Can Teflon-based spray lubes be used on a chain?
#1
Full Member
Thread Starter
Can Teflon-based spray lubes be used on a chain?
Can I use a Teflon-based spray lube on my chain?
I like a clean-looking drivetrain, and many of the lubes that I have used
attract dirt rather quickly. I've used these sprays for non-cycling
applications and I've had good success.
Will one be OK on a bike chain?
Can I just add some of the spray to supplement the lube that is on there now?
I like a clean-looking drivetrain, and many of the lubes that I have used
attract dirt rather quickly. I've used these sprays for non-cycling
applications and I've had good success.
Will one be OK on a bike chain?
Can I just add some of the spray to supplement the lube that is on there now?
Last edited by Dancing Skeleton; 02-19-12 at 08:43 AM.
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: A Coffin Called Earth. or Toronto, ON
Posts: 12,258
Bikes: Bianchi, Miyata, Dahon, Rossin
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 5 Times
in
5 Posts
only if you want to apply it every 50 miles.
you might want to try boiling the chain in vat of paraffin wax.
you might want to try boiling the chain in vat of paraffin wax.
__________________
Food for thought: if you aren't dead by 2050, you and your entire family will be within a few years from starvation. Now that is a cruel gift to leave for your offspring. ;)
https://sanfrancisco.ibtimes.com/arti...ger-photos.htm
Food for thought: if you aren't dead by 2050, you and your entire family will be within a few years from starvation. Now that is a cruel gift to leave for your offspring. ;)
https://sanfrancisco.ibtimes.com/arti...ger-photos.htm
#3
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 62
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Agree with AEO. I've used it in the past, and though it is a very clean lube, it is a little on the thin side. If you're not riding in the rain, go with a wax lube or follow AEO's advice.
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Huntington Beach, CA
Posts: 7,052
Bikes: Cervelo Prodigy
Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 463 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 79 Times
in
60 Posts
Can I use a Teflon-based spray lube on my chain?
I like a clean-looking drivetrain, and many of the lubes that I have used
attract dirt rather quickly. I've used these sprays for non-cycling
applications and I've had good success.
Will one be OK on a bike chain?
Can I just add some of the spray to supplement the lube that is on there now?
I like a clean-looking drivetrain, and many of the lubes that I have used
attract dirt rather quickly. I've used these sprays for non-cycling
applications and I've had good success.
Will one be OK on a bike chain?
Can I just add some of the spray to supplement the lube that is on there now?
I tried that and as the web site indicates, it doesn't list chains, or cables as its intended application.
A few years ago, I tried it on a brand new chain and it didn't work. Yeah, it dries on with a white powdery substance but the noise of the chain indicated to me that the rollers and plates are starved for lubrication...too much friction.
I went to W.W. Grainger to buy the can and it was expensive. You might note that the LPS web site link also says that its not silicone. You can buy silicone based lubricants at Home Depot for garage door applications. Sill, silicone doesn't do the trick either.
I suspect that regular petroleum based lubes that includes some teflon really doesn't do much. Same goes for the big companies that sell bottled water with some vitamins and minerals in it, flavored and tinted with color.
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 8,951
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 14 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 11 Times
in
10 Posts
Yes. You can use spray Teflon, or anything else for that matter, on your chain. How well it will work in extending chain life is another question. IMO, the best lubes are wet lubes that will keep the pin/bushing surfaces wet. Dry lubes may work for a short while, but once they get pushed out of the joint, they don't flow back in. The black stuff on the chain is actually wear products from the chain. If you wash a chain in solvent you'll find that the black stuff left in the solvent is magnetic.
#6
Mr. Sparkle
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Sugar Land, TX
Posts: 534
Bikes: 08 Specialized Allez Elite
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 4 Times
in
2 Posts
I use Finish Line Teflon dry lube. It works well and is much cleaner than other lubes I've used in the past. I will say that I do lube the rollers with a drop after every ride and ride in very dry conditions so YMMV.
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: A Coffin Called Earth. or Toronto, ON
Posts: 12,258
Bikes: Bianchi, Miyata, Dahon, Rossin
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 5 Times
in
5 Posts
Yes. You can use spray Teflon, or anything else for that matter, on your chain. How well it will work in extending chain life is another question. IMO, the best lubes are wet lubes that will keep the pin/bushing surfaces wet. Dry lubes may work for a short while, but once they get pushed out of the joint, they don't flow back in. The black stuff on the chain is actually wear products from the chain. If you wash a chain in solvent you'll find that the black stuff left in the solvent is magnetic.
I'll try that magnet trick sometime.
__________________
Food for thought: if you aren't dead by 2050, you and your entire family will be within a few years from starvation. Now that is a cruel gift to leave for your offspring. ;)
https://sanfrancisco.ibtimes.com/arti...ger-photos.htm
Food for thought: if you aren't dead by 2050, you and your entire family will be within a few years from starvation. Now that is a cruel gift to leave for your offspring. ;)
https://sanfrancisco.ibtimes.com/arti...ger-photos.htm