Oil Change: "The Black Stuff"

[jawj]

Whilst posting random fings on this forum, I've been doing my second oil change. Here's some observations.

Only got about 20ml of fluid out, despite putting 20ml of cleaning oil in, but it's been over a year and probably well over 5000km since the last change and I had a couple of leaks when the bike was  on its side.

(Actually, now I come to think about it, I did a mini-tour a few months back that involved a bit of wild camping. I left my bike on its side overnight in the woods to make my little camp less visible to gamekeepers, landowners and other folk who'll be sorry when Scotland's enlightned laws make it down here. Anyway, probably didn't help the leakage.)

Reused drain screw, with a dab of Loctite 243.

Don't get the oil on your carpet, it's very black. This seems like a good place to plug my favourite EVER cleaning tip learned through many years of inappropriately maintaining my bike inside various student/rented flats/houses:
Got some mucky black stuff on the carpet? No probs, just spray it with GT85 and rub with a clean rag. Stain's gone! (Yeah, yeah, test on an inconspicuous bit of carpet first, etc.)

Right, now to fit a new BB and chainset and reverse the Rohloff sprocket. Am I pushing my luck for today...?

[istokm]

hello
i would like to know wich oil to use and wich cleaner to use if i can not get rohloff original set. me in central america and here no way to get rohloff set. im much over 5000 already and need to change oil badly. thank you, istokm

[expr]

Hello,

unfortunately there is no alternative oil that you can use. The rohloff oil has been developed to work in a number of ways including its use with the plastic parts that are also in the hub, IE the silent ring, the shifting shaft seal and the torque transfer joints.

By using any other oil, you will increase the risk of failure and damage to the hub, you must use the rohloff hub oil. The plastic parts in the hub will swell and become irreversibly damaged.

[stutho]

I have to agree with expr. 

Being tied to only using Rohloff oil is one  of the very few down sides of using a Rohloff.  My advice would go for the 1 litre can of both the oil and the flush - It works out MUCH cheaper in the long run.  It is also less hassle in the long run  - knowing that you have oil on the shelf in the garage rather than resourcing it every year.

Without a doubt  this is a pain to the wallet  but 1 litre  probably represents a lifetime supply so you will only have to do this once.

Regards

Stutho

[Cake]

I did this myself when i first bought my RT - it was a tad expensive at the time, but that pain has long since faded!

I know it would annoy me every time i had to fork out for an oil change kit.  And if i want to change the oil after 2000 instead of 3000 thousand miles i don't think twice about it.

As Stutho says, its a lifetimes supply.

[geocycle]

Did my third change at the weekend.  All went smoothly, I was concerned that the loctite I used last year might have made the drain screw a problem but fortunately not.  I agree about the economics of bulk purchasing.  I was part of a group from this forum who split the two oils 4 ways.  The problem is that 1L is several lifetime's worth.  Based on an annual change and 15ml units, 1L would last 66 years!  It is not very helpful of Rohloff to supply in these quantities.  I've re-used the syringe and tubing although the marking has rubbed off the syringe now and it looks a bit grubby.

Is the problem for istokm that he/she cannot import oil?  There are sometimes issues with inflammable liquids to some countries.