# 3 in 1 oil as chain lube



## yzfrr11

Does anyone have experience with 3 in 1? I have become unhappy with Pro-Link. I think a light machine oil might be an excellent choice as long as I remove the excess lube completely.


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## MikeBiker

Give it a try and let us know how it works. As it is very thin, you may have to reapply it quite often.


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## Mel Erickson

Cost per ounce is pretty steep. Why not motor oil (regular or synthetic; straight or multi weight) mixed however you like it with mineral spirits (3:1, 4:1). This is the standard homebrew chain oil and is tried and true. Many who frequent these boards use it and swear by it. Keeps your chain lubed and clean.


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## Kerry Irons

*Machine oil?*

3 in 1 is now a brand name rather than a specific product. For example, there is a 3 in 1 brand 20w electric motor oil, which is petroleum based. It is my memory that the original 3 in 1 oil is vegetable based. If this is the case, it would perform VERY poorly in any kind of wet condidtions. I think people have tried this as a chain lube with poor luck. If they have changed the formulation to a petroleum base, then it might work. However, the problem with any direct oil is that it is hard to get it to penertrate the inner surfaces of the chain and hard to wipe off the excess to prevent dirt accumulation. This is the genius behind ProLink - the solvent allows it to penetrate and you can wipe off the solution easily. After the solvent evaporates, the chain is clean and free of excess exterior oil.


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## ARP

*My choice...*



yzfrr11 said:


> Does anyone have experience with 3 in 1? I have become unhappy with Pro-Link. I think a light machine oil might be an excellent choice as long as I remove the excess lube completely.


I have tried quite a few lubes.......Pedro's road synthetic, Finish line teflon spray and drip type, oil, WD40, over a number of years. Before they had a specified cycle lube. I was out for a ride one day and was in this little town that had your basic farmers hardware store. Went in and poked around for a bit and just out of curiosity asked what they had in a chain lube. Clerk pointed me to their selection and I found this stuff made by CRC. It is a spray lube called Power lube, has parafinic oil in it. Sticky in the sense that it does not fling off, wax is in it (parafin) so it has some quieting of the drive train tendency. I probably get about 300-500 miles per application depending upon conditions. Cheap too, something like $3.50 a can. Lasts several years. Cleans as you apply, spray and wipe. Alot of gunk comes off the chain when you lube.


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## C-40

*hven't you heard of homebrew??*

Mineral spirits and synthetic motor oil, mixed as heavy as 3/1 or as light as 6/1 works great to clean and lube a chain. The biggest mistake most folks make is not lubing frequently enough. IMO, 300-500 miles between lube intervals won't get you much chain life. The chain is not protected from the intrusion of dust and dirt, so even the best lube becomes a grinding paste pretty quick. Just because it doesn't squeak doesn't mean it's well lubed. An oily abrasive will keep the chain silent, but do little to prevent wear.

My recent experiments with applying homebrew after nearly every ride indicate that the chain life may be doubled or tripled with this frequent application.


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## MikeBiker

Lone Gunman said:


> I have tried quite a few lubes.......Pedro's road synthetic, Finish line teflon spray and drip type, oil, WD40, over a number of years. Before they had a specified cycle lube. I was out for a ride one day and was in this little town that had your basic farmers hardware store. Went in and poked around for a bit and just out of curiosity asked what they had in a chain lube. Clerk pointed me to their selection and I found this stuff made by CRC. It is a spray lube called Power lube, has parafinic oil in it. Sticky in the sense that it does not fling off, wax is in it (parafin) so it has some quieting of the drive train tendency. I probably get about 300-500 miles per application depending upon conditions. Cheap too, something like $3.50 a can. Lasts several years. Cleans as you apply, spray and wipe. Alot of gunk comes off the chain when you lube.


Chainsaw lube?


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## mcjerry

*Mineral spirits??*



C-40 said:


> Mineral spirits and synthetic motor oil, mixed as heavy as 3/1 or as light as 6/1 works great to clean and lube a chain. The biggest mistake most folks make is not lubing frequently enough. IMO, 300-500 miles between lube intervals won't get you much chain life. The chain is not protected from the intrusion of dust and dirt, so even the best lube becomes a grinding paste pretty quick. Just because it doesn't squeak doesn't mean it's well lubed. An oily abrasive will keep the chain silent, but do little to prevent wear.
> 
> My recent experiments with applying homebrew after nearly every ride indicate that the chain life may be doubled or tripled with this frequent application.



