Mineral Oil for Rebuilding Hubs?

[email hidden said:

"]I thought I saw a Lennard Zinn article talking about using mineral oil to rebuild road bike hubs.

Oil CAN be used in bearings in place of grease, but not without consequences. It might lead to an easier spinning bearing for a while, but due to oils decidedly lesser ability to remain in place one is likely to lose lubrication performance rather quickly. Depending on how well sealed the bearing is switching to oil can also lead to increased/faster contamination of the bearing due to dust ingress, which also damages the bearing.
It might be OK for someone who runs very short maintenance intervals.

I've tried oils on the bearings of my inline skates, and while it will give easier spin for a while it also seems to shorten the life of the bearings considerably, and I can't see any reason why the same wouldn't apply to bike bearings.

[email hidden said:

"]Do you just use any
mineral oil (like the laxitive kind they sell at drug stores)?

An oil's ability to lubricate your intestine should not be taken as a sign that the same oil is suitable for lubricating bearings!
If you can't resist the urge to try this experiment I would at least recommend you to go with an oil for automotive/motor cycle use.

Quoted message said:

I thought I saw a Lennard Zinn article talking about using mineral oil
to rebuild road bike hubs. Is this normal? Do you just use any
mineral oil (like the laxitive kind they sell at drug stores)? Wonder
if this works well for all brands of wheels, front and rear? Thanks
much!

or save some $ and get some motor oil and boiled lindseed oil..about $4
for both, will last for hundreds of wheels.

Quoted message said:

I thought I saw a Lennard Zinn article talking about using mineral oil
to rebuild road bike hubs. Is this normal? Do you just use any
mineral oil (like the laxitive kind they sell at drug stores)? Wonder
if this works well for all brands of wheels, front and rear? Thanks
much!

What's the point?! All you going to end up with is one big mess. Of
course, if you never planning on taking apart your hub to replace
bearings, then maybe it doesn't matter.

I say get some good grade 25 ball bearings and some nice grease like
white Pennzoil or Phil and be done with it!

"Qui si parla Campagnolo" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I thought I saw a Lennard Zinn article talking about using mineral

oil

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

to rebuild road bike hubs. Is this normal? Do you just use any
mineral oil (like the laxitive kind they sell at drug stores)?

Wonder

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

if this works well for all brands of wheels, front and rear? Thanks
much!

or save some $ and get some motor oil and boiled lindseed oil..about

$4

Quoted message said:

for both, will last for hundreds of wheels.

Oil was or is used to lubricate hubs and BBs on track bikes. The metal
rings in the center of some Campy, Shimano and other hubs covers a hole
for putting oil into the hubs. Some older BBs have covered holes for the
same reason.

Linseed oil is extracted from flax seed. Most "boiled" linseed oil
contains petroleum solvents and/or metallic dryers like manganese
compounds to speed drying and hardening paints and other protective
coatings. The volatile components of linseed oil will evaporate while
the remaining oil hardens through oxidation.

Linseed oil has little or no additives for creating lubricating boundary
layers to prevent metal to metal contact. Motor oil on the other hand
has extreme pressure additives to prevent metal to metal contact.

As linseed oil leaks out of the hubs and dries it will tend to leave a
hardened deposit that's hard to clean off.

Grease can help prolong bearing life by blocking the entry of dirt into
unsealed bearings.

Chas.

Quoted message said:

I thought I saw a Lennard Zinn article talking about using mineral oil
to rebuild road bike hubs.

I don't think he meant mineral oil literally. There is a long lore
that vegetable-based oils do not work in cycling - they attract more
dirt and break down much sooner than mineral (which includes
petroleum) based oils. In other words, do NOT use 3-in-1 oil to oil
your bicycle's drivetrain, as this is a vegetable-based oil.

I first read about this, i believe, in Tom Kuthberson's famous book,
"Anybody's Bicycle Book", from the 1970's.

- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA

OOOPSS!!. Misread it, thought he was talking about rebuilding wheels,
ya know spokes and things, not hub innards.

* * Chas said:

"Qui si parla Campagnolo" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I thought I saw a Lennard Zinn article talking about using mineral

oil

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

to rebuild road bike hubs. Is this normal? Do you just use any
mineral oil (like the laxitive kind they sell at drug stores)?

