Grease + heat gun = best chain lubrication ever?

[ChillRider]

I was thinking....new chains come pre-lubed from the factory with a nice, uniform coat of grease that you can see literally oozing even from underneath the rollers (I'm talking about open/roller chains ofc, not O-ring or more advanced stuff).

However, once that's gone, no matter what you do, you simply cannot get back to the same level of the original factory lubrication. Oils may be thin enough to penetrate, but will also fling off just as easily. Greases and solid sprays seem to stay mostly outside the chain even if they come with solvents etc.

There's ofc the oldschool approach of removing the chain and literally boiling it in a pan of grease (which is kinda what they do at the factory!) but who does that anymore?

BUT, what if you combined some good old fashioned grease, with some locally applied heat, e.g. with a flameless heat gun, so that things don't go poof? Wouldn't that then penetrate inside the links/rollers just like oil, but harden once cold, thus giving you the closest you could get to a factory lube? Seems also the only way to get semi-solid grease inside the links, other than the oldschool grease boiling, but without removing the chain.

Whaddya think? Could it work? Has anybody tried it?


BTW, I got this idea when I saw that they now sell battery-powered heat guns...

[JerryHawk250]

Just pull the chain off the bike and give it a good cleaning in kerosene or diesel then soak it in synthetic gear oil over night. Hang the chain to so the oil can run off then reinstall. another option is you can also soak in hot paraffin wax with powdered graphite. This a lot less messy and will stay cleaner longer.

[Wild Dog]

Originally Posted by ChillRider

I was thinking....new chains come pre-lubed from the factory with a nice, uniform coat of grease that you can see literally oozing even from underneath the rollers (I'm talking about open/roller chains ofc, not O-ring or more advanced stuff).

However, once that's gone, no matter what you do, you simply cannot get back to the same level of the original factory lubrication. Oils may be thin enough to penetrate, but will also fling off just as easily. Greases and solid sprays seem to stay mostly outside the chain even if they come with solvents etc.

At least the chain lube i use, they stay on the chain till i have to clean them again.
In fact i get the same "stickiness" that the chain had when was new.

Originally Posted by JerryHawk250

another option is you can also soak in hot paraffin wax with powdered graphite. This a lot less messy and will stay cleaner longer.

Every time i take the gas tank i apply that to the lower part of the tank and on the frame, to prevent any rust.

[ChillRider]

The idea was getting that same -or nearly- level of lubrication without removing the chain from the bike -for one, I am not sure if C-clips can be reused or if I have to keep a set of spares, specific for my chain brand.

Originally Posted by Wild Dog

At least the chain lube i use, they stay on the chain till i have to clean them again.
In fact i get the same "stickiness" that the chain had when was new.

Outside, yes. But I can't see any aftermarket lube being able to replace the grease that was literally between the rollers and the link pins. On a new chain, you can literally squeeze the rollers against the pins and see it ooze out.

[Megadan]

A hot grease bath like done in "ye olden times" was also a much longer interval for maintenance, with usually gear oil being used as the interim lubricant to replace the missing oil from the grease as the lithium soap gets left behind. Most OEMs now use O ring style chains because they are much more maintenance free, and can last thousands of miles with minimal actual maintenance, relatively speaking, since the lubrication in the rollers stays locked in place. The cleaning and lubrication of said O ring style chains is to help keep the O rings functional and in good shape as well as corrosion resistance more than it is about lubrication of the rollers themselves.

If you want to make an easier and more modern oil/grease bath system, go find yourself an old home kitchen fryer. I use one for hot setting bearing on shafts, but it would be just as effective at grease or heavy oil heating.

[XLsior]

I'd be inclined to say that it couldn't hurt doing as part of a maintenance regime and doubt doing it in such a way would be of any detriment.

Though if i was doing a long day trip or such I'd probably do a full remove, clean and soak as Jerry suggested.

Wondering rather than powdered graphite would a Teflon based lube be a possible improvement?

[TxTaoRider]

This all sounds like so much fun, I almost want to throw away my x-ring chain and use the stocker again.

[Megadan]

Originally Posted by TxTaoRider

This all sounds like so much fun, I almost want to throw away my x-ring chain and use the stocker again.

