Drive Chain Opions Wanted

[Kopfjaeger]

Agree with you JCainFJ. Use Shell chain lube myself. Every time it feels soggy in the arse end but doesn't "quite" need a chain tension, everytime it rains, after every wash, after every look at and when I hear a "rattle" or "thunk" under acceleration. This is like the oil thread i imagine and horses for courses, have known guys to just use old engine oil on their drive chain and that's it so as i say each to their own, but the tensions and pressures that it's put under, I wasn't joking when I said I wouldn't want to one to go and try to wrap itself around something or me. two biggest fears are no brakes and chain let go. I think I'm a freak in the sense that I lube my chain from the inside out. Figure centrifical force will help flick it into the chain rather than flick out all over my tyre and the road has worked thus far so ...nyeh ... who knows.  happy riding.!!

[andyb]

I'd agree with Jon except that when I used various other products for years and always had a difficult time cleaning the chain, and the lube picking up dirt very quickly, my chain life was always poor.  Chains today are really pretty good, but the biggest wear-causing things I can think of are rust and grit.  WD-40 removes the latter and prevents the former.  Have about 6k on my current chain and don't see any noticable wear yet.  Probably because cleaning it is so much easier now that I'm more likely to keep it clean and maintained decently, whereas before it was always like pulling teeth.  YMMV.

[Alf]

A long term cheap chain solution is buying the best chain that you can find. My DID ZVM X ring chain is more than 50.000 kms old and only I ´ve tensioned 2 times, If my memory is right. 3 tips only: I clean the chain at 1.000 kms interval with gasoil, regrease with a non-teflon chain lube (the teflon actuates glueing the road debris to the chain and forming a paste similar to that to grinding valve paste), and adjusting the chain slack with myself on board, 2 wheels on the floor at around 15 mm

[Klavdy]

I clean mine with oil diluted with a bit of diesel or kerosene.
Pour some on an old rag,bike on centre stand, rotate wheel manually then oil it the same way, oil soaked rag kind of wrapped around the chain.

[Yamifj1200]

 This was news to me...

http://www.webbikeworld.com/t2/chain-pickle/

  Other than the smell it seams to work very well. Learn something new all the time..

Eric M

[Marsh White]

This was news to me...

http://www.webbikeworld.com/t2/chain-pickle/

  Other than the smell it seams to work very well. Learn something new all the time..

Eric M

At the very bottom of that article there is a published date of April 1st...

[Yamifj1200]

This was news to me...

http://www.webbikeworld.com/t2/chain-pickle/

  Other than the smell it seams to work very well. Learn something new all the time..

Eric M

At the very bottom of that article there is a published date of April 1st...

Damn you caught that quick...

Eric M

[Dan Filetti]

I, like many here use WD40 to clean my chain.  Works great, and I remember someone here actually proved that it does not hurt the o-rings by soaking various chain o-ring in various substances. WD40 did no discernible damage to the o-ring after months of soaking, others chemicals did not so so well. 

I looked for the thread, but could not find it, others may be more dilligent.

Dan

[rktmanfj]

I, like many here use WD40 to clean my chain.  Works great, and I remember someone here actually proved that it does not hurt the o-rings by soaking various chain o-ring in various substances. WD40 did no discernible damage to the o-ring after months of soaking, others chemicals did not so so well.  

I looked for the thread, but could not find it, others may be more dilligent.

Dan

Mazz did a test on it once...

> Short(er) version. Some time back, the topic of "things you put
> on your chain that might destroy O-rings" came up. Since I had
> been using a penetrating oil (like WD-40) to *clean* my chain,
> and at least one chain-maker (Regina) said WD-40 was a no-no,
> I took three (non-bike, more run-of-mill) rubber O-rings out of
> my stash o' stuff, and soaked one each in:
>
> K-Mart Penetrating Oil: (WD-40 knock-off)
>
> Valvoline SAE 90 Gear oil
>
> Fuel Oil (I wanted to use kerosene, but didn't have any)
>
> Initially, nothing much happened, but after several weeks,
> the O-rings soaking in the penetrating oil and the gear oil
> looked fine, (no swelling, still flexible) while the one in
> the home-heating fuel oil (aka Diesel fuel :-), started to
> swell slightly, and seemed a bit stiffer. Several *months*
> later, the first two O-rings were still doing fine, but the
> one in the fuel oil broke into 3-4 pieces when I gave it
> a "squeeze-between-fingers" flex test. Today, 3-years??
> later, the O-ring in the gear oil, and the one in the penetra-
> ting oil still are in A-1 shape. I also consulted with a
> "colleague" (Dave Lenkowski, owns DAL Fuel Oil Co,
> runs a tricked-out V-Max, delivers fuel oil ), and *he*
> guessed that there was some additive in the fuel oil,
> that attacks rubber....
>
> Now I realize that this is *not* the definitive O-ring
> test, but I'm convinced that a lot of worrying about using
> penetrating oil, or gear oil on one's chain isn't warranted.
> And don't soak your chain in fuel oil (or Diesel fuel)... :-(
>
> ---Mazz

FWIW, I usually use Mobil1 75w90 synthetic gear oil on mine.

I use WD-40 on a shop rag to clean it.

Randy T
Indy

[cyclenutk75]

Not sure what I started here, but I'm diggin' it.  Here's what I've got so far - I'm going to use a clip-type master link, at my own risk. I'm going to tie a length of dental floss around it (thanks klavdv - never would have thought of that one, even though I've used dental floss for everything but cleaning my teeth.  Apparently not enough room there for a zip tie, eh?)  Going to clean the chain with WD 40 (you guys know it's just fish oil, right?).  Going to try various lubes, starting with Alisyn - 'cause it's made in Cow Town, OH.