Wonder

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

if this works well for all brands of wheels, front and rear? Thanks
much!

or save some $ and get some motor oil and boiled lindseed oil..about

$4

Quoted message said:

for both, will last for hundreds of wheels.

Oil was or is used to lubricate hubs and BBs on track bikes. The metal
rings in the center of some Campy, Shimano and other hubs covers a hole
for putting oil into the hubs. Some older BBs have covered holes for the
same reason.

Linseed oil is extracted from flax seed. Most "boiled" linseed oil
contains petroleum solvents and/or metallic dryers like manganese
compounds to speed drying and hardening paints and other protective
coatings. The volatile components of linseed oil will evaporate while
the remaining oil hardens through oxidation.

Linseed oil has little or no additives for creating lubricating boundary
layers to prevent metal to metal contact. Motor oil on the other hand
has extreme pressure additives to prevent metal to metal contact.

As linseed oil leaks out of the hubs and dries it will tend to leave a
hardened deposit that's hard to clean off.

Grease can help prolong bearing life by blocking the entry of dirt into
unsealed bearings.

Chas.

I'm just wanting to know, when I take the bearings/axle out of the hub,
what lubricant should I use in there (grease, oil, etc)? What do the
wheel makers use when it comes from the factory???

[email hidden said:

"]...what lubricant should I use in there (grease, oil, etc)?

What you SHOULD use is a fairly wide question, dependent on riding conditions, equipment, service intervals and your own personal preferences. I would however recommend grease. Since you're not going to be overly concerned with cost you might as well buy a high quality one, even a small packet will go a long way in terms of bike bearings.

Quoted post said:

What do the wheel makers use when it comes from the factory???

Grease is far more common. Type of grease may vary from rather nondescript general purpose automotive stuff to fairly exotic lithium compounds.

"Donald Gillies" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I thought I saw a Lennard Zinn article talking about using mineral

oil

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

to rebuild road bike hubs.

I don't think he meant mineral oil literally. There is a long lore
that vegetable-based oils do not work in cycling - they attract more
dirt and break down much sooner than mineral (which includes
petroleum) based oils. In other words, do NOT use 3-in-1 oil to oil
your bicycle's drivetrain, as this is a vegetable-based oil.

I first read about this, i believe, in Tom Kuthberson's famous book,
"Anybody's Bicycle Book", from the 1970's.

- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA

Linseed oil and similar drying oils form hardened films which make them
unsatisfactory for lubrication purposes.

Castor bean oil has been used as an engine lubricant for many years,
that's how Castrol originally got it's name. It's still used in some
racing engines, also 2 stroke model airplane engines.

There is a family of vegetable oils that are effective lubricants. They
are composed of fatty alcohols that contain long chain polymers which
act similar to extreme pressure additives to form a boundary layer to
prevent metal to metal contact in bearing surfaces.

Boelube was one of the first commercially available products. It's
mostly used for metal cutting applications. It was supposedly made from
jojoba bean oil. There's a commercial chainlube that claims to contain
Boelube.

http://www.orelube.com/pages/Boelube_prod/Boelube_Products.html

http://waynesword.palomar.edu/plmar99.htm#jojoba

Chas.

* * Chas said:

"Donald Gillies" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

I don't think he meant mineral oil literally. There is a long lore
that vegetable-based oils do not work in cycling - they attract more
dirt and break down much sooner than mineral (which includes
petroleum) based oils. In other words, do NOT use 3-in-1 oil to oil
your bicycle's drivetrain, as this is a vegetable-based oil.

I first read about this, i believe, in Tom Kuthberson's famous book,
"Anybody's Bicycle Book", from the 1970's.

- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA

Quoted message said:

Castor bean oil has been used as an engine lubricant for many years,
that's how Castrol originally got it's name. It's still used in some
racing engines, also 2 stroke model airplane engines.

Quoted message said:

There is a family of vegetable oils that are effective lubricants. They
are composed of fatty alcohols that contain long chain polymers which
act similar to extreme pressure additives to form a boundary layer to
prevent metal to metal contact in bearing surfaces.

