O Ring Chain: Diesel vs Kerosene

[TwoSmokeDS]

Boy. The chain is super muddy after this weekend's trail ride.

Kerosene is recommended to clean my O ring chain. Someone claimed diesel is basically kerosene. What is the difference? Is it okay to use diesel? Diesel is $4/gallon. Kerosene around here is $15/gallon.

[Moekazi]

Diesel is fine. It will evaporate a little slower and leaves more residue behind which protects the metal. Kerosene leaves less behind so it's "cleaner", but it also leaves the metal "naked". You'd want to lube or put a protectant on something cleaned with Kerosene sooner.

[poser]

WD 40

[focus frenzy]

Kerosene is what you get when you keep refining diesel. more toward the oil end it has better lubricating properties but burns less clean. also less solvent qualities but not so much to be a problem.

[Desmo]

I use Kerosene. There is a store near me (where 249 changes to 149, between Tomball and Magnolia) that sells it out of a gas pump. The price is only slightly more than Diesel. Out in the country it is failry common because many folks use Kerosene heaters in the winter. Next time you pass a little general store, look for a big tank on skids off to the side of the partking lot. There is your Kerosene pump.

Steve

[TwoSmokeDS]

Does the store care what type of container you to transport the Kerosene?

[Desmo]

No, I use an old antifreeze jug. A half gallon lasts me for years. They don't care. When was the last time they asked you about your gas jug?

[TwoSmokeDS]

Never. But I'm always being sneaky when I use nonapproved container. Just in case a cop drives by or something.

[hizzo3]

I just picked up kerosene for heaters at the end of season for cheap. I usually carry it in a small 3 oz dripper bottle

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[Gravel Guy]

Originally Posted by hizzo3

I just picked up kerosene for heaters at the end of season for cheap. I usually carry it in a small 3 oz dripper bottle

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Use it on muffler bearings too......

[BexarWolf]

Apparently kerosene is also good for medicinal uses. Or at least, the old farmer I used to work for back in the 70s used it that way. He used it on his dog when it got mange, made me soak my foot in it when I stepped on a nail........except he called it "coal oil" back in them days.

[hizzo3]

Originally Posted by Gravel Guy

Use it on muffler bearings too......

Did that when I moved to DOT 7 brake fluid and changed my headlight fluid to halogen fluid.

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[RollingJ]

When I first heard of 'Diesel Exhaust Fluid' I was sure I was being taken for a fool...

[EdSidders]

Coal Oil works on snakebites , sucks the pizin right out......Granpa kept a gallon paint can full in the boat we frog hunted out of....Moccasin popped either one of us the first thing he did was soak the hand or finger....Have to be careful around the carbide lights.......Must have worked , Granpa made it to 91 , I may not have had as many doses...

Use diesel on the chain...........

[wedge1]

Soap and water (or just water) - let it dry - then lubricate. WD 40 will repell the water but it is not a lubricant. If your looking for chain longevity then adjustment is probably a bigger concern than how you clean it. I know that some might adamently disagree with this approach but you have to determine if the hassle of washing the chain, then storing or disposing of the diesel or kerosene is worth it.

[DFW_Warrior]

Originally Posted by wedge1

Soap and water (or just water) - let it dry - then lubricate. WD 40 will repell the water but it is not a lubricant. If your looking for chain longevity then adjustment is probably a bigger concern than how you clean it. I know that some might adamently disagree with this approach but you have to determine if the hassle of washing the chain, then storing or disposing of the diesel or kerosene is worth it.

I'm even lazier, I just use water. I let the garden hose run on it for a bit to soften everything up then it just falls off. After a short ride around the block I may spray some Dupont Teflon spray on it if I remember.

On my WR the stock chain from 2003 was still going strong when I sold it a year ago. 10 years isn't too bad if you ask me.

[TwoSmokeDS]

I was told to lube the chain. So I did with some chain lube. And the dirt really sticks to the chain. Spray it with water only gets the big clump. The chain is still full of gritty dirt particles. Some say to not use any lube at all and use WD40 to prevent rust after washing with water. Should I use lube? Judging from how much dirtier the chain is after I use lube, I'm starting to believe I should not use any lube.

So I took the chain off the sprocket and soak it in Diesel and the scrubbed it with a toothbrush and then hosed it with chain lube and then hang the chain up to drip and then scrub the swing arm and sprockets clean too. This is a lot of work after every ride. But it gets everything spic and span. I guess it's okay since I don't ride everyday or anything. But taking the chain off a lot, I need to replace master link clip.

[SilverBullet]

Removing a chain to clean and lube is way overkill and a dirty job that generates waste also. Never worth it IMO. Maybe you'll get 20% longer life by doing this after every ride. What is your total cost for a chain and sprocket set? Maybe $100. Now calculate all your time spent to save that $20 and you'll come out way in the red.

Simpler method:

• Buy a Grunge brush and use it to knock of the big stuff before washing.
• Spray off with water and whatever soap/cleaner you use for your bike. Don't touch chain just spray it.
• Then spray chain lightly with WD-40 which cleans some and disperse water. Use the Grunge brush again and then wipe off chain and take bike on a short ride to spin off and dry any remaining.
• Lastly spray with a clean dry lube like DuPont Teflon Multi-Use or Chain Saver. Drys quickly and your done.

Key to this method is the clean/dry lube mentioned above. It does not attract dirt like the sticky lubes and chain waxes. It does not clump up the dirt like your lube is doing. This clumpy mess (paste) is actually suspending dirt particles and grinding away on your chain/sprockets as you ride. So could actually argue that your chain will wear out faster, even with cleaning off the bike after every ride. The dry lubes keeps dirt from sticking some and makes your next cleaning easier.

_

[SilverBullet]

Here are the lubes I recommended.

Available at Lowes.
DuPont Teflon 11-oz. Teflon Multi-Use Lubricant

Available at Walmart. More expensive at ~$6.99 but available 24/7
DuPont Teflon Chain Saver, 11 oz

_

[DFW_Warrior]

I won't ever lube a dirt bike chain with something that stays wet. IF I use anything it is the Dupont stuff and that is right after a washing. By the next time I take the bike out it is dry as a bone.

I have a friend that raced two Enduro seasons, and trail rode three more years all on the stock chain and never lubed it once. I usually feel sorry for my chain long before that so I throw some lube on it.