By mineral spirits, do you mean paint thinner? The other day I was out on my senior friendly triple. The bottom crank seemed to be creaking while struggling up steep inclines in the lowest gear. Before I tear into the bottom bracket I will try treating the chain. Perhaps the creak was due to improper lubing technique. Can only hope right? I have gotten old enough to look for the easy solution first. 

thx, Jerry


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## C-40

*yes, paint thinner...*

Mineral spirits is also called paint thinner (for oil-base paint). It's also a great chain cleaner, genal degreaser and harmlessly removes road tar from your car or bike's paint.

The key is frequent, heavy application followed by thorough wiping. It's crucial to have an applicator bottle with a very small hole to avoid too much run-off. I hold a paper towel, folded eight layers thick under the chain to catch the excess.

Old Prolink bottles make good applicators. I made mine from a hair color applicator bottle. Use my soldering iron to melt the tip closed. Then a very small drill or a heated pin can be used to make a new, smaller hole.

If your chain is squeaking, it must be severly neglected. Better check it for wear (12-1/16 inch maximum length for 24 pins). Clean it thoroughly before appling homebrew of apply the lube several times for a crude cleaning.


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## Spinfinity

*I have a can of 3 in One in my desk drawer.*

It was left in the desk by its previous user. I use it to silence hinges around the office. The specific product is Household Oil and it says contains petroleum distillates. I have used it on my chain after wet rides to work, but it's kind of thin and doesn't last well especially in wet conditions. It stays quite clean, but I think that it's price and short life would make it expensive. Air tool oil is similar, costs less, and lasts longer.


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## Mel Erickson

I use an old water bottle and drizzle it on liberally. I put an old towel on the garage floor to catch the excess.


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## Kerry Irons

*Some definition*



Lone Gunman said:


> It is a spray lube called Power lube, has parafinic oil in it. Sticky in the sense that it does not fling off, wax is in it (parafin) so it has some quieting of the drive train tendency.


Let's be clear here. A straight chain hydrocarbon is referred to as parafinic. If the chain is short, it is an oil. If the chain is long, it is a wax. If the chain is really long and slightly branched, it is polyethylene. Parafinic oils are/were considered the best lubricating oils, and back in the day, Pennzoil was advertised as made from "pure Pennsylvania" crude oil. This oil was prized because it had a high parafin content. This does not, in any way, suggest that the oil contains wax. A good oil, with the appropriate viscosity, will not fling off and will quiet the chain.


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## Kerry Irons

*Distillates*



rusa1586 said:


> The specific product is Household Oil and it says contains petroleum distillates.


Typically, petroleum distillates refers to solvents, not oils. The content notice is there for poison control folks. Technically, anything that you can get to go through a distillation column is a distillate, but the general use of the term refers to solvents. Who knows what the actual lubricant is in 3 in 1 Household Oil.


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## Oldteen

The classic 3-in-1 (still sold as a specific product- I have 2 bottles on my bench now) is rather light. It is more of a solvent than a lube & is easily cleaned up with soap & water. I would expect it to do VERY poorly in wet conditions.
FWIW- My fav chain lube is White Lightning. Lasts about as long as anything. Seems to loosen more crude than other lubes when I wipe the chain down during application.

A clean & lubed chain lasts. A dry gritty chain dies a quick death- usu at the WORST possible time.


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## dagger

*Homebrews and distillates*

Not a good topic if your a recovering alcoholic


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## asgelle

*edited*

not happy with post


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## stevee

Gunk Cycle and Farm Equipment lube comes in a can with the straw applicator. It goes on thin and the solvents evaporate quickly. I sometimes use Three in One on my beater bikes because I like the new applicator on the plastic container. I run the chain thru one of the many red rags that I find on the roadside, and still have to do a cleanup job on the rear wheel after the first ride. I see chains on other folks bikes sometimes that look like they've never been lubed.


