Chain lube

[His Dudeness]

[quote author=His Dudeness link=topic=20030.msg231472#msg231472 date=1462619642]
All correct but the fact is the oil that you drained out was protecting your engine just fine right up until you drained it. It would not be as good as fresh new oil but it was working well enough up until you drained it that the engine wasn't suffering any major wear. Right? So will it protect a drive chain for a few days? Yes of course it will. Would new gear oil be better? Yes. But does used engine oil work fine? Yes

All correct and I agree. Some people run it through a cofee filter to make it a bit cleaner and re-use it. It does come free, while a litre of new engine oil costs around 5 euros in my city.


However, I have tried using used motor oil and it is a lot messier than using new oil. So you have:


- more dirt
- less viscosity so it slips off chain more quickly
- worse lubrication
- worse corrosion inhibition and perhaps some acid as well (though if changed regularly and of decent quality oil should still be base by the time it is drained)


+ 5 euro per litre saving
+ more eco if you would otherwise throw old oil away
[/quote]

Of course it has more dirt than new stuff and worse everything but it's just lubing a drive chain so the question is, is it good enough to to do that? I think it is as long as you apply it regularly. For me the benefits are it's a way to use a waste product. As far as I can tell it keeps my chain in tip top condition. I've always got a supply of it so I don't have to think about it or go to the shop when it runs out. I get a good look at the chain every few days so there's no chance of it hoping off the sprocket or anything mad going on. It saves a small bit of money. It's just a personal choice. I can see why people use the spray cans but after using them for a while I wouldn't bother with them