'

132.9mph off and walked away. Gear is good, gear is good, gear is very very good

[The Tot]

Invest in a Tuturo (good thing is that you can remove it and put it on your next bike) for £15 or so quid (used to be a tenna) and then get some cheap light oil; I use 20W50 cheapo stuff if I cant find chainsaw oil at the garden centre. I have a squeezy tube filled with 100ml of the stuff and it's more than enough to keep me lubricated for a month. I never bother turning my chain oiler off since I have it on its max setting... Most of my journeys are longer than an hour so the chain gets a nice pasting of oil on both sides of the plates.

At the end of each week, I clean the chain with a microfibre cloth soaked in paraffin and the cycle starts again. I've only had to adjust my chain once in the last 1500 miles, at that was a slight 1/4 turn on each side to take up the slack. If you got a gold chain, it makes it look well bling too!

If you do use chain lube, you've also got to clean off the old stuff. Nothing better than wrecking a chain by not cleaning off the old lube and grinding the old crud into the o-rings!
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The Tot 2019 Z1000SX - 2007 R1
Never argue with autism

[.]

IF your going to use oil, then try Dexron II (ATF) oil.
A one litre bottle should cost under a fiver and it lasts for years.
It needs to be applied sparingly, a thimbleful will be enough to lube the average chain.
This chain had all the original grease removed when new; has covered 3,000 miles since then and has never been cleaned.
https://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t245/portisheadric/17ffb35a.jpg

[UnspeedySam]

How are you supposed to spread a thimbleful of oil across a whole chain? I assume, at least, you only apply it to the top?
____________________
Riding: BMW R1150RT `02 bought mildly crashed
Fixing: Also the BMW as I get less broken bits
Gone: ZZR600 '00, TRX850 '97, RXS100 '93, JS125-6B '07, BMW R1100RS '93, Kawasaki ZX-6R-J2 '01, Honda Bros NT400 NC25 '88

[reggie]

has any one made a chain oiler ?
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when the shit hits the fan make sure its facing the other way.

[ZRX61]

[LeeR]

[m0l0t0v]

[Walloper]

https://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcycle_parts/content_prod/80/29605?r=Froogle

£4.49 ex P&P
This will last a year. ANd saves the hassle of having to buy a cleaner as it's a dry fromula.
No crud build up at the front sprocket housing either.

If you average 6k miles per year that's about 18 treatments more than enough in these cans to do that.

The trick is to lube regularly when recommended but not to drown the chain so the lube drips off on the floor. I sometimes carelessly lube the garage floor and it never helps my chain.
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W-ireless A-rtificial L-ifeform L-imited to O-bservation P-eacekeeping and E-fficient R-epair

[.]

To answer the earlier question, its applied onto the top of the rollers on the lower run with a watercolour paintbrush, it then spreads over the rest of the chain during use.

I use ATF not because of a cost issue but because it is excellent for use as a chain lubricant. The chain in the photo has been adjusted just once in those three thousand miles (just one flat on the hex bolt adjuster) and certainly wont need further adjustment for many more miles to come.

As a bonus it attracts extremely little road grit which just acts as a grinding paste on the sprockets anyway. I've been using it on various bikes for many years now and wouldn't consider anything else, even if it was given to me.

[UnspeedySam]

Thanks for the clarification. I think I'll go ahead and use your method.
____________________
Riding: BMW R1150RT `02 bought mildly crashed
Fixing: Also the BMW as I get less broken bits
Gone: ZZR600 '00, TRX850 '97, RXS100 '93, JS125-6B '07, BMW R1100RS '93, Kawasaki ZX-6R-J2 '01, Honda Bros NT400 NC25 '88