New Chain - Sticky - Clean or Leave?

Secteur

Hello,

My new KMC X10SL arrived today and out of the box it's very tacky. Is this factory applied machine oil?

Should I degrease and clean it before using my own oils or is it meant to go straight on?

Thanks!

nicklouse

just use it. yes it is a lube and a protection.

rolf_f

Read millions of argumentative threads on this subject!

I can't see it matters to use as is. This is the British Summer. The chain will be cacked up in no time and needing degreasing anyway so it won't be on long enough to cause damage (not that it seems likely that there would be any damage).

k-dog

Yeah, this is one of those controversial topics.

I always take it off - I don't like the stickiness of it. It's designed to stop something going rusty sitting on a shelf - but just attracts cack.

The lube I use is best applied to a clean dry chain so I strip it first.

If you're going to use a more regular oil then you could just apply it over the top - because it'll get black and sticky anyway.

cycleclinic

No leave that factory applied lube. It may feel tacky but it does not attract cack in my expoerience and it will last a some miles depending on whether. I never degrease a chain. I just lightly apply good lubes. That seems to be all they need for a long life. Cleaning a chain just gets it clean, I don't think it extends chain life by much if any at all.

Rock n roll lube which I use cleans the chain to certain extent as well.

Papa Ado

From KMC - leave the factory lube on. It is injected into each roller during assembly and is superior to any aftermarket lube.

wishitwasallflat

From

http://www.kmcchain.eu/?en/faq/2/

I have bought your X-series chain. After unpacking, I found that the chain is rather sticky on the outside. Is that normal?
During manufacturing one of the processes involves lubrication, we inject special grease into the chain. Right now a part of that grease stays on the chain's outside, which is needed to conserve and protect the chain during storage.
KMC recommends you to take away the excess grease from the chain's outside by spraying some (eco) cleaner along the chain and immediately wiping it. By removing the grease outside you will prevent it from atracting too much dirt. Make sure the grease inside the chain is not affected!
Beware of keeping it a little oiled after every ride in order to prevent rust.

http://www.kmcchain.eu/?en/maintenance/

Cleaning

• Clean your chain after each trip, especially after riding in the wet.
• Always use a piece of dry cloth to clean the chain and it’s component parts.
• If neccesary, use an old toothbrush to clean between the plates.
•Do not forget the sprockets, front changer and derailleur pulleys.
• To remove mud or sand, use a bristle brush, if necessary with light soapy warm water .
• Never use acidic or alkali based detergents (such as rust cleaners), these agents can damage the chain and may cause breakage.
• NEVER EVER use a so-called ‘chain washing machine’ in combination with solvent. This is the one and only sure way to instantly ruin your chain.
• Avoid the use of solvents, not only are these bad for the environment, they remove lubricant from the chain’s bearing.

Lubricate into the chain's bearing
Lubricate with an aerosol

Lubrication

• lubricate the chain every time you clean it, scrub it, or wash it with any solvent (the usage of solvent is not recommended!);
• before lubricating, make sure the chain is dry;
• use a lubricant which initially penetrates the chain’s bearing, and then turns ‘sticky’ or ‘dry’. In this way you can reach the chain parts which are most sensitive to wear;
• make sure you are using the appropriate lubricant - you can test it by spraying some on your hand - first it feels like water (penetration), after some time it should become sticky or dry (durable lubrication);
• in order to avoid a build-up of excess grease, try to apply it on the critical places only, like the rollers. Applying grease there helps to reduce chain wear and noise;
• apply just a little grease on the rest of the chain to prevent rust;
• remove excess grease from the outside of the chain;
• in the case of derailleur bikes: do not forget to pay some attention to the derailleur pulleys, chainrings and cassette sprockets. Use the same principle as above for maintaining and lubricating them.
• after lubricating, use a dry cloth to remove excess grease from the chain’s outside, this prevents attracting excessive amounts of dirt and dust.

Cleaning inner bearing ends

Before re-connecting your chain, do not forget to clean the chain’s ends inner bearings of chain ends, to make sure no dirt remains there. After cleaning, and before applying the connecting link, apply some grease inside and on the connector’s pins.


I've never followed this myself - always used a chain cleaner machine and degreaser, dry in oven and lube ever 150 mile sor so - but my last chain only lasted 1400 miles (one before that 1500) so I think I will try this regime with the next one and see how that goes.

keef66

Marvellous! That's the conclusion I arrived at. I give a new chain a wipe down with a cloth with a little white spirit on it. This just removes the stickiness from the outer plates.

Once in use I just lube sparingly and wipe off any excess / dirt.

I used to take the things off and scrub in solvent / dry / marinade in oil, but it was a proper faff and I don't think it really prolonged chain life.
It was nice refitting a shiny, silent chain, but that lasted about 25 miles

rolf_f

wishitwasallflat wrote:

• NEVER EVER use a so-called ‘chain washing machine’ in combination with solvent. This is the one and only sure way to instantly ruin your chain.

This is interesting and may change my approach to the chains I use on my posh bike which rarely gets wet. However (assuming that the term solvent includes normal degreasers).......

1) I can't really see that the kind of endless spraying of cack that the chains on my commuter bikes put up with is compatible with never giving them a proper clean and
2) What kind of crack were the people that wrote these instructions on that they reckon using a chain cleaner will quote "instantly ruin your chain". I've used a chain cleaner hundreds of times and never 'instantly ruined a chain'. Nor do I think the lifespans of my chains seem lower than anyone elses. Nor would I want to buy a chain that is so crap that one run through a cleaner would ruin it.

I wonder if other chain manufacturers make the same comments.

godders1

No harm in wiping off what's on the surface of the chain. The much vaunted "factory lube" will remain where it most needs to be anyway. Then again it isn't going to hurt to leave it on either.

I've used a chain cleaner and degreaser before and it hasn't "ruined the chain" at all. Of course you need to give the chain a good wash with clean water afterwards, allow it to dry and then re-lube. I imagine if you took the chain out of the machine, stuck it straight on the bike and went for a long ride that would fark it pretty quickly.

Like others, over time I've become much less obsessive about chain cleaning. A weekly wipe and a bit of lube keeps my chains going for ages.

Papa Ado

Our office in the Netherlands suggests that it is unnecessary to completely remove lubrication from your chain. This constitutes chain cleaning machines and full immersion into cleaners. Furthermore, a lot of people do not properly re-lube the chain after these types of cleanings.