Quoted message said:

Boelube was one of the first commercially available products. It's
mostly used for metal cutting applications. It was supposedly made from
jojoba bean oil. There's a commercial chainlube that claims to contain
Boelube.

I agree that castrol is a longstanding and successful engine motor
oil, and as you say, boelube seems to be also effective. However, I
think Cutherberson's argument was that the "open air durability" was
the problem with vegetable oils. As Castrol is used in a closed
system (engine), and jojoba oil is used for metal cutting which is a
decidedly short-term usage (hours, not months) pattern, i think the
assertion that vegetable-based oils are not good for chains and
open-air drivetrains is still defensible, although i don't know the
chemical property of vegetable oils that causes this problem ...

- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA, USA

"Donald Gillies" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

* * Chas said:

"Donald Gillies" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

I don't think he meant mineral oil literally. There is a long lore
that vegetable-based oils do not work in cycling - they attract

more

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

dirt and break down much sooner than mineral (which includes
petroleum) based oils. In other words, do NOT use 3-in-1 oil to

oil

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

your bicycle's drivetrain, as this is a vegetable-based oil.

I first read about this, i believe, in Tom Kuthberson's famous

book,

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

"Anybody's Bicycle Book", from the 1970's.

- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA

Quoted message said:

Castor bean oil has been used as an engine lubricant for many years,
that's how Castrol originally got it's name. It's still used in some
racing engines, also 2 stroke model airplane engines.

Quoted message said:

There is a family of vegetable oils that are effective lubricants.

They

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

are composed of fatty alcohols that contain long chain polymers which
act similar to extreme pressure additives to form a boundary layer to
prevent metal to metal contact in bearing surfaces.

Quoted message said:

Boelube was one of the first commercially available products. It's
mostly used for metal cutting applications. It was supposedly made

from

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

jojoba bean oil. There's a commercial chainlube that claims to

contain

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Boelube.

I agree that castrol is a longstanding and successful engine motor
oil, and as you say, boelube seems to be also effective. However, I
think Cutherberson's argument was that the "open air durability" was
the problem with vegetable oils. As Castrol is used in a closed
system (engine), and jojoba oil is used for metal cutting which is a
decidedly short-term usage (hours, not months) pattern, i think the
assertion that vegetable-based oils are not good for chains and
open-air drivetrains is still defensible, although i don't know the
chemical property of vegetable oils that causes this problem ...

- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA, USA

Don,

Except for their racing oils, Castrol engine oils are petroleum based.

I have some sample packs of the jojoba like cutting pastes and oils that
are over 20 years old and have not noticeably changed. It's called an
oil but it's more of a wax.

Boeshield T9 claims to use Boelube in their products. I've been trying
it for past few months but is seems to remain a little oily and it picks
up dust.

http://www.boeshield.com/

Sachs sold a "dry wax" liquid chain lube about 10-15 years ago. That was
my favorite. It kept my chains clean and shifting smoothly. No chairing
marks on my calf.

We started using Quaker State "fibrous" automotive wheel bearing grease
in our shop back in the 70's for hubs, BBs and headsets because it stays
in place. Over time (10 years or so) I found that the oil separated out
and left a hard to clean residue on the hubs and fork crown.

I've also used Phil grease which didn't break down very much over time
but would thin out in very hot weather. It's great if you repack
regularly or have seals to keep it in place.

I don't enjoy repacking bearings. I have about 6-7 sets of wheel that I
have to work on this winter along with a number of headsets. I bought a
can of Park grease which seems to be a little thicker than Phil grease.
I'm going to try that out.

Chas.

bfd said:

Quoted message said:

I thought I saw a Lennard Zinn article talking about using mineral oil
to rebuild road bike hubs. Is this normal? Do you just use any
mineral oil (like the laxitive kind they sell at drug stores)? Wonder
if this works well for all brands of wheels, front and rear? Thanks
much!

What's the point?! All you going to end up with is one big mess. Of
course, if you never planning on taking apart your hub to replace
bearings, then maybe it doesn't matter.

I say get some good grade 25 ball bearings and some nice grease like
white Pennzoil or Phil and be done with it!

http://www.pennzoil.com/products/greases/mp_705_white.html

Unless, as noted, your bike has disc brakes <g>! --D-y