1 pound of Marine Grease is < $4 @ auto parts stores... Goes on all parts 30x over...

sparky

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And it even goes on chains!!!

I redid my hubs and my bottom bracket earlier this year.

It later occurred to me that this 1 pound tub of marine grease will even go on chains!!! This is profound to me, but I forgot to mention it to you guys when I realized it myself.

OK... "specific bike" oil is fricking expensive. Ya dig?

Put this marine grease on everything, including chains, and you don't have to worry about nothin'!

Grease is even better than oil when it comes to chains. That's why everybody pays top dollar for the "waxy" oil. HAH!! 1 pound tub of the stuff for one less Big Mac.

I've degreased both my chains with carb cleaner today, and I'll be applying the marine grease as soon as I get some proper bolts to mount my engine.

Wondering how much and how exactly to apply the grease. :unsure:

Shouldn't need too much. Should need less frequent "waxings". Shouldn't get as dirty, while still being cheaper than dirt. What's not to like??
 
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Only the oil way down inside your chain, between the pins and bushings, does any good. Grease is too thick to get down in there. It can make your chain a sticky mess, but it does a poor job of lubrication.

For chains you need oil, that can weep into the chain's bushings, or wax that gets cooked into the same crevices and then cooled. Grease won't do.

Grease works pretty darned well for everything else, though-- including spoke nipples. But you have to be able to dab it where you want it, because it won't migrate far.

I use red auto grease at work, so I can tell when it's contaminated.

Chalo
 
I hadn't seen where SB recommended boiling grease, he hypothetically mentioned hot wax but regardless, and as much as I admire Sheldon (RIP) for his body of work and from visiting him in the shop, if he did I cannot imagine going through the voodoo cooking of a grease pot to keep a chain lubed and the dirt magnet it would leave behind.

Getting lube to flow to the interior parts of a chain is the problem but if a chain is dirty and not cleaned first the lube just draws the abrasive grit in with it. Retro-grouch Jobst Brandt makes sene of that: http://sheldonbrown.com/brandt/chain-care.html

SB called it a 'religious question' lol so as the communion continues with discussion of motorcycle, chainsaw and commercial sprays I've found it simple, cheap and effective to mix 4:1, mineral spirits:non-detergent 30 wt. motor oil, for chain lube applied with a drip spout can. The mineral spirits evaporate after aiding the flow of oil to the interior leaving a light film behind when applied to a clean chain, it's easy clean the chain next time and a few bucks buys a lifetime supply.
 
I'm indifferent about what kind of oil to use on a bike chain, but it has to be liquid at the time it's applied. The greases I use have a "drop point" (temperature at which they'll drip) of 300 to 500F. I have no intention of soaking a chain in smoldering 400 degree grease, even if that would work great.

Some of the wax lube spays I've used are very thin and wet when they come out of the can, but solid after the carrier evaporates. That seems like a pretty good approach if you want to avoid attracting dirt and dust.

If I'm at work, I use Tri-Flow, because that's what we use at work. If I'm at home, I use whatever oil I have sitting around.

Chalo
 
Only problem with Tri-Flow is that it's the worst value of all the lubes. I'll use the stuff inside my freewheels, and that's about it.

"Now we're cookin' with grease"!!!

:chef1: :75:

I will at least cook the engine chain with grease, but I'll just massage it into the pedal chain. We'll see how it works out in the long run.
 
Consider cutting a cheap grease down with odorless mineral spirits or something else that will evaporate. Then your chain can drink it, but it will return to a grease consistency later.

Tri-Flow is expensive per volume, but it gets some jobs done with minimal volume because it wicks into the mechanism instead of clinging or dripping away. It's an obvious choice for chains, but it also works well for brake levers and derailleur pivots, where the part in need of lubrication is hidden inside.

Chalo
 
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The problem with bicycle chains is attracting dirt. In any kind of outdoor riding use, any kind of wet lube just makes the problem worse.

The DuPont multi-purpose teflon dry-wax spray (in a blue can) is only ~$5 a can and works well.
http://www.webbikeworld.com/t2/motorcycle-chain-lube/dupont-teflon-chain-lube.htm

There is also a 'wet' version of this lube, if you want it. The dry is generally preferred for chain use however.

------

Grease is an oil with a thickener added, and often the thickener isn't a lubricant at all. Grease "cakes" when the oil runs off, leaving the thickener behind.

For grease I mostly use plain teflon powder now, plus a couple drops of oil for rust protection. The teflon lubricates better than any grease, but yet doesn't cause most of the problems that grease will.
 
I'm not buying using thick grease on bike chains. To sticky, draws dirt and grit like a magnet when exposed. It would also be more difficult and time consuming to remove grease to clean the chain. I have used melted toilet bowl wax to lube motorcycle chains, back in the day. It's waterproof and sticks, even over a hundred mph. Not needed on a bike. Grease is essentialy oil thickened with soap. Use it inside bearings where it isn't exposed to dirt and grit, as it was intended. Use a thiner oil for chains. I clean bicycle chains with mineral spirits and reoil with decent quality oil, hang them to dry after cleaning and to let excess oil drip off, wiping them throughly before putting them back on the bike. Don't be a cheapskate when it comes to maintenance, it costs only a few cents more to do it right.
 
I'm not buying using thick grease on bike chains. To sticky, draws dirt and grit like a magnet when exposed. It would also be more difficult and time consuming to remove grease to clean the chain. I have used melted toilet bowl wax to lube motorcycle chains, back in the day. It's waterproof and sticks, even over a hundred mph. Not needed on a bike. Grease is essentialy oil thickened with soap. Use it inside bearings where it isn't exposed to dirt and grit, as it was intended. Use a thiner oil for chains. I clean bicycle chains with mineral spirits and reoil with decent quality oil, hang them to dry after cleaning and to let excess oil drip off, wiping them throughly before putting them back on the bike. Don't be a cheapskate when it comes to maintenance, it costs only a few cents more to do it right.


I agree as well !
 
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