WD40

spongtastic
spongtastic Posts: 2,651
edited November 2009 in MTB general
got home this morning after a quick ride and promptly ran out of GT85 to spray the chain with so I had to use WD40. I expect when I get home tonight the bike will have fallen apart and all the seals will have melted.
Visit Clacton during the School holidays - it's like a never ending freak show.

Who are you calling inbred?
«1

Comments

  • xtreem
    xtreem Posts: 2,965
    Nope, I've used it for around 1 year for my chain and it's still not worn.
    You should't worry, it's not acid.
    NS Bikes Eccentric Alu custom - 2016
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    don't use it as a chain lube, but it's alright for cleaning.
  • llamafarmer
    llamafarmer Posts: 1,893
    They're pretty similar products as far as I'm aware, fine for displacing water after cleaning.
    Giant Anthem X
    Cube Ltd Race
  • saltyman
    saltyman Posts: 472
    WD40 is a degreaser, so be carefull, like mentioned its great for cleaning though.
    roberts dogs bolx
    cannondale hooligan 1
    cannondale badboy
  • stubs
    stubs Posts: 5,001
    WD40 is a degreaser, water dispersant and releasing spray its main ingredient is white spirit (Stoddards Spirit if your in America) with about 10% oil.

    you wouldnt lube your chain with white spirit.

    Just lube your chain with something meant for the job when you get home tonight and everything will be OK.
    Fig rolls: proof that god loves cyclists and that she wants us to do another lap
  • The Big Cheese
    The Big Cheese Posts: 8,651
    As above:

    GT85 and WD40 are pretty much the same thing.

    I only use mine for cleaning / polishing/protecting (stops shite sticking to your frame, makes easier to wash after a ride), bring a nice shine out on shiny bits.

    Never use it on your chain, gears, and ESPECIALLY don't get it anywhere near your brake calipers and rotors...

    :wink:
  • Mccraque
    Mccraque Posts: 819
    I always use it on my gears and chain :oops: .... with no problems. Find it drives moisture far better than GT85 and prevents any rusting etc.

    What would you suggest as an alternative then?
  • The Big Cheese
    The Big Cheese Posts: 8,651
    Mccraque wrote:
    I always use it on my gears and chain :oops: .... with no problems. Find it drives moisture far better than GT85 and prevents any rusting etc.

    What would you suggest as an alternative then?

    Chain Lube.

    Many out there, I use Finigh line lunes, been great for me.

    When I take my chain off after a dirty/muddy ride and give it a good scrub, I spray some GT85/WD40 on to drive out the moisture. run the chain through a rag, to get the excess off, re-fit, then lube with appropriate lube (wet in winter, dry in summer)

    This one~:
    http://www.finishlineusa.com/products/c ... y-lube.htm

    You may think it's not harming your transmission/chain, and although it's not dropped off. It's not going to help at all.

    GT85/WD40 have their purpose, but this is not one of them, go get some Lube young man ;)
  • ride_whenever
    ride_whenever Posts: 13,279
    Never use any spray lubes, the aerosol will find it's way onto your rotors...

    I apply WD40 to a rag after cleaning, wipe chain down to drive the moisture out without drenching the chain and removing the grease from the rollers. Then relube each roller on the inside of the chain.
    Neeermad
    Carbon 456
    456 lefty
    Pompino
    White Inbred
  • The Big Cheese
    The Big Cheese Posts: 8,651
    ride_whenever wrote:
    Never use any spray lubes, the aerosol will find it's way onto your rotors...

    I apply WD40 to a rag after cleaning, wipe chain down to drive the moisture out without drenching the chain and removing the grease from the rollers. Then relube each roller on the inside of the chain.

    I posted the wrong link RW :oops: , I meant the bottle(s) - nothing wrong with spray ones though, if you lube the chain when off the bike prior to putting it back on. But that's just me

    This is the one I use:
    http://www.parker-international.co.uk/3 ... ign=pid328
  • Cps
    Cps Posts: 356
    I have always used WD40 and never had a problem with it.
  • El Capitano
    El Capitano Posts: 6,401
    WD40 doesn't smell as nice as GT85, but that's a personal preference thing...

