makin a bike that little bit easyer

[black'n'yellow]

in fact the bottom bracket shell would have a hole through which to inject oil,

or grease, perhaps...

 

[Big boy]

those caps were for oil, grease is injected through a grease nipple.
Oil works as its called a lubricant ....
Grease also works after all thats what bike bearings are coated in from new.
A few drops of oil wil not wash away all the grease, but may break it down a little.
Someone said about topping up the oil mid ride , i like that one.
For years people have been oiling various types of chain with oil, non of them noticed it all on the floor after a few revolutions.
(strange that)
Any way at the end of the day rightly or wrongly thats what i do, the more important part of my original post was setting up the badly adjusted bearings.
Im off to de rust my bearings......

 

[Teuchter]

My 70s Raleigh gets its bottom bracket oiled with a squirt of oil down the inside of the seat tube at the same time as I oil the Sturmey Archer 3 speed hub. Worked fine on that bike for the several years I've had it.

 

[Big boy]

Thank you Teuchter.
I had one of those chopper bikes with the sturmey archer gears.
I took the gear shifter off it and put it on my normal bike, while peddling hard one day the gear slipped.
I hame down right on the gear shift , lol right in the spuds.
The only thing that held me up when i stopped was the bike, the gear shifter came off the same day

 

[Drago]

In the old days, before these molybdenum or wax based chain lubes, 3in one or light oil reigned supreme. No one noticed it running off their chain as within half a mile itd flung itself to king done come.

Those holes on the underside of bottom brackets were drain hole, although many would merrily squirt 3 in 1 in there. A lubricant port conveniently placed for the oil to dribble back out is even more useless than my design for an underwater hair dryer.

 

[compo]

In the old days, before these molybdenum or wax based chain lubes, 3in one or light oil reigned supreme. No one noticed it running off their chain as within half a mile itd flung itself to king done come.

Those holes on the underside of bottom brackets were drain hole, although many would merrily squirt 3 in 1 in there. A lubricant port conveniently placed for the oil to dribble back out is even more useless than my design for an underwater hair dryer.

In

In the old days, before these molybdenum or wax based chain lubes, 3in one or light oil reigned supreme. No one noticed it running off their chain as within half a mile itd flung itself to king done come.

Those holes on the underside of bottom brackets were drain hole, although many would merrily squirt 3 in 1 in there. A lubricant port conveniently placed for the oil to dribble back out is even more useless than my design for an underwater hair dryer.

my earlier post I was referring to oil holes on top of the BB shell as

 

[Drago]

Lordy, not seen one of those before! Yeah, the oil will work its way out but keep it topped up and that's do the trick very nicely. Sonething like gear oil? A bit heavier so slower to run out, and a bit clingy too.

 

[TheDoctor]

*random twaddle deleted*
Any way at the end of the day rightly or wrongly thats what i do

I don't care if 'that's what you do', you're still wrong.
Using oil instead of grease is a supremely bad idea.

 

[black'n'yellow]

Lordy, not seen one of those before! Yeah, the oil will work its way out but keep it topped up and that's do the trick very nicely. Sonething like gear oil? A bit heavier so slower to run out, and a bit clingy too.

I know - what about grease..? That might do it.....

 

[Drago]

Yep, if it were mine id tap a thread into a hole and fit a grease nipple.

 

[compo]

Yep, if it were mine id tap a thread into a hole and fit a grease nipple.

On one of my motorbikes years ago I drilled grease channels in each end of the swinging arm shaft, then tapped and fitted grease nipples. This allowed good lubrication of the swing arm bushes without any dismantling. A similar arrangement could have been utilised in bicycle BB spindles. Obviously those with decent racing bikes wouldn't want grease nipples sticking out but on shop bikes and utility bikes it could have been a useful system. Of course on modern bikes with sealed BB bearings such a system would be irrelevant.

 

[Big boy]

Hi Drago as far as i know no one mentioned a hole at the bottom of the bottom bracket.
Years back there was , on some bikes like a little lid that you could put oil in.
There was a little sprung lid to keep dirt from going in.
Things have moved on a lot since those days, theres now alsorts of lubricants sprays etc.
I got into a conversation with a bunch of mechanics, they were talkin about a rally car engine run with no iol.
Make sure you read this next bit.
It had been running on castrol magnatek, the oil that they claimed to stick to your engine parts.
After a strip down of the said engine (as far as i remember) the engine was more or less good to go.
Dont think for one moment im gonna try it lol, but i thaught it had some revelace to this thread.

 

[sean8997]

Can I just say it's a good job this thread wasn't in an English exam, grade F based on spelling!!!

 

[Profpointy]

I find the grease orrible i striped a wheel down once to find the grease like wax.
All crusty and this was on a nearly new bike.
The internal combustion engine does ok on oil lol so does my bike
On my cycling trips im the weekest link without any doubt
We all have our ways of doing things, what i posted is the way i look after my bikes.

Not quite right though... Wheel bearings (and the like) on cars are not lubricated with engine oil, but usually with grease, or transmission oil if part of something else. For the sake of a couple of quid for a lifetime's supply better to use the right stuff on the right part. Oil for oily things (chain?), and grease for greasy things (hubs and bb) and coppaslip for things like pedal-to-crank which you want to get undone later. Of course any old oil / grease is probably better than neglect, but hey ho

 

[Big boy]

I don't care if 'that's what you do', you're still wrong.
Using oil instead of grease is a supremely bad idea.

I never said i use oil instead of grease, i said i ad a few drops of oil.
any way we been there done it, if you want the last word end of thread.