WD40 on pedals
Trevor McIlroy
and how often should I reapply it?
THANKS!
Sheldon Brown
Trevor McIlroy asked:
>
> Is WD40 ok to use on pedals?
No, it is a very short-lived lube.
>If not what is a good clipless pedal lube
> and how often should I reapply it?
I put a drop of Phil Wood oil on each spring and pivot point of the cleat
retention mechanism, and lubricate the edge of the moveable jaw that grabs the
cleat with a dab of grease.
It should be done after every rainy ride.
Sheldon "As Needed" Brown
Newtonville, Massachusetts
+---------------------------------------------------+
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+---------------------------------------------------+
Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts
Phone 617-244-1040 FAX 617-244-1041
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Daniel Nguyen
Chris Allen wrote:
> In article <35F1AB11...@sheldonbrown.com>, Capt...@sheldonbrown.com wrote:
> >[posted & mailed]
> >
> >Trevor McIlroy asked:
> >>
> >> Is WD40 ok to use on pedals?
> >
> >No, it is a very short-lived lube.
>
> Actually, I read somewhere (an article about wd40 and one of it's main
> competitors in it's early days) that it was never designed to be used as a
> normal lubricant. It was designed to be a water dispacer first and lubricant
> second.
>
> >
> >>If not what is a good clipless pedal lube
> >> and how often should I reapply it?
> >
> >I put a drop of Phil Wood oil on each spring and pivot point of the cleat
> >retention mechanism, and lubricate the edge of the moveable jaw that grabs the
> >cleat with a dab of grease.
>
> You don't hear much about Phil Wood oil anymore. I guess it's not as sexy as
> the alternatives these days. Still, when we were slogging thru a really wet
> winter/spring in Northern VA, it was PW Tenacious oil on my chain. I went
> thru a bottle of that stuff in 4 months this time around. When I was using it
> in the past, a bottle lasted nearly a year (these times are for mtn biking).
> I only stopped using it because it was getting hard to find. Now, I only use
> it when it's sloppy out. It's a bit too messy for my tastes these days
> (Boeshield seems to be working well for all but the nastiest conditions).
>
> Chris
Chris Allen
Kenneth Clamer
If you read the container, WD40 is not really a lubricant. It is more of
a cleaner than anything. I believe the active ingredient is kerosene.
I guess it would be okay to use. However, i would follow up with your
usual lubricant.
Ken
Trevor McIlroy wrote:
> Is WD40 ok to use on pedals? If not what is a good clipless pedal lube
>
> and how often should I reapply it?
> THANKS!
K. Vern Faulkner
: Is WD40 ok to use on pedals? If not what is a good clipless pedal lube
WD40? WD40 is horrid for just about anywhere on a bike. It is a solvent,
which means it kills lubricants. If you see a bike store with the stuff,
walk out. Promptly.
Stuff is hell.
Paul Bunchuk
agree that using it as a lubricant is not a good idea, but after a good ride
in the wet and mud using it on your pedals won't hurt a thing.
Paul B.
Ft. Lauderdale, Fl
__o
_ '\<,
(:)/(:)
Chris Allen
intended purposes (water displacement, unfreezing stuck bolts, etc).
Chris
Lumpy
> : Is WD40 ok to use on pedals? If not what is a good clipless pedal lube
K. Vern wrote:
> WD40 is horrid for just about anywhere on a bike. It is a solvent,
> which means it kills lubricants.
Lumpy writes:
WD40 seems to be quite a penetrant. At the police academy, the
instructors showed us quite a convincing demonstration.
A normal Smith & Wesson model 10 38 revolver loaded with
6 rounds of typical police ammo. Fires just fine.
Then they loaded it up again and sprayed WD40 all over
the pistol. Waited just 60 seconds and tried to fire
it again. Results varied each time it was done but
there were suddenly 2 or more (sometimes all 6)
cartridges that would not fire. The WD40 penetrated
the casing and made the gunpowder useless.
In order for it to penetrate it had to get through
either the primer to brass case joint, sealed with
varnish, or the bullet to case joint, which is crimped
brass to brass with bullet grease between the two
surfaces.
The demonstration was to convince us young cops not to
do what some of the older, lazy cops did which was never
clean the gun, just spray it. Sometimes while still in
the holster. Could get us killed.
On a bike, I'd be afraid the WD would penetrate O rings
and so forth, and dilute the grease packing in the bearings.