Been checking this post at least a couple times a day, and haven't been dissapointed yet.  Keep 'em coming and I'll keep reading.

BTW, been using PJ 1 Black Label chain lube since I bought the FJ last spring, and it turns to tar on the chain - no matter how much you wipe the chain after application.  I, too, apply lube to the inside of the chain.  The chain I just  took off is most likely the original.  Still pretty fllexible at 26k miles.  I put 10k on it in the year I've owned it.  Should have seen all the gunk and grit behind the crank case cover!  All cleaned up now, anxiously awaiting arrival of new parts.

[andyb]

Clip links are fine, when installed correctly, and checked on periodically... like when you clean, lube, and check tension (~every other tank or so).

WD40 prevents rust, doesn't hurt anything, and gets things clean.  A soft toothbrush is also nice.

Lube is always best applied to the inside portion of the chain, so that the centripital force tries to shove it through the chain rather than just flinging it off.  Chains should be lubed when warm, left to sit for ~10 min after application, and then ridden again to distribute the stuff.

From reading various people's results, it strikes me that you can lube it with nearly anything, because keeping it clean and tensioned properly is way more important. 

[ribbert]

It's a misnomer calling WD40 a lubricant. It has a huge variety of uses but NO enduring lubricating qualities. People often confuse "freeing up" with "lubricating"
Noel (mechanic)

[FJmonkey]

It's a misnomer calling WD40 a lubricant. It has a huge variety of uses but NO enduring lubricating qualities. People often confuse "freeing up" with "lubricating"
Noel (mechanic)

WD-40 is still technically a lubricant, just not a very robust one. The WD stands for Water Displacement. So the original intent was not lubrication. However, its inherent properties are a very light machine lubricant. Once the water is displaced the oil properties will help repel the water. The burning question is....Does a sealed O-ring (X-ring) chain need external lubrication? Can we just clean and go? Or do we need to clean and add some lube to increase life? I think some lubrication is required, the rollers contacting the sprockets are metal to metal contact. If this contact has any movement then there will be wear and loss of power. The loss of power may not be noticeable but the wear hits our budget. Now that I got that off my chest....What is the best oil for my LED blinkers?

[awschneider13]

For the most part a chain is a chain. Did you know that any "Quality" motorcycle chain with a Tensile Strength of between 8,000lbs to 9,500lbs is more than strong enough to withstand the power output of almost any size bike made today! One of the biggest "Myths" when it comes to Motorcycle Chains is that a O-Ring chain will last longer than a "non-sealed (not O-ring) Chain! A non-sealed chain with the same Tensile Strength or slightly higher.....will last as long or longer in most cases if lubed about every 2 weeks of riding with a Premium Chain Lube!!!(but not X-Ring Type Chains) The "standard type" O-ring design allows dust, grit, & dirt to get between the inner & outer Side Plates. Sooo, in most cases the lubrication in the chain is gone after around 4,000 miles! Sure you can lube the chain as often as a "non-O-ring" chain & it will last longer, but that defeats the purpose & extra money of buying a O-ring Chain! In most cases, the O.E.M suppliers (RK & D.I.D) don't even make a O-ring chain in a "Retail Box" anymore except to supply the Motorcycle Manufacturers to package-up as Genuine Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, or Suzuki parts!!!!!!

This is not just my opinion...bike parts cost way to much to be spending more than you need to.



Better yet just check out this site:  http://www.quality-cycle.com/truth_about_motorcycle_chains.htm

[edit] Fixed link.

[Alf]

Mazz did a test on it once...

> Short(er) version. Some time back, the topic of "things you put
> on your chain that might destroy O-rings" came up. Since I had
> been using a penetrating oil (like WD-40) to *clean* my chain,
> and at least one chain-maker (Regina) said WD-40 was a no-no,
> I took three (non-bike, more run-of-mill) rubber O-rings out of
> my stash o' stuff, and soaked one each in:
>
> K-Mart Penetrating Oil: (WD-40 knock-off)
>
> Valvoline SAE 90 Gear oil
>
> Fuel Oil (I wanted to use kerosene, but didn't have any)
>
> Initially, nothing much happened, but after several weeks,
> the O-rings soaking in the penetrating oil and the gear oil
> looked fine, (no swelling, still flexible) while the one in
> the home-heating fuel oil (aka Diesel fuel :-), started to
> swell slightly, and seemed a bit stiffer. Several *months*
> later, the first two O-rings were still doing fine, but the
> one in the fuel oil broke into 3-4 pieces when I gave it
> a "squeeze-between-fingers" flex test. Today, 3-years??
> later, the O-ring in the gear oil, and the one in the penetra-
> ting oil still are in A-1 shape. I also consulted with a
> "colleague" (Dave Lenkowski, owns DAL Fuel Oil Co,
> runs a tricked-out V-Max, delivers fuel oil ), and *he*
> guessed that there was some additive in the fuel oil,
> that attacks rubber....
>
> Now I realize that this is *not* the definitive O-ring
> test, but I'm convinced that a lot of worrying about using
> penetrating oil, or gear oil on one's chain isn't warranted.
> And don't soak your chain in fuel oil (or Diesel fuel)... :-(

[/quote]

I´ve been cleaning my chain with fuel oil since I was unable to find querosene, 1 year ago more or less