The whole concept of having an o-ring is to trap the lubricant, in this case, grease, where the critical wear area is, the pins. My advice if you want chain longevity is to buy a laser alignment tool $75, set your chain up exactly as it was meant to be and keep it clean. Do not use any solvents in cleaning because you will deplete and degrade that grease you want to stay behind the o-ring. If it's too late and you have already washed your chain with with a WD-40 type product, you might want to get a Scottoiler, now you need one. I spray a gun action dri lube on my sprockets and clean the chain with one of those brushes Fast Eddy sells. I get the most a chain/sprocket will give with this protocol.