'Still Alive' Lumpy
--
World's Ugliest Cables
http://www.digitalcartography.com/cables.shtml
~
Colorado Front Range Repeaters - Maps & Aerial Views
http://www.digitalcartography.com/repeaters.htm
danh...@millcomm.com
>
> Is WD40 ok to use on pedals?
Pedals should be disassembled and the bearings repacked with grease.
Dan Hicks
Hey!! My advice is free -- take it for what it's worth!
http://www.millcomm.com/~danhicks
danh...@millcomm.com
>WD40 has its place. When you need to displace water it can't be beat. I
>agree that using it as a lubricant is not a good idea, but after a good ride
>in the wet and mud using it on your pedals won't hurt a thing.
And an old toothbrush and a half-can of WD40 can do a pretty good job of
cleaning a gunky deraileur. Not especially ecological, of course, but
fairly quick and effective. Of course, the deraileur should be lubed
afterwards.
K. Vern Faulkner
: >Stuff is hell.
: Not really. Be frightened only if they sell it as lube. It's great for it's
: intended purposes (water displacement, unfreezing stuck bolts, etc).
If that stuff gets *anywhere* near bearings, it can penetrate and break
down the lubriants there.. not fun.
--
You might be a bike weenie, if:
You see a fit, tanned, lycra-clad young woman ride by,
and the first thing you check out is her bicycle.
Joseph
side boxes with a hasp. it is exposed to the weather 365 days a year. About
once every 3 months it becomes difficult to close. I spray it with wd 40 and
it's good for another 3 months. the lock is about 7 yrs. old. I conclude
that it does have some lubricating qualities.
K. Vern Faulkner wrote:
> Trevor McIlroy (tmci...@telusplanet.net) wrote:
> : Is WD40 ok to use on pedals? If not what is a good clipless pedal lube
>
Cy Galley
being screwed up by WD40.
The lock on my building at Oshkosh Wisconsin in exposed to the elements year
round; rain snow, ice, sun, wind... We have yet do any additional
lubrication other than what came from the Master Lock factory. It has
opened without any problem each year for 15 years.
WD40 has wax in it. It gums up locks so you have re-do-it often. The
proper lock lube is graphite. Doesn't get sticky, attract dirt, not gum up.
Joseph wrote in message <35F43A21...@erols.com>...
Rich Gibbs
wrote:
>> Trevor wrote:
>> : Is WD40 ok to use on pedals? If not what is a good clipless pedal lube
>
>K. Vern wrote:
>> WD40 is horrid for just about anywhere on a bike. It is a solvent,
>> which means it kills lubricants.
>
>Lumpy writes:
>WD40 seems to be quite a penetrant. At the police academy, the
>instructors showed us quite a convincing demonstration.
>
WD-40 (at least in its aerosol form) is about half solvent (mineral
spirits), along with a little oil, the propellant, and some other
inert ingredients. It's a fair cleaner/solvent, but not a good
choice for any long-term lubrication. (Most of what you spray on
will evaporate in very short order.)
If you've been riding in a rainstorm, you might use WD-40 to clean off
your pedals -- but lubricate them afterwards with at least a medium
weight oil.
WD-40 has been considered akin to duct tape for a reason ...
--
Rich Gibbs
Rich....@his.com
Rich Gibbs
wrote:
>Just think how well and long it would work with the proper lubricate and not
>being screwed up by WD40.
>
[SNIP]
>
> WD40 has wax in it. It gums up locks so you have re-do-it often. The
>proper lock lube is graphite. Doesn't get sticky, attract dirt, not gum up.
>
>Joseph wrote in message <35F43A21...@erols.com>...
>>I have a master padlock that I use on my work truck. The lock is used on
>the
>>side boxes with a hasp. it is exposed to the weather 365 days a year. About
>>once every 3 months it becomes difficult to close. I spray it with wd 40
>and
>>it's good for another 3 months. the lock is about 7 yrs. old. I conclude
>>that it does have some lubricating qualities.
WD-40 is one of those topics that appears regularly here, kind of like
ragweed. :-) Should this be in the FAQ? ;-)
There have been many opinions posted here on WD-40's composition, but
here is what the Material Safety Data Sheet [MSDS] says (it's from Oct
93, the latest I could find):
50% Stoddard solvent (mineral spirits) [8052-41-3]
25% Liquified petroleum gas (presumably as a propellant)
[68476-85-7]
15+% Mineral Oil (light lubricating oil) [64742-65-0]
10-% Inert ingredients
(The numbers in square brackets '[]' are the CAS numbers for the
ingredients, as listed in the MSDS.)
