lubing an o-ring chain.

Discussion in 'Mechanics Garage' started by TheUnnamed11, May 6, 2010.

  1. revengel

    revengel New Member

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    I'll field this for ya! Just went through the same thing at my house.

    Take WD-40 (or chain lube - I use WD-40) and spray the rollers, the track & chain of the opener. Run it up & down a few times. Do this every couple-few months.

    ^_^
     
  2. RoyA

    RoyA New Member

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    I like to spray the chain down with Amsoil metal protector, followed by Amsoil heavy duty metal protector. Their regular metal protector is similar to any number of penetrating oils available (wd40...), which is pretty good at cleaning chains. Spray it on, let it sit for a bit, 10-15 minutes. Then I put on a good coat of the heavy duty stuff, which is completely different. It goes on liquid, but dries like a soft wax, so it doesn't sling once dry and doesn't attract much dirt. it also serves to keep some of the dirt out of the link pivots. The product code is AMH. The downside is it that it is harder to get off once it dries, so I end up giving the sprockets and chain a kerosene bath once a year. Kerosene was the recommended cleaner in one of my Suzuki manuals and it works great.
     
  3. acerboo

    acerboo New Member

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    Does any here Use Chain Wax?
     
  4. woody77

    woody77 New Member

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    I've used it, and it worked pretty well. A little goes a long way, I ended up with a ton of it all over my rear wheel which was a major pain to clean up. I've used WD40 and the Amsoil products that RoyA mentioned. I'm liking the Amsoil combination. It's probably close to using WD40 as a cleaner and water dispersant followed by a chain wax. At least, they have similar colors/smells as those.
     
  5. Kobe Diesel

    Kobe Diesel New Member

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    supertech 85w/90 gear oil, cheap and it works just fine. Clean the chain, use your oil can to apply, let it drip off overnight on cardboard so it doesn't ruin your pretty garage floor, wipe off excess, and go. It's messy but it's easier to clean off oil splatter than it is to replace a chain.

    I don't believe all those fancy advertising labels used on maint. consumables, sometimes it's so misleading with BS like "this chain lube has friction reducing properties giving you a 2hp gain" blah blah. There's oil and there's snake oil.
     
  6. acerboo

    acerboo New Member

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    Okay so how can you tell what excess is? Also is it true that silicone lube(spray) is not good?
     
  7. vfrcapn

    vfrcapn Member

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    If you're putting so much oil on your chain that it splatters on your wheel, that's excess. It isn't doing your chain much good on your wheel.
     
  8. crustyrider

    crustyrider New Member

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    i LUBE MINE WITH slick FIDDY.you know somone was gonna say it .I just beat them to it...
     
  9. Dukiedook

    Dukiedook New Member

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    WD-40 is a good cleaner and water displacer but not a very good lubricant, just about anything else mentioned here will be a better lubricant than WD-40.
     
  10. acerboo

    acerboo New Member

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    so with this you just re-apply weekly or do you still have to clean the old application off first?
     
  11. TheUnnamed11

    TheUnnamed11 Banned

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    That is a VERY GOOD QUESTION
     
  12. GreyVF750F

    GreyVF750F Member

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    So far the chain has stayed clean. I just sprayed the chain for a second time using the wax. The chain is very clean and looks new still. Only about 500 miles on new chain. Looks like it hasn't been lubed. If you touch it, it has a waxy coated surface and nothing is sticking to it, except fine dust which comes off on your finger.

    It's kind of full circle for me with this wax spray. When I was road racing there were no O-ring chains yet. We would always treat a new chain with paraffin wax. We would get some canning paraffin wax and melt in a shallow pan. Then drop the chain in and leave it in the oven for about an hour just a little hotter than it takes to melt the wax. Our chains always needed less adjustments and lasted longer. Which was good for endurance racing.

    Big plus is the sprocket and wheel area is clean no grease build up. I'm liking this stuff so far.
     
  13. revengel

    revengel New Member

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    Clean, then lube. Get rid of the bad stuff & then slap on the new stuff.
     
  14. GreyVF750F

    GreyVF750F Member

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    That's the nice thing about the wax. There is no old stuff as far as dirt/grit. Just wax so there is nothing to clean so far. Old wax is just as good as new wax.
     
  15. ZEN biker

    ZEN biker New Member

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    ive been using Bel Ray Chain Lube, I used it for years on my mountian bikes, it was suggested by several other riders,

    It goes on as a frothy film and soaks in, let it sit on a warm chain 30 mins then wipe excess off.

    I would never use wd-40 on a chain as its a cleaning oil, it does get into the o-rings but it washes away heavier oils.

    Not telling anyone to quit what they are doing, if it works for you, by all means.

    zen
     
  16. bitterpil

    bitterpil New Member

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    BeL-Ray super clean after every other tank of gas. Roughly 400miles. Apply when chain is warm e.g. After a ride. Very very lo sling off rate. Hardly slings off if any. Keeps the bike clean and the chain lubed. The $4 hardware store stuff too. I Use it on my mountain bike etc. Does not attract dirt.

    Keep it lubed with o ring safe lube every 500 miles you will get good milage out of your chain. The issue will soon become fling off not lubrication. Then you will be searching for lo to no fling off.

    Good luck in what ever you go with.
     
  17. bitterpil

    bitterpil New Member

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    Odd, I get mine there. It is with the other lubes, chems, etc.
     
  18. KiloAlphaTango

    KiloAlphaTango New Member

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    After trying various spray lubes, I've taken to soaking the chain in 90 wt gear oil (which is actually what is recommended in the manual). The sprays dont protect much against rust, dont' clean the chain and fly off just as much as anything else.

    I've taken to getting the bike up on the centerstand in neutral, making a tray around the chain at the rear sprocket with a folded piece of alumnium foil, and rotating the chain thru a bath of oil in the foil tray. I just leave the foil on some newspaper under the sprocket to drain overnight (after one rotation without the bath to drip off the excess).

    You will still have a few drips over the first few days, but frankly my chain is lasting far longer (less stretch), and I'm getting better gas milage than when I used spays. Add to that no rusting after riding in the rain and I'm hooked.

    The only trick to this is to take the bike off the centerstand and onto the sidestand to drain, otherwise the oil may drip onto the chain guide and from there onto the wheel and tire.
     
  19. TheUnnamed11

    TheUnnamed11 Banned

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    well, havent been able to ride sicne i made this thread. now that its goin again (dang r.r.) im going to use the multi use spray. from what iv read its pretty good. the lowes didnt have the concentrated chain saver version, ill try ordering it next time i suppose.

    now for the question, i still have a bit of the original chain lube from the factory. what is the best way to clean it. a few people here mentioned kerosene. but it seems that would damage the rubber o-rings. what is the preferred cleaning method for o-ring chains?
     
  20. TheUnnamed11

    TheUnnamed11 Banned

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    forgot to mention, I was thinking of scrubing it a little with dawn soap and water, dawn cuts through greese like nothign iv ever seen, and is pretty gentle. iv no doubte itl clean it, and dont think itl damage the o rings.

    your thoughts on it?
     
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