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ThunderGuts |
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ThunderGuts World Chat Champion
Joined: 13 Nov 2018 Karma :
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Posted: 09:20 - 07 Nov 2022 Post subject: Thinning lubricant |
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This is a more general question rather than bike specific, although I guess it would apply to plain chains (the purpose I want it for is actually a bicycle chain).
Gear oil seems to work pretty well as a chain lubricant on my C90 but on a bicycle chain I get the impression it struggles to reach all the nooks and crannies effectively because of the viscosity. I like the idea of how aerosol chain lubes work for motorcycles with the propellant making it less viscous and allowing the oil to penetrate then the volatile components evaporate. What would be a suitable thinning agent to mix with gear oil for this purpose? White spirit maybe? To reiterate, this is for plain chains so no need to worry about rubber, seals etc.. - it's just metal it'll be in contact with.
I suppose the alternative would be a hot (maybe 70 deg or something) chain as presumably the oil would thin down a lot, but getting the chain hot in-situ would probably be a faff.
Cheers. ____________________ TG. |
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MCN |
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MCN Super Spammer
Joined: 22 Jul 2015 Karma :
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ThunderGuts |
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ThunderGuts World Chat Champion
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MCN |
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MCN Super Spammer
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stinkwheel |
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stinkwheel Bovine Proctologist
Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :
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Posted: 10:47 - 07 Nov 2022 Post subject: |
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Hmm. If you have deralieur gears, chainsaw oil is probably going to make a claggy mess of it in pretty short order where something thinner will at least start to flush out any road crap.
Remember it's also in contact with plastic because that's what your tension wheels are made of, and there are usually plastic spacers in the cassette.
I haven't tried it on a bicycle chain but ATF seems to be a stalwart of the "Pick a lubricant for use somewhere other than where it was designed to be.". It would probably do a decent job of thinning thicker oils too, but wouldn't evaporate.
The heat idea has merit. Why not heat the oil instead of the chain?
If you have a hub gear/single speed chain, you can still get the boil in the can linklife type stuff which lasts for ages once applied.
Thinner oil in a loobman chain oiler? Super basic oiler designed for motorbikes. You basically squeeze a bottle/push a button (dependant on version) just before you set off. It trickles 2-3ml of oil down a delivery hose every time you do this. ____________________ “Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles. |
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ThunderGuts |
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ThunderGuts World Chat Champion
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stinkwheel |
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stinkwheel Bovine Proctologist
Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :
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Posted: 13:11 - 07 Nov 2022 Post subject: |
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My mate who does tens of thousands of miles a year on a pushbike swears by the boil in the tin stuff. Putoline chain wax seems to be the current incarnation.
You effectively heat up the tin of wax on a stove top with the chain in it then pull the chain out while it's liquid and set it aside to set. Penetrates everywhere then seals up the gaps. Any muck tends to fall out of the chain and sink to the bottom of the can which can be reused many times. It lands up with the chain kind of dry so much tends not to stick to it.
He's running it on a bike with a Rohloff hub that cost more than my motorbike. ____________________ “Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles. |
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Ste |
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Ste Not Work Safe
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ThunderGuts |
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ThunderGuts World Chat Champion
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ThunderGuts |
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ThunderGuts World Chat Champion
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A100man |
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A100man World Chat Champion
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MCN |
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MCN Super Spammer
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Posted: 16:01 - 07 Nov 2022 Post subject: |
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An auld wife's trick was to boil the chain in an old pot with a candle, hoi the chain out the pot, the heat held in the chain allowed the excess candle to drain off. And hey Prescot, a lubed and waterproof chain.
The issue is getting a pot big enough to get the bike in.
Or alternatively, you have to split the chain. ____________________ Disclaimer: The comments above may be predicted text and not necessarily the opinion of MCN. |
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Ste |
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Ste Not Work Safe
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ThunderGuts |
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ThunderGuts World Chat Champion
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WD Forte |
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WD Forte World Chat Champion
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Posted: 17:17 - 07 Nov 2022 Post subject: |
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Freddyfruitba... |
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Freddyfruitba... World Chat Champion
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Posted: 19:18 - 07 Nov 2022 Post subject: |
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Oh yes indeed - I recognise that tin! My mum used to really love chain-lubing day ____________________ KC100->CB100N->CB250RS--------->DL650AL2->R1200RS->R1250RS |
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Grubscrew |
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Grubscrew Scooby Slapper
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Grubscrew |
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Grubscrew Scooby Slapper
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Posted: 20:31 - 07 Nov 2022 Post subject: |
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Freddyfruitbat wrote: |
Oh yes indeed - I recognise that tin! My mum used to really love chain-lubing day |
I remember this stuff. Made by engineers! However……cautioned required as on Mums stove it caught light, holy shit I was in deep. ____________________ FJR1300/CBR1000F |
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jaffa90 |
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jaffa90 World Chat Champion
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Posted: 01:53 - 08 Nov 2022 Post subject: |
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MCN |
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MCN Super Spammer
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xX-Alex-Xx |
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xX-Alex-Xx World Chat Champion
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Grubscrew |
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Grubscrew Scooby Slapper
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trevor saxe-coburg-gotha |
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trevor saxe-coburg-gotha World Chat Champion
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Zen Dog |
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Zen Dog World Chat Champion
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Posted: 23:00 - 09 Nov 2022 Post subject: |
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I've already spent too many hours of my life reading, watching, and ultimately thinking, about bloody chain lube.
Everything that doesn't have a scottoiler, motorbikes and bicycles, now gets EP90 Gear Oil. Or if that's not available anything vaguely lube-like, 3-in-1, engine oil, whatever stuff my mate is using in a spray can. I've stopped caring. My 750's chain must have done 30k by now, intermittently lubed with whatever and it's still ok. I've never cleaned it. ____________________ Current - '94 VFR750FR, '00 VFR800FI Previous - '10 Street Triple R, '92 MZ ETZ301, '05 TTR250, NSR125R, KMX125, "Honda" Win (chinese copy of an old Honda design with a C90 engine)
My bike trip around S.E. Asia 2010/2011 |
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Old Thread Alert!
The last post was made 1 year, 168 days ago. Instead of replying here, would creating a new thread be more useful? |
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