Dagillespie wrote:
What is state of the art in lube practice. Is marine grease the answer? What about running the drive completely dry, and letting the water be the lubricant.
I'm a big fan of marine grease for the 3 main shafts -- drum shaft, sprocket shaft and idler shaft. It lasts well over time, but eventually dries out and should be replaced annually. In over 6000 miles I think I have had one instance of sand intrusion and I don't think the grease had anything to do with it. But then again, I don't normally expose the Drives to sand. If sand gets in your bearing surfaces, it usually doesn't wash out, with or without grease. Using water as a lube usually results in squeaks.I use a light oil (like Break Free) for all other moving parts (chain links, pedals, etc). It does wash out pretty fast, so a more frequent application may be necessary. I like WD-40 as a corrosion inhibitor on exposed cable parts, hardware, etc., but not as a lube. There may be better products such as Tom's Bioshield. Silicon works OK, but also washes out pretty fast.
Be sure to rinse your Drive well after salt water use.
