Chain lube

[Beemerphile]

I've used WD40 to clean the chain - seems to work as well as anything else I've used, but I follow it with Chain Wax (after wiping the chain clean). I've heard/read so many admonitions about using WD40 alone that I'm reluctant to do so - the Service Manager at my local Honda dealer was the most adamant about not letting WD40 touch the chain! I've also heard from other sources that WD40 is harmless to O and X ring chains, which I believe is true. My biggest concern is whether or not it provides sufficient lubrication for the exposed parts of the chain and sprockets. It would sure be a lot less expense (time and money) to just use 1 product to clean (mostly just accumulated dust) & lube the chain - and WD40 is so readily available and less expensive than most any other chain specific product.

At least one chain manufacturer recommends WD40 for displacing water on an x-ring chain so I can't believe it "hurts" the chain or o / x rings. Water displacing is the prime purpose of WD40 anyway. As far as lubricating the exposed parts of chains and sprockets, I am questioning the need as there is no relative motion between them. The motion is in the rollers which are internally greased. What the exterior needs is a cleaner / rust preventative. Wax is not much of a lubricant either. I use Renaissance Wax on high value blued firearms instead of oil as a rust preventative. I put lube where I need lube, but I don't need it on the external surface that doesn't have relative motion to other parts. When I have seen sprockets die, the teeth are not worn so much as they are pulled forward. I would change chains and sprockets together, so I am not so sure why it would matter. I know people who get 15-20,000 miles out of an x-ring chain with nothing but WD40 and I generally get 15-20,000 miles out of one with my careful regimen of cleaner/degreaser, dry it, warm it up, apply chain wax, wait 20-30 minutes for it to dry. I have been on trips with such a friend. When we get to the motel he wets a rag with WD40 and spins the rear tire holding the rag wrapped around the chain. Then he goes in and pops the tab on a beer. He doesn't buy chains any more often than I do.

I am just questioning my own process here. It would only cost the price of a chain to find out which is about to overcome my reluctance to try it.

 

[ray]

The main cons against WD-40 is it's a very good cleaner; thus it will clean away the grease inside the O and X rings. But it's also a good penetrant; so if you use it often enough, the light lubricant will lube the pins inside the rings.

 

[Mike Cash]

The problem with WD-40 as a lube is that it is about eighty to ninety percent naphtha (think "lighter fluid")....which just evaporates.

So after lubing with WD-40 you've only applied about one-tenth as much oil as it looks like you did.

 

[fedtech]

mostly we should lube the out side of the chain to keep it from rusting. DID states that o-ring and x-ring chains are designed to keep dirt out and lube in. I will tell you that you should never clean any part of you motorcycle with a high pressure sprayer. it will inject water past any seal,[ baring, cases, electrical and chain]. i can't tell you how many front wheel baring's i have found contaminated that the owns didn't know about. so the same thing is probably true about anything that has the pressure to go past the seals.

 

[docb91b]

I use the DuPont Teflon Chain Saver every 500 miles (actually every 2 fill-ups, which is every 2 weeks). I would spray it on after I get home, while the chain is still warm. Done.

DuPont(R) Teflon(TM) Chain-Saver Lubricant, Net Wt 11 oz. (CS0110101) : Amazon.com : Automotive



Every other chain lube, I would clean the chain with DuPont Motorcycle Degreaser. Spray it on and scrub with brush. Rinse off with water and let dry. If I am impatient, I would use a compressor. Once the chain is dry, apply the Chain Saver.

DuPont(R) Motorcycle Degreaser, Net Wt 11 oz. (M00110101) : Amazon.com : Automotive

Do you clean the sprockets as well, or just the chain?

 

[Beemerphile]

The problem with WD-40 as a lube is that it is about eighty to ninety percent naphtha (think "lighter fluid")....which just evaporates.

So after lubing with WD-40 you've only applied about one-tenth as much oil as it looks like you did.

Understand, but remember that my thesis is that lube may not be required for the outside of the chain.

 

[Mike Cash]

Understand, but remember that my thesis is that lube may not be required for the outside of the chain.

No argument either way; I'm a babe in the woods on this. I just mentioned it so people who do use WD-40 to "oil" things are aware that practically all of what they apply disappears into thin air and that there must be more effective and economical methods of applying oil to surfaces for lubrication purposes.

