Chain maintenance

Hi,

I just got my first bike and I need to lube the chain. My owner's
manual doesn't list what to use as a lube for the chain. I read about
using WD-40 as a chain lube has anyone tried that?
http://motorcycles.about.com/cs/maintenance/ht/howtolubachain.htm

-Bryan

 

Try the group's archives (e.g. go to google, use the advanced groups
search and limit your search to rec.motorcycles.tech). This subject
comes up all the time. I've seen people write about (positively and
negatively for all items) using:
90wt gear oil
motor oil
WD-40
PJ1
other spray lubes (this includes a LOT of chain lubes)
chain wax
bubble-gum
etc.



ok, I'm kidding about the bubble-gum, but seriously. People have their
favorites and you're guaranteed to hear about all of them if you hang
out here long enough. Unfortunately you are pretty much limited to
opinion here, so if you know nothing about chain lubes, or about how
roller chain works, you're pretty much going to be guessing randomly
anyway.

IIRC, some of the british magazines do/have done recently comparisons of
various chain lubricants. Motorcycle Consumer News here in the USA also
did a comprehensive review some time back. These options cost money
(unless you've got one heck of a nice library locally), but do give
better verifiability. HTH

 

Scott Oiler ace
Lushy

 

My only question about WD-40 then is how can it be used to clean and
protect?

 

Other riders have been telling me to use WD40 on my chain for 30 years
now. First it was, "Use WD40 to drive the water off your chain after
you wash the bike." Back in those days, we didn't have o-ring chains,
we continuously cleaned the chain and relubed it, and we got used to
replacing chains 2 or 3 times a year if we rode a lot...

Some riders had a witch's brew of oil and grease in a coffee can and
they'd dunk the chain in there and then pull it out and let it hang
from a nail in the wall of their garage to drain before reinstalling
the chain on their bike with that removable masterlink...

If a rider had TWO chains, he didn't have to pull off the sprocket
cover, he could link the clean chain to the dirty chain and pull the
clean chain onto his dirty sprockets and all he had to do then was link
the chain ends and adjust the tension...

Then o-ring chains came along, and other riders started telling me to
spray the chain with the recommended aerosol goop and wipe off the
excess with a rag soaked in WD40. The theory was that any lube you
could wipe off wasn't helping your chain anyway...

Then riders started saying they used *nothing but WD40" on their chains
and that their chains were lasting 20K+ miles. And other riders
insisted that WD40 or the thin solvent that immediately evaporates
after spraying WD40 onto a chain would ruin the o-rings...

I finally got curious and looked up the Material Safety Data Sheets for
the aerosol WD40 and the WD40 that comes in bulk. Whatever WD40 may be
is a proprietary *secret* like whatever oil is in PJ-1. If they tell
you what it is, you'll start making your own product and selling it, or
you'll find a place to buy it by the 55-gallon drum and you won't buy
their product anymore...

But, as I recall, the stuff seems to be an "aromatic olefin" (2) or
alkene (3) with about the same specific gravity as diesel fuel, about
0.6 or 0.7 times the density of water...

The constant talk about whether WD40 would harm the o-rings finally
piqued my curiousity enough to soak a brand new Takasago chain o-ring
in it for 2 weeks. The o-ring didn't swell up, I measured it before and
after. But my test didn't involve the rubbing, fretting motion take
occurs between the o-ring and the side plates as the chain goes around
the countershaft sprocket. That's where maximum angular motion takes
place...

And, I have never tried to see if WD40 would penetrate past two steel
plates clamped together the same distance apart as two side plates with
an o-ring between them...

There's this thing about solvents you see. I learned from working in a
refinery that a lighter (or less viscous) fraction from distilled crude
oil will *dilute* any thicker (or more viscous) fraction. So it's very
likely that almost any of the recommended chain lubes, whether WD40, 30
weight motor oil, 90 weight gear lube, or PJ-1's mystery goo will
dilute and wash away the lubricant sealed behind the o-rings if it can
penetrate the gap between o-ring and side plate...