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## quickKarl

*Lube*

i work in a ford dealership in service. currently there is a recall going on to clean and lube door latches on focuses. the recall kit has a can of cleaner-lube in a spray can and the techs never need all of it for the recall.
i decided to try it for a chain lube, so far has been working pretty good, first spray and wipe to clean, then spray and wipe again to lube.
cost 0, if you know someone that works in ford service have them get you some.
i grabbed a can here's whats in it
isopropanal, stoddard solvent. propane, petro distillates,hydrotreated heavy paraffinic,
isobutane, n-butylaceetate.
this isnt a recomendation, just something i'm trying.
karl


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## Kerry Irons

*Hard to say what's in it*



quickKarl said:


> here's whats in it: isopropanal, stoddard solvent. propane, petro distillates,hydrotreated heavy paraffinic, isobutane, n-butylaceetate.


This is quite a Duke's mix. The isobutane and propane are the propellants (assuming this is an aerosol), petroleum distillates can be mineral spirits, kerosene, white spirits, naphtha, or Stoddard solvent, so that may mean more solvent or just another way to say Stoddard solvent, which is basically mineral spirits (paint thinner). I assume that both the isopropanol and n-butylacetate are to pick up water. This leaves only the hydrotreated heavy parafinic as the actual lubricant. That combination of words doesn't tell you much, but it probably is just plain parafinic oil. The industry is full of euphemistic descriptions that allow you to characterize the toxicity of a mixture without knowing what is really in it (trade secret protection, doncha know).


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## ARP

*Also available as Power Lube with Teflon*



Lone Gunman said:


> I have tried quite a few lubes.......Pedro's road synthetic, Finish line teflon spray and drip type, oil, WD40, over a number of years. Before they had a specified cycle lube. I was out for a ride one day and was in this little town that had your basic farmers hardware store. Went in and poked around for a bit and just out of curiosity asked what they had in a chain lube. Clerk pointed me to their selection and I found this stuff made by CRC. It is a spray lube called Power lube, has parafinic oil in it. Sticky in the sense that it does not fling off, wax is in it (parafin) so it has some quieting of the drive train tendency. I probably get about 300-500 miles per application depending upon conditions. Cheap too, something like $3.50 a can. Lasts several years. Cleans as you apply, spray and wipe. Alot of gunk comes off the chain when you lube.


In a larger size can, if it matters to any riders. I need to find a local source.


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## likeguymontag

Kerry Irons said:


> This is quite a Duke's mix. [...] I assume that both the isopropanol and n-butylacetate are to pick up water.


You should note that he wrote isopropanal, and not isopropanol. (the aldehyde, not the alcohol) I don't know enough about industrial chemistry to make guesses about which one is actually in there, and I'm just picking nits anyway.


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## Kerry Irons

*Wow!*



likeguymontag said:


> You should note that he wrote isopropanal, and not isopropanol. (the aldehyde, not the alcohol) I don't know enough about industrial chemistry to make guesses about which one is actually in there, and I'm just picking nits anyway.


Good eyes! I never considered that it might contain an aldehyde. That said, my bet is on a typo. I can't imagine why an aldehyde would be in there, except perhaps to provide a sweet smell


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## dagger

*Yowww*



Kerry Irons said:


> This is quite a Duke's mix. The isobutane and propane are the propellants (assuming this is an aerosol), petroleum distillates can be mineral spirits, kerosene, white spirits, naphtha, or Stoddard solvent, so that may mean more solvent or just another way to say Stoddard solvent, which is basically mineral spirits (paint thinner). I assume that both the isopropanol and n-butylacetate are to pick up water. This leaves only the hydrotreated heavy parafinic as the actual lubricant. That combination of words doesn't tell you much, but it probably is just plain parafinic oil. The industry is full of euphemistic descriptions that allow you to characterize the toxicity of a mixture without knowing what is really in it (trade secret protection, doncha know).


All those chemicals must cause sterility or brain tumors or something.


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## quickKarl

*O*

it is an o not a. and it is an aerosol. the stuff cleans and lubes the door latches very good,, they have a problem of gumming up then not working, 

karl


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