Mostly, WD-40 is a solvent, with a bit of light oil mixed in. It
doesn't contain wax (except incidentally, since it's not exactly a
reagent-grade product).
Personally, I use it sometimes for small cleaning jobs, but it's not a
particularly good lubricant for anything that I can think of, offhand.
--
Rich Gibbs
Rich....@his.com
"Light. Cheap. Durable. Choose any two." -- Keith Bontrager
frank....@dol.net
years ago I tried a Teflon based lubricant and after a few weeks of use the
chain started to rust. FYI cas numbers (Chemical Abstracts - American
Chemical Society) are unique numbers (like Dewey decimal system) for a
specific chemical. Frank
In article <35f5f954....@news4.his.com>,
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N Shea
>WD-40 is great for bicycle chains. WD stands for water displacing. Several
>years ago I tried a Teflon based lubricant and after a few weeks of use the
>chain started to rust. FYI cas numbers (Chemical Abstracts - American
>Chemical Society) are unique numbers (like Dewey decimal system) for a
>specific chemical. Frank
If you're only interested in displacing water from a bicycle chain, then I
guess WD-40 is OK.
Some folks mistakenly think it is also a good lubricant, and your statement
that it works "great for bicycle chains" implies that too. I suggest you check
Deja News for previous discussions on this matter.
NS
TBGibb
>WD-40 is great for bicycle chains. WD stands for water displacing. Several
>years ago I tried a Teflon based lubricant and after a few weeks of use the
>chain started to rust.
How long do your chains last (I really am interested)? I tried WD-40 years ago
and ruined a chain and freewheel in a hurry. It does a good job of flushing at
least some of the grit in the chain out, but I must not have gotten it all out
or something.
Tom Gibb <TBG...@aol.com>
Boris Mohar
Some of the dirt that you did not get out was loosened and found new
home in the rollers. I use WD40 a s a flame thrower to destroy tent
caterpillar nests in my yard.
Regards
Boris Mohar
VIATRACK printed circuit designs
Nick Kies
to maintain their bikes. Sure put it on your chain let it increase
your chain wear and goop up your chain with crap. When I want to clean
my chain I use water and soap and a brush. I wipe and let stand for a
minuter or two then oil, wipe again and then oil and wipe. This takes
care of the water problems and keeps the chain in good shape.
I clean my bike nearly every ride when it is real muddy and/or wet
out. My chain is not rusty, I don't have chain suck problems and
everything works nice.
Any shop or person puts WD-40 on my bike will get read the riot act.
Remember when you put the oil on after the WD 40 the WD-40 is still
there breaking down the oil. If you don't like water on your chain
then use citrus, especially in a humid area. Since I live in Marin
humidity is not a problem.
On Wed, 09 Sep 1998 11:09:06 GMT, frank....@dol.net wrote:
>WD-40 is great for bicycle chains. WD stands for water displacing. Several
>years ago I tried a Teflon based lubricant and after a few weeks of use the
>chain started to rust. FYI cas numbers (Chemical Abstracts - American
>Chemical Society) are unique numbers (like Dewey decimal system) for a
>specific chemical. Frank
>
S. Evans
>
> These people that use WD 40 for lubricant likely don't even know how
> to maintain their bikes. Sure put it on your chain let it increase
> your chain wear and goop up your chain with crap. When I want to clean
> my chain I use water and soap and a brush. I wipe and let stand for a
> minuter or two then oil, wipe again and then oil and wipe. This takes
> care of the water problems and keeps the chain in good shape.
>
> I clean my bike nearly every ride when it is real muddy and/or wet
> out. My chain is not rusty, I don't have chain suck problems and
> everything works nice.
>
> Any shop or person puts WD-40 on my bike will get read the riot act.
> Remember when you put the oil on after the WD 40 the WD-40 is still
> there breaking down the oil. If you don't like water on your chain
> then use citrus, especially in a humid area. Since I live in Marin
> humidity is not a problem.
>
> On Wed, 09 Sep 1998 11:09:06 GMT, frank....@dol.net wrote:
WD-40 works about as well as White Lightening. Or maybe I should
rephrase that to read, they work equally poorly.
Steve Evans
Bob Cardone
I got about 5,000 miles on a chain with White Lightning. I doubt you
could get 500 miles using WD40 as a Lubricant
Bob Cardone