The wax in Chain Wax probably won't penetrate the o-ring's miniscule
gap, but the thin solvent that makes it sprayable probably would.
Chain Wax gets really hard, and I had to excavate it from under my
sprocket cover. My o-rings were glued by Chain Wax and the OEM premium
chain was ruined after only 18K miles...

I've tried *all* this stuff, I even forgot my little bottle of
90-weight gear lube and bought a small can of WD40 while on the road to
complete my ride. I suppose the WD40 just acted as solvent for whatever
90-weight gear lube remained on my chain. The chain seemed to stay
*wet* and oily for a long time. Maybe it was the WD40 that turned dark
on the chain. Maybe it was a slurry of WD40 and rubber dust from all
the truck tires wearing out...

(Did you ever wonder what happens to the rubber from tires as they
wear? It sure doesn't lay around in piles at the edge of the road. It
goes *somewhere*...)

Your motorcycle manual should have told you to "lube" your chain with
motor oil, or 90-weight gear lube every so many miles. Good manuals
will tell you that you should "lube" your chain more often if it tends
to rust. So Job One of a chain lube seems to be rust prevention, and
WD40 is marketed as a rust preventative, as well as a *penetrating oil*
that frees up partes that are rusted together...

Since the lubrication on the hardened steel pins is sealed in behind
the o-rings, what a chain lube does is stop rust and oil the rollers
and P.J. Harvey, the owner of PJ1 Products, who has an interest in
selling you *his* product, says that WD-40 doesn't "cushion" the impact
between roller and sprocket teeth like his product, made with some
indentified *higher viscosity* (1) oil does...

He went on to say that Chain Wax doesn't do that either, since it has
no "molecular memory". He likens Chain Wax to a dripping from a candle,
which has cooled and hardened, and he says that if you hit it with a
hammer, it will just break up and splatter, it won't return to the
viscous state required of a lubricant. So it doesn't cushion the impact
between roller and sprocket as well as some viscous material that
resists flow to a certain extant, but does flow under some condition
pressure and heat...

Harvey also says that a chain lube should never actually *penetrate*
the o-rings, and that his PJ-1 Blue Label lube not only won't do that,
it actually *lubricates* the o-ring...

He says that PJ-1 Blue is for o-ring chains, whatever oil is used is
less viscous than the oil used in the original PJ-1 Black Label lube,
but Blue Label contains more of those dreaded "tackiness" agents that I
have learned to despise...

Whatever sticky gooey stuuf is in PJ-1 Blue Label actually *glue* the
special wide flat o-rings (that original equipment premium chains use)
to the side plates, and those large area o0rings will split and be spit
out as the go around the countershaft sprocket on a cold morning...

Of course, the proper application of PJ-1 Blue Label is supposed to
take place when the chain has just been cleaned---with some solvent
they recommend and probably sell---and the rider is supposed to ride
his motorcycle far enough to warm up the chain for the fresh PJ-1
application. Same procedure is recommended by Chain Wax...

Makes me wonder if an "chain lube" is really needed, since they are
implicitly telling you to go for a ride with a *dry* chain...

But I guy that I have known for years told me that he replaced the
premium OEM chain on his Kawasaki ZX-11 after 32K miles. He said that
he used PJ-1 Blue Label on the chain after every ride. His bike does
have a centerstand to make that procedure convenient...

(1) Main Entry: vis·cos·i·ty
1 : the quality or state of being viscous
2 : the property of resistance to flow in a fluid or semifluid
3 : the ratio of the tangential frictional force per unit area to the
velocity gradient perpendicular to the direction of flow of a liquid;
called also coefficient of viscosity

(2) Main Entry: ole·fin
1 : ALKENE
2 : a synthetic fiber (as polypropylene) derived from an alkene
- ole·fin·ic /"O-l&-'fi-nik/ adjective

(3)Main Entry: al·kene
: any of numerous unsaturated hydrocarbons having one double bond;
specifically : any of a series of open-chain hydrocarbons CnH2n (as
ethylene)

 

Utter nonsense. Waxes and greases provide lubrication by releasing
shorter-chain hydrocarbons due to shearing forces. They happen to
have the useful property of staying where applied.