I will stick to my x ring, thanks lol

[China Rider 27]

Nothing like gear oil to attract dirt IMO, despite the tests to contrary, after I clean it once I am ready to upgrade to O or Z ring I say. A lube like Dupont Chain lube with Teflon I use on my O rings has a carrier solvent of sorts I think penetrates well and dries some leaving a Teflon coating. Much easier to go that route and use it frequently.

[ChillRider]

I think I gotta make a proof-of-concept video of sorts, where I try wicking some pretty heavy grease into an old, worn out RK chain using a heat gun. Not much heat should be required, just enough to get the grease past its drip point, at which point it should behave like soldering flux and just wick its way into the nooks and crannies of the chain. If it works, once the grease has cooled, the chain should be lubed to "factory-like" condition.


I guess it was the lack of a convenient, portable, flameless heat source that didn't make this a viable method to perform on the street/with the chain on the bike, but as I said, with Li-Ion battery-powered heat guns available, that might change...

[Megadan]

Originally Posted by ChillRider

I think I gotta make a proof-of-concept video of sorts, where I try wicking some pretty heavy grease into an old, worn out RK chain using a heat gun. Not much heat should be required, just enough to get the grease past its drip point, at which point it should behave like soldering flux and just wick its way into the nooks and crannies of the chain. If it works, once the grease has cooled, the chain should be lubed to "factory-like" condition.


I guess it was the lack of a convenient, portable, flameless heat source that didn't make this a viable method to perform on the street/with the chain on the bike, but as I said, with Li-Ion battery-powered heat guns available, that might change...

I actually think it will work, so I don't question the concept necessarily.

For me it is more a matter of convenience, or maybe simplicity I guess. Pop the master link off, pull the chain, clean it really well and give it a hot bath in grease or heavy oil, hang to drip, wipe off excess that is left, re-install.

That level of clean/care wouldn't really need to be done extremely often - maybe on an annual basis. In the interim miles a basic clean and oil to keep the grit down and rust away.

I think this is also simply a matter of where you live and ride too. I am a big fan of the X-ring chains with a much dryer lubricant like the chain waxes and Hondas dry film graphite lube because of the extremely fine sand and grit we have around here not sticking to it as easily. It does a number on the sprockets and outside of the rollers if it isn't consistently cleaned off.

[ChillRider]

I wouldn't have a problem with taking the chain off -that would simplify cleaning a lot-, if not for the fact that I cannot easily find a bunch of compatible spare master links/C-clips once I bust the old ones open -I don't think they can be safely reused (?).

[JerryHawk250]

Originally Posted by ChillRider

I wouldn't have a problem with taking the chain off -that would simplify cleaning a lot-, if not for the fact that I cannot easily find a bunch of compatible spare master links/C-clips once I bust the old ones open -I don't think they can be safely reused (?).

The C-Clip is reusable. That's what its made for.

[Skyd]

I actually just watched a FortNine video (I love that channel even though i don't live in Canada) about this. They put a bunch of lubes through the ringer and a reasonably scientific controlled test. The overall winner was gear oil. I don't have a link handy but i'm sure a search for FortNine Chain lubricant will get you what you want on Youtube.

[China Rider 27]

Originally Posted by Megadan

I actually think it will work, so I don't question the concept necessarily.

For me it is more a matter of convenience, or maybe simplicity I guess. Pop the master link off, pull the chain, clean it really well and give it a hot bath in grease or heavy oil, hang to drip, wipe off excess that is left, re-install.

That level of clean/care wouldn't really need to be done extremely often - maybe on an annual basis. In the interim miles a basic clean and oil to keep the grit down and rust away.

I think this is also simply a matter of where you live and ride too. I am a big fan of the X-ring chains with a much dryer lubricant like the chain waxes and Hondas dry film graphite lube because of the extremely fine sand and grit we have around here not sticking to it as easily. It does a number on the sprockets and outside of the rollers if it isn't consistently cleaned off.

I just put some of that Honda White Graphite on a chain this weekend. Looks promising. You could almost peel a white strip of lubricant off. I agree, it is all about the environment you use the chain in. In the city you can get by about anything reasonable, but take it out in the dirt and see how it all works.