    I regularly spray the whole commuter/CX bike with GT85 after a wet ride. Stops things seizing/rusting. However, this bike does not have disk brakes, I woulnd't do this to either of my MTB's, I use the spray on a rag method, or remove the component that needs cleaning/lubing. Still lube the chain with Finishline wet lube once a week.
    1 2 3 4 (Dead)5 6
  • wordnumb
    wordnumb Posts: 847
    El Capitano wrote:
    WD40 doesn't smell as nice as GT85, but that's a personal preference thing...

    True. Also, WD40 has blue packaging, where as GT85 has red. Without getting into the finer science waffle - red is faster than blue.

    Clean chain, expel water with GT85 or similar, wipe, relube with proper chain lube. Not difficult.
  • nfrang
    nfrang Posts: 250
    Cant see any reason for wanting to use WD when a proper chain lube doesn't cost any more.
  • Jenks66
    Jenks66 Posts: 96
    WD 40 is penetrating oil designed to get into all those difficult locations and as such is very tight or seized nuts and bolts but it is a lubricant when the penetrating part has evaporated. It has loads of uses (aparently 2000) but as with all lubes should only use it where that type of lube is recommended.
    It is brilliant at reducing corrosion as my old car will confirm as it adds a thin water repellent coating.
  • dave_hill
    dave_hill Posts: 3,877
    nfrang wrote:
    Cant see any reason for wanting to use WD when a proper chain lube doesn't cost any more.

    Since when? £4.99 for a trade-size can of WD40. £2.99 for 125ml of Weldtite TF2 chain lube. Bargain. I don't think.

    There's a lot of crap talked about WD40 and proprietory chain lubes. I used to use (and I'm going back to) WD40 exclusively.

    A month or so ago I had a brain malfunction and bought some "proper" chain lube, the aforementioned TF2

    What a con.

    Picture this - go for a ride, get sh1t up. Come home, wash bike, apply chain lube. What am I doing different now than I was doing a month ago? Nothing. What difference have I noticed? None.

    I don't know why I bothered. WD40 has worked perfectly well for the last god knows how long, and it probably will continue to do so. And before anybody says your chain and sprockets will wear faster, that's bollocks too. I can't remember when I last changed my chain.
    Give a home to a retired Greyhound. Tia Greyhound Rescue
    Help for Heroes
    JayPic
  • Sarnian
    Sarnian Posts: 1,451
    WD40 and 3in1 oil, that's me sorted and always has been :D
    It's not a ornament, so ride It
  • Northwind
    Northwind Posts: 14,675
    GT85 does contain PTFE though I think. Though the suggestion I saw was that they added the teflon just so that they wouldn't get sued by WD40 since the original ingredients were more or less "WD40 plus a tiny amount of teflon". Either way, they're both rotten chain lubes.
    Jenks66 wrote:
    WD 40 is penetrating oil designed to get into all those difficult locations

    No it isn't, it was designed purely as a water dispersal product, it just happens to do other stuff. But it's a horrible penetrating oil, if you want the real thing get some Plus Gas or the Silkolene one, whatever it's called, they actually do the job.
    Uncompromising extremist
  • joshtp
    joshtp Posts: 3,966
    TF2, now thers a thing, like wd40, but with teflon, wich (as all us male mtbers know) makes it magic. it smells good, it looks like pee, it does a great job of leaving a protective, anti mud, shiny teflon-y coating. and it disperses water like a angry houswife disperces cats. and, its not as bad for your chain as wd40, i even use it as a mega light chain lube when im mega lazy, and its super,duper dry.
    three cheers for dw40 with green packaging, ooh, sorry, i mean TF2!
    I like bikes and stuff
  • Ska!
    Ska! Posts: 39
    The letters WD themselves stand for "water dispersant" which is what it was originally designed to do. The stuff really isn't meant for lubing your rig. In a pinch it's better than nothing but be sure not to make it your new lube solution as it is very, very good at attracting dirt and grit. It also has a tendency to pull the finer bits of said dirt into the very tight areas where that water once was.
  • dav1
    dav1 Posts: 1,298
    I have always used WD40 as a water dispeller/turbocleaner and it works great. I also use it to wipe and lube my cables.
    Giant TCR advanced 2 (Summer/race)
    Merlin single malt fixie (Commuter/winter/training)
    Trek superfly 7 (Summer XC)
    Giant Yukon singlespeed conversion (winter MTB/Ice/snow)