 

That which doesn't adhere to the surface is dust in the wind.

As far as modern o, x, z and whatever ring chains, what exactly are we
supposed to be lubing with PJ1? The lube is supposed to be sealed in yet
the mfgs say lube the chain anyway.

To me, this is like spraying grease on a sealed wheel bearing. I mean,
does the o ring seal in lube or does it NOT?

Like an earlier post of yours, we have more questions than answers here.

 

You don't ride a lot in the rain and/or park the bike
outside in the wet, do you?
Now, a zinc coated o-ring chain would be something to
have ;-)

 

I don't know if the P.J. Harvey interview is on Motorcyclist's web page
yet, or not. But Harvey indicates that it's important to cushion and
lubricate the outside of the roller where it contacts the sprocket.
He's been repeating the "cushion" argument against Chain Wax for
years...

Harvey claims that PJ-1 Blue Label provides necessary lubrication to
the o-rings. Maybe that's OK for o, x, and z rings but I'm afraid of
the tackiness agents if used on the wide, flat washer-type seals used
on premium OEM chains...

I believe that the roller needs lubrication on both the inside and the
outside. If you look at pictures and text decribing where to put the
lube, you'll probably see that it's recommended to put 1 drop of lube
on the inside of the side plate where the roller has a small gap, and
to apply the lube on the lower run of chain, not where the chain runs
around the back sprocket...

You know, exercising the brain makes it work better. I've been
re-greasing "sealed" wheel bearings for 30 years now. The front wheel
bearings often have a rubber lip seal and I gently pop the lip seal out
with a small radio screwdriver, dab some grease on the row of caged
balls, and gently press the seal back in...

The rear wheel bearings have a metal seal that I can't easily remove,
but the rear side of the bearing isn't sealed. So I plug the axle hole
on the sealed side, fill up the axle hole with high temperature grease,
and *ram* the axle into its hole. The grease, under pressure, has to go
*somewhere*...

I have only purchased half a dozen wheel bearings over forty+ years of
riding, I must be doing something right...

But, thinking about chain lubes in aerosol cans inspired me to wonder
if I couldn't lube a rear wheel bearing with lithium grease from a
spray can? The melting temperature of the lithium binder is probably
too low though, and any grease capable of being sprayed out a nozzle is
likely to be too thin to stay in the bearing...

The o-ring will hold in grease until the sides of the donut-shaped
o-ring
fret away, or until the lips of the washer can no longer seal. Then
WD40 or any lighter fraction than what is in the sealed-in grease is
going to wash away the grease...

But, that begs the question: What *is* grease, anyway? Grease is a
mixture of a small amount of *oil* and a soapy binding substance like
lithium or calcium or barium...

(Larry xlax Lovisone once challenged me to wash my hair with that
"soap"...)

The binder keeps the oil where it's needed. The temperature that the
binder melts at determines how hot the machine part has to get before
the binder melts and flows around the part, transporting the oil to the
point that needs lubrication...

 

P.J. Harvey's statement about waxes not having any memory and lacking
the cushioning properties of whatever viscous lubricant he uses is his
own statement, you can't expect him to make statements in support of
competing products...

The last time I used Chain Wax was the last time I will *ever* use it,
I had to excavate about half an inch of a hard slurry of wax and road
grit, and a few of my chain's o-rings were imbedded in that mess...

As to the homebody characteristics of greases and waxes, at least they
do stay put as long as the binder material isn't heated above the
temperature where the whole mass of grease or was just flows away from
where you want it to do its job...

I suppose everybody has seen a droplet of oil weeping out the dust cap
of his car's axle and wondered what was up. Eventually the oil, which
is the
least viscous of the fluids in a grease will flow away, or be
evaporated by extreme heat of friction and nothing is left but the
soapy binder material...

Many riders who break their own chains have looked at that dry black
residue around the pins and just had to wonder what was up with that,
brace their shoulders and soldier on, since they'd never gotten any
technical training whatever on lubricants and grease...

 

That's similar to my experience.

