Originally Posted by
ramzilla
I consider the poor evaporation qualities of diesel as a benefit. Diesel dissolves grease & crud. And it leaves a nice residue behind that helps prevent corrosion. It's harmless to plastic containers. So, I use a system of plastic primary & secondary containment to prevent spills & fumes in the garage. There are all sorts of kitty litter trays & rubbermaid snap lid containers out there right now. Sludge goes into the waste oil receptacle at the auto parts store. Rags get tossed into the garbage. I hope I'm not contributing to any environmental contamination.
I’ve never found a need to cover any bike part in oil to prevent corrosion. In my opinion, having excess oil covering parts is a problem rather than a solution. I prefer my drivetrains to be something that I can touch without having to spend hours scrubbing the gunk out of my skin.
You should also be careful about saying that diesel is harmless to plastic containers. That would depend on the container. Polyethylene and polypropylene are iffy.