    Carrera virtuoso - RIP
  • supersonic
    supersonic Posts: 82,708
    "Since when? £4.99 for a trade-size can of WD40. £2.99 for 125ml of Weldtite TF2 chain lube. Bargain. I don't think. "

    But only 10% of the WD40 is actual lube! So what is best value for lube?!
    GT ZASKAR CARBON TEAM

    VOODOO CANZO

    Come and see me at https://www.facebook.com/biketyke/
  • weeksy59
    weeksy59 Posts: 2,606
    Jeez is this a £10 chain we're discussing here ?

    MTB chains are throwaway items... if you get 2 months out of it does it matter ?


    It's not like you're buying a motorcycle one at £125 that shatters the crank casing if it breaks...

    it's an MTB chain and £10.
    Salsa Spearfish 29er
    http://superdukeforum.forumatic.com/index.php
  • Ska!
    Ska! Posts: 39
    weeksy59 wrote:
    .........if you get 2 months out of it does it matter ?.........


    Holy crap.........2 months? No offence but how does the rest of your drivetrain hold up? Perhaps you mash a lot of miles (as I have no way of knowing) but I get far more than 2 months out of my chains and I do my fair share of riding. Maybe conditions play a factor I guess.
  • bay73
    bay73 Posts: 130
    wordnumb wrote:
    El Capitano wrote:
    WD40 doesn't smell as nice as GT85, but that's a personal preference thing...

    True. Also, WD40 has blue packaging, where as GT85 has red. Without getting into the finer science waffle - red is faster than blue.

    Clean chain, expel water with GT85 or similar, wipe, relube with proper chain lube. Not difficult.

    this was not called red flame

    the_blue_flame.jpg
  • weeksy59
    weeksy59 Posts: 2,606
    Ska! wrote:
    weeksy59 wrote:
    .........if you get 2 months out of it does it matter ?.........


    Holy crap.........2 months? No offence but how does the rest of your drivetrain hold up? Perhaps you mash a lot of miles (as I have no way of knowing) but I get far more than 2 months out of my chains and I do my fair share of riding. Maybe conditions play a factor I guess.

    I'm not saying that's my limit, but think about it, you use the bike 20 times in 2 months... that's like 50p a use....

    That's a complete bargain ....

    Very few items in the world are so cheap, so resilient and give such excellent use.

    Think of chains as short term disposable items.

    If i wanted it to last a year i may worry about chain lube. But using anything like WD40 etc is not going to make it snap in a week or so.
    Salsa Spearfish 29er
    http://superdukeforum.forumatic.com/index.php
  • supersonic
    supersonic Posts: 82,708
    Still seems a bit short. But depedns on conditions.

    I do subscribe to the 'buy cheap chains and change a bit more frequently' mantra though.

    I don't use WD40 on my chain as it doesn't seem to get enough lube where it is supposed to be, and after a half a ride the chain can squeak and seems dry.
    GT ZASKAR CARBON TEAM

    VOODOO CANZO

    Come and see me at https://www.facebook.com/biketyke/
  • _Ferret_
    _Ferret_ Posts: 660
    WD40 for cleaning and displacing the water
    Lube to keep the chain running smooth.
    Seems all a little futile though - my chain only stays silver for about 10 minutes out on the bike...Still, they last a little longer than 2 months...
    Not really active
  • Panter
    Panter Posts: 299
    bay73 wrote:
    wordnumb wrote:
    El Capitano wrote:
    WD40 doesn't smell as nice as GT85, but that's a personal preference thing...

    True. Also, WD40 has blue packaging, where as GT85 has red. Without getting into the finer science waffle - red is faster than blue.

    Clean chain, expel water with GT85 or similar, wipe, relube with proper chain lube. Not difficult.

    this was not called red flame

    the_blue_flame.jpg

    But think how fast it would've been had it been Red...........
    Racing snakes. It's not big, and it's not clever ;)
  • ramemtbers
    ramemtbers Posts: 1,562
    i find wd40 collects loads of muck so i dont use it that often

Categories