Most attempts to lubricate chains seem to invite accelerated chain
wear due to particle accumulation, etc. -- and then there's the
lovely slick on the rear wheel due to fling....

 

Send it to me.

 

[snip]

Surface rust might be a convenient indicator of the absence of enough
lubricant to do it's job of lubricating whatever needs it. As someone
else pointed out, lubricating the rings that seal the pins is likely
pretty high up on the list of jobs that lube does. Or maybe it is just
rust prevention, but we can't be sure just because the instructions
mention rust.

[snip]

However, such short rides likely do little damage to the chain,
especially given the benefits for the application/proper working of the
lubricant. This instruction may very well be a trade-off between a short
time of unprotected wear to allow longer-lasting and more effective
operation of the lubricant. This is speculation (as the above statement
is) however.

My '94 VFR is at 19900miles and the OEM chain is looking just fine. No
tight or loose links. I dropped a Scottoiler on the bike shortly after I
got it, around 12k miles. In that time I've used maybe 500cc of oil. fwiw

 

Brown rust scales indicate the immediate need for more chain "lube" as
a rust preventative. Bright red powder on the chain indicates that it's
too late for lubrication, the o-rings no longer seal and the pins are
wearing rapidly. There is a new chain in the motorbike's future...

 

Good to know. Thanks.

 

I have never seen a rusty chain on any of my bikes. Maybe the trick is
that they don't sit. I ride unless the surface is icy or snow. Perhaps
also this is an issue of those folks who ride in warm weather only or
where their states use 'salt' on the roads.

On your other post, I have never had a wheel bearing failure on any of
my bikes (or trucks) and don't grease outside the bearing seal as you
do. Just because you are doing it and having a particular result, does
not mean that the favorable result is due to your behavior.

You too can benefit from an exercising of the brain - specifically in
the area of causation.

 

..... he said, waving his hands over his crystal ball....

 

How can you know that the lubrication is intended to do nothing other
than prevent rust? As I wrote above (and I'm admitting again that this
is speculation) it's POSSIBLE that rust (whether that means surface rust
or heavy scaling I don't know) is used as an indicator, and is not the
only reason for lubricating the outside of a chain. Is there any other
reason to believe that the application of oil to a chain is done ONLY to
prevent rust?

 

O-ring chain maintenance is cleaning and oiling the side plates to
prevent rust, and oiling the rollers so they will spin freely and
reduce sprocket wear, according to Suzuki...

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
I have two Suzuki owner's manuals (1982 GS-1100EZ and 1986 GSXR-750)
that have exactly the same text pertaining to chain maintenance:

Drive Chain Cleaning and Oiling:

Grease is permanently sealed inside the roller of this motorcycle chain
by the use of special "O" rings. At intervals of 600 miles (1000 km)
clean and
oil the chain, as follows:

(1) Cleaning the chain with kerosene is strongly recommended. If the
chain tends to rust, the interval must be shortened. Kerosene is a
petroleum product, and will provide some lubrication as well as
cleaning action.

(2) After thoroughly washing the chain and allowing it to dry, oil the
rollers with a heavy weight motor oil of 40 or 50 weight.

Caution: Do not use gasoline, trichlene, or other commercial cleaning
solvents. These fluids have a strong dissolving power that could damage
the "O" rings in the chain. This would allow the grease to run out of
the chain and the chain would have to be replaced.

Caution: Do not use any oil sold commercially as drive chain oil. These
oils contain solvents and additives which could damge the "O" rings in
the chain.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now, another facet of motorbike ownership that may seem alien to
American riders that are always on the road is that the Japanese don't
seem to think owners are going to ride their machine very much.

The "useful life distance" of a motorbike of 280cc displacement and
above is only considered to be 18,641 miles. Well, it's taken me over
20 years to reach <30,000 miles on my GSXR-750, I have 3 other
motorcycles and 2 cars, so it might be ridden a few thousand miles a
year. Most of the time, the chain needs rust protection, as the machine
is sitting in an unheated garage that's a little damp. During the
summer, when I do ride it, I'm not watching for rust, I'm watching the
rollers to see when they get dry and that's what drives my chain
maintenance in riding season...