FAQ to the SILCA Customer Service Team
- What is the best Chain treatment for me?
This is the most common question that I get! Whether you should be using Hot melt wax, Super Secret Chain Lube, or Synergetic depends primarily on how much effort you're willing to put in for maximum chain efficiency. Hot Melt Wax is going to be our fastest option, but to get the full benefit you will have to put in some time prepping and waxing your chain. Super Secret Chain Lube is our next fastest lubricant and takes a bit less effort than the Hot Melt Wax to apply, but it still requires a really clean chain for the first application and needs time to fully set on the chain. Synergetic is our third fastest option and can be applied right on top of factory lube and requires no time to set. Josh does a great job breaking down this question in this video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BioDifO22uE
- What sort of maintenance should I be performing on my pump?
Our pumps are built to last you for many years to come, and with just a bit of maintenance, you can ensure that you're getting the best performance possible! For routine maintenance, add a bit of lubricant to the leather gasket about once every year (or more if you live in a dry or salty environment). I like to do this in the winter when the air is a bit dryer as this can affect the gasket. You can check out this video here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_7yyzR6SmU) to see how this is done. Other than that, just replacing the chuck gasket every 3 to 5 years will be all that you need to do to keep your pump working well. If you find yourself needing to do a complete restoration, check out this video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPt94ADMkWc
- Which replacement gasket will be compatible with my chuck?
Every 3-5 years, you may find that your chuck is not creating a seal on the valve stem quite as good as it did before. If that happens, then it's time to pick up a new chuck gasket. We offer a few chuck replacement gaskets: the 242, 323, 254, and 252. The 254 is compatible with the Hirochuck. The 252 is compatible with the Disc Wheel Adapter. The 242 is compatible with any of our bell-shaped Presta chucks. The 323 is compatible with the modern Impero Ultimate, Pocket Impero, and Reversible Chuck. You can see how to install new gaskets in this video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhi0BABpFFo
- Which replacement leather gasket is compatible with my pump?
The best way to determine the size leather gasket that you need is to measure the internal diameter of your pump barrel. If you get 28mm, then you will need the 731 leather gasket. Most pumps produced before 2008 will have an internal diameter of 28mm. If you get a measurement of 30mm, then you will want to pick up the 741 leather gasket. To see how to lubricate a new leather gasket, check out this video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXPesPm_FNI
What other questions do you have that we can answer for you? Leave them in the comments here and we will answer as many as we can! Happy riding!
@Scott you can use UFO Drip but it was designed to work best with Super Secret. The materials in Hot Wax are approved for paint additives in water which means it is incredibly safe. I wouldn’t recommend it though because I don’t think WS2 would taste very good in your instant pot recipes. Getting a dedicated wax insert is what we would recommend so you can keep the wax in there when it dries as well.
1. does instapot after waxing ok to use for cooking food with?
2 I have ufo drip lube still can I use it over the hot wax treatment ?
@Robert there is no need to heat up the Super Secret Chain Lube. Some other wax based drip lubes ask for that step because they have an issue penetrating into the chain. Super Secret doesn’t have that issue so there is no need to heat the lubricant or chain.
Quick question. Would it be helpful to heat up the chain when applying the Super Secret chain lube?
@Anton we do not offer it as a service but we do have multiple pre-waxed chain offerings.
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