Burton

OK So after seeing all the comments posted about how a heavy grade oil needs to be `cut` with a solvent to achieve effective penetration on a chain - I got a little curious.

So up to this time I`ve been lubing my chains by removing them and emmersing them or by lubing the individual links and leaving the chain on the bike overnight before wiping it down. The personal lube of choise is Shell Nautilus SAE90 marine gear oil. A product with high pressure and sheer properties and exactly in line with Jobst Brandt`s reccommendations for a 90W gear oil.

But this time I got a little inventive (or lazy) and decided to try to confirm if there was actually any issue with the oil getting inside the chain. After all -emmersing a chain isn`t something everyone wants to do. So I volunteered one of my Park Tool CyClone Chain Scrubbers to the task. cleaned it, and filled it to the line with that SAE90 gear oil. Five spins of the pedals and the chain was completely coated.

But thats where things start to get interesting. After wiping down the chain, the bike was put to one side. This is inside in a 75degree room temperature environment. The end of the day - there was a pool of oil under each end of the chain. The only place that could have come from was inside the chain links since the chain itself was wifed clean. The next day the chain was still dripping.

So my conclusion is that if the oil can drip out this easily - it should be able to wick in just as easily and the only thing I managed to do with the Park Tool Cyclone was to force an excess of lubricant into the links. My other conclusion is that if a 90W oil can drip out, then so can any other lubricant (wax based or not) when heated with a combination of heavy use and direct sun.

So looks to me like that regular lubing with a drop of 90W gear oil on each roller as suggested by Jobst Brandt might be old advice - but its not outdated.

bkaapcke

Lube will wick in very easily. I lube my chain by wetting 1 1/2" spot on a thick nap washcloth and holding it against the chain while slowly rotating it. This method lubes the chain well without any excess. Capillary action does the trick. bk

BCRider

I was probably one of the folks that suggested thinning the heavy oil in that other thread. I thin my oil not to allow it to penetrate easier but to aid in wicking away and wiping off the excess more easily so it doesn't leave an excess in or on the chain and end up with the mess that you found dripping off each link.

I suppose taking the time to put a precise drop on each link would also work. But frankly I just do not have that much patience. Hence thinning the oil so I can squirt on a stream of it for a couple of turns of the chain and then just blot away the excess easily using a couple of paper towels. I can do all that in the same time that it would take to put that one solitary and precise drop onto each link over about a quarter of the chain. Also by flooding the chain with the thinned oil and then blotting away much of it I've also further cleaned away any grit on or in the links.

Besides, it actually takes a hellishly small amount of oil to provide an effetive film of lubrication and rust protection. As I recall a single drop of oil is capable of lubricating and protecting something like a square foot of metal if it is applied correctly or allowed to spread over a long enough time. So even a single drop on each link joint could be considered as excessive.

I_like_cereal

As I understand Sheldon. There is a very small surface area that requires lube. The bushing and the pin or roller. I can't imagine that this would take more than a .125 of dram of lube per pin. I prefer the drip method. The excess seems to help the jockey wheels too.

AngelGendy

I have a spray can of motorcycle chain lube, works good for cable housings too...

bkaapcke

I avoid 1 drop per pin because, with a recumbent, I have 226 links. In any event, the washcloth method works quite well. Try it once, and you will see. bk

davidad

Jobst says to use hot 90wt. https://www.sheldonbrown.com/brandt/chain-care.html

FastJake

One time I let a chain soak in Automatic Transmission Fluid after reading that it can be difficult to get lube where it needs to be. It was a terrible mess, something I will never do again. I found it virtually impossible to wipe off the excess. I too am starting to believe that using the least amount of lube possible is the best.

My only stuggle is preventing rust on the chain of my winter bike. I haven't found anything that will keep it from rusting except for frequent applications of WD40, which also makes a mess.