Touring - T9 and chain being sticky

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View Full Version : T9 and chain being sticky


mthayer
03-11-10, 08:51 PM
I noticed that my chain was real sticky after putting about 70 miles on it. I have only used the T9 oil on it. I also noticed that there was some sand on the chain. Its said on the bottle that it wont pick up dirt so am I doing something wrong? I lubed the chain, waited a couple hours wiped it down like it said to do.


kayakdiver
03-11-10, 09:06 PM
How many miles on the chain now mthayer? Maybe you just over did it. It takes very little lube. Enough to keep it running smooth and stop.

mthayer
03-11-10, 09:11 PM
70 miles on the chain. I wiped off the excess like it said to do.


Doug64
03-11-10, 09:13 PM
Does your chain have a total of 70 miles on it? Is it a new cain? There are differing opinions on what I'm about to say--IMO: New chains come with a heavy protective layer of grease or some ohther gooey material. I generally clean new chains before I install them, and then lube them with a light oil like White Lightning Epic. Some lubes are just grit magnets. There have been some pretty good discussions on cleaning and lubing chains on this forum.

mthayer
03-11-10, 09:54 PM
It is a new chain with only 70 miles on it. I know sand is terrible on metal, thats what is concerning me.

Doug64
03-11-10, 10:32 PM
I believe that if you remove the "factory coating" and lube with a light oil, you may find it stays cleaner longer. If you ride in a fairly dry place, you might try the original White Lightnig wax base lube. It does not work very well in the rain, but is good in dry conditions. I ride almost everyday , and in Oregon we get a lot of rain in the winter. The cold weather also means a lot of sand and cinders on the road. I lube at least once a week, and a thorough cleaning about once a month. I use White Lightning Epic, but there are several good light oils on the market.

staehpj1
03-12-10, 05:33 AM
I believe that if you remove the "factory coating" and lube with a light oil, you may find it stays cleaner longer. If you ride in a fairly dry place, you might try the original White Lightnig wax base lube. It does not work very well in the rain, but is good in dry conditions. I ride almost everyday , and in Oregon we get a lot of rain in the winter. The cold weather also means a lot of sand and cinders on the road. I lube at least once a week, and a thorough cleaning about once a month. I use White Lightning Epic, but there are several good light oils on the market.

I agree that the problem is probably whatever lube was on the chain not getting along with the T9. I'd say thoroughly clean it, reapply the T9 and wipe off. My chain stays the cleanest and shiniest with T9 compared to the many other lubes I have tried over the years.

On the White Lightning... We used it for a short while on the TA and hated it. It didn't seem to lube well or last long and the build up was the worst of anything I have used. We paid a shop to clean the White Lightning completely off in their degreaser and we switched to T9. We rode the remaining 3000 miles without another cleaning, just applying and wiping dry every few days. The chains on all three bikes stayed clean and shiny, shifted well, and didn't squeak or creak for the rest of the trip.