Originally Posted by CharlesC
What about bushing type derailer jockey pulleys? I am running mine dry on my Shimano equipped bikes since it seems they came that way. The Park Tool web site says to lightly lube them with some stuff they sell that looks just like White Lightening chain lube. Will that work?
For that purpose, I would NOT recommend a thin oil-type lubricant. It's simply too runny for derailer pulleys. The thing to remember is that they're basically plain bearings (just two metal surfaces pressed against each other.
I use grease to lube derailer pulleys. I remove the bushing and plastic pulley, clean them thoroughly, then STUFF the bushings full of grease and reinstall the whole thing. I then wipe off the excess, This keeps the pulleys spinning smoothly and above all quietly. Because they're packed full of grease, it seems to take longer for them to get dirty again as well.