Unfortunately, though, for some unfathomable reason WD-40 is a product that inspires almost religious faith and fervor in some people (my grandfather sprayed it on his knees and swore it relived his arthritis) and they really don't like to have pointed out it is not intended as a lubricant. (I brought this up once on another forum and they way some guys reacted to my remarks was like I had slapped their mothers).

 

[hermesco]

I'm not a WD40 zealot - I'd gladly use another product that works well and minimizes chain cleaning effort. Most chain cleaners/degreasers I've come accross suggest rinsing the chain with water after application and before lubing. That's at least a 3 step process, if no chain scrubing is done before or chain wiping/drying after the water rinse. Furthermore, putting water on a metal chain is counter-intuitive to me - shouldn't that be followed by a Water Displacement application (yet another step)? Using WD40 simply saves me the degrease, rinse and dry steps.

Since I live on a dirt road, my chain starts collecting dust as soon as I leave the garage. I'm sure the accumulated grit accelerates chain/sprocket wear, so I should clean my chain after every ride to maximize chain/sprocket life. That's too much effort for me and would totally ruin the whole motorcycle commuting experience. However, I would likely clean/lube my chain more often if I could get it down to a single step process - spray something on the chain that washes away the accumulated dust, provides sufficient external chain lubrication (if necessary, as Lee and others have questioned) and minimizes dust accumulation.

Other than the lubrication, WD40 seems to do this quite well. Another light oil based product may also clean the dust off (e.g. Dupont chain saver), but would then attract more dust as soon as the tire rolls down the dirt road. The Maxima chain wax I use isn't suppose to attract dirt as well as oil, but it doesn't clean the chain very well by itself. So for now, I have a 3 step process: 1) spray the chain with WD40, 2) wipe off the chain, 3) spray the chain with chain wax. The second step is the messiest and takes the longest amount of time, but I believe is necessary for the wax to stick to the chain.

I'm open to try other chain cleaning/lubing products, that is if I can find them and they're not more expensive that what I using now.

 

[Mr_Krabs]

Some of the dirt bikers I suggested this to were surprised how easy and effective my solution was. Since really the sealed chains don't need to be "lubed" as it's mostly about cleaning the chains which is what the wd-40 is for.

Get a chain brush like the grunge brush, then apply a strong clingy soap like Dawn dishwashing detergent to the chain (I don't like to use heavy duty degreasers because they can damage rubber), dunk the chain brush in water and just start scrubbing the chain. Scrub it really well and you can even let it soak for a few minutes to really let the Dawn cut through the grease. Rinse it off gently with the hose and let it dry. This gets it remarkably clean and your hands and the rest of the bike don't get greasy and dirty and oily from all that wd-40 spraying. Then after the chain is dry simply spray with your lube of choice.

It's convenient because if you have a center stand or a motorcycle tire roller you can do this while simply washing the bike. So it's like killing two birds with one stone, clean the bike and clean the chain. Convenient because as a dirt biker you're going to clean the bike anyways so it makes sense to wash the chain in the same procedure without having to use lots of oil which can work it's way onto the ground which is bad for the environment.

 

[StratTuner]

Do you clean the sprockets as well, or just the chain?

Please don't laugh.... How do you uncover the front sprocket to clean it? I've never seen that done.

and someone will answer "you just take the wicky jammer screw out of the thingamajig"
and I still won't know how to do it.

 

[Old Can Ride]

WD-40 and rubber do not go together. O and X rings are rubber. All chains have to be lubed. Use lube that does not have adverse effects on the O and X rings.

 

[Mike Cash]

Please don't laugh.... How do you uncover the front sprocket to clean it? I've never seen that done.

and someone will answer "you just take the wicky jammer screw out of the thingamajig"
and I still won't know how to do it.

Didn't you say somewhere that you have the service manual? Or am I confusing things (again)?

 

[Wcmike]

I'm just too confused now. It is my understanding that on o-ring chains that there is a pin and a hollow tube that is factory lubed and sealed by the o-rings. There is also the roller - the thing that falls between the sprocket's teeth, that is outside the hollow