msl109

Hello folks - greased my freehub pawls with Shimano grease (the greenish stuff) and I fear it's too thick - may be contributing to slippage. It also may be a worn cassette. But the crank sometimes turns as I wheel the bike sometimes and creates a dip in the chain - obviously a bit more drag than what is ideal. What lube is thin enough for the purpose and stays put well? manufacturers seem to vacillate on what's thebest to use - from grease to thin oil. I have Tri flow in oil form, White Lightning Wet Ride and Epic Ride. If there's something significantly better than these, I'd pick some up. Suggestions? It's a Campy Chorus, '93. 3 pawls on springs. Thanks for the help.

Doc V

Triflow seems too thin and White Light Wet Ride may work. I have used Finish Line Wet in the past and WL Wet Ride seems equivalent. As long as WL Wet Ride is not a wax based lube it may work. Others who have tried it may have hands-on experience.

rmfnla

Simple oil works best, but I'm sure the next 30 or so posts will come up with some creative ways to over-think it...

HillRider

+1 Any good light to medium body oil will work fine, Tri-Flow included. I lubed mine with Phil Grease last winter and even that light grease caused enough drag to let the top run of the chain go slack while back pedaling or coasting. I had to clean out the grease and oil lube it to let it coast freely.

msl109

That's exactly my experience. I'll either use the tri flow or the wet lube unless someone posts a more magical cure.

fietsbob

Lube is more about the bearings than the pawls.. you just need the springs & pawls to not rust.

the last drops of fresh 90 wt from standard auto tranny oil change perhaps?

That is unless automatic transmissions are now more standard ...ATF aint bad either .



This a cartridge bearing freehub driver or loose ball ?

canamdad

Don't know about using various oils but sounds like others have had success with them. I have some Record hubs and use DT grease (because I have some DT hubs) which is pretty light and won't gunk up the pawl springs so the pawls won't engage. Also I have some Finish Line Extreme Flouro grease which is very lightwt (I use it on my S&S couplers) but basically you just want to make sure that the pawl springs can do their job and let the pawl engage when you're pedalling and retract when you are coasting.

Crankycrank

I've tried all different types of grease/oils and the most important thing is to get the right viscosity. Oils, including heavy gear oils always seem to seep out through the seals unless you're in freezing conditions. Heavy greases will sometimes, as the OP experienced, gum up the pawls. I found mixing some oil with grease until it's just the right consistency of molasses will stay in place and not gum up your pawls. If you are a "Chain L" chain lube user this also works as good as anything and is very easy to dribble into the hub from the backside with the O-ring removed.

ThermionicScott 

Remember that the only time pawl lubrication comes into play is when you're coasting, and they are very lightly loaded at that time.

rmfnla

??

The pawls aren't loaded at all during coasting, they are riding over the ratchets...

Ronsonic 

Uh, that's what he's got the smiley face there for.

I've been using a light bodied lithium grease without problems. I'm in Florida and your weather will be different.

rmfnla

Not sure I see the smiley face connection.

FWIW, I grew up in Miami (and wrenched at Dade Cycle) and still preferred medium weight oil over everything else...

ThermionicScott 

Right. Apart from the very light force of the spring(s) holding the pawls against the ratchet teeth, they are unloaded while coasting. Hence the lubrication needs are minimal.

HillRider

I'm in Pittsburgh and you bet our weather is different. And here the smiley is intentional.

msl109

Yes, realizing that and still wanting to have something thick enough to not seep away, I used the WL wet lube which I'd describe as a little thicker than olive oil. (The WL wet lube has a distinct odor I can't place) Seems to be working well now. And now I realize the pawls were mostly not responsible for the slippage - need a couple new cassette cogs .....

msl109

I thought of blending grease and oil but was concerned about compatibility of the bases / soaps.

corrado33

First you should clean it out with some WD-40, then simple green and an orange citrus cleaner. Then take 1 parts tri-flo, 1 part 90 wt oil, .65 parts "wet" chain lube, 4 parts teflon based chain lube, and some brake pad shaving to quiet the hub down. Repeat the lubing with this concoction 3x per week for the first month, then 1x per week for the first year. After that it should be good for the life of the bike.

msl109

You forgot the olive oil.

rmfnla

I think you may be confusing the load on the pawls with the load on the pawl springs.

The pawls only come into play when they are engaged. The problem is when the ratchet steps get gunked up the springs are not strong enough to push the pawl into engagement so they slip.

Now who's over-thinking it..?

FBinNY 

I don't see why you have a problem with the statement lightly loaded when coasting. It means just what it says, and it's true. The pawls are pressed against the ratchet ramps by the pawl springs which in fact impose a light, albeit very light, load which is still more than no load.

BTW - neither "lightly loaded, nor unloaded would call for a correction, since for all practical purposes either is true.

rmfnla

I am not expressing myself well here and I am struggling with a way to say it more clearly.

After5 several attempts I think I am going to bail...

FBinNY 

No you said it clearly enough. However you started out correcting "lightly loaded" to not loaded, which is splitting hairs, then got tangled in your own hair ball.

msl109

Clear to me. Load is load regardless how small. The point is heavy lubrication isn't necessary because the load is not heavy. No load or light load both = not heavy ... we're talking semantics here.

RandomTroll

Nothing beats whale oil - no thanks to political correctness that we can't get it anymore.

rmfnla

OK, that helps my thinking.

It's not that heavy lubrication isn't necessary, it's that heavy lubrication causes a problem because of the effect it has (filling in the ratchet steps).

The only effect "load" would have is if the springs were stronger but they are not so care must be taken in selecting a lube...

I got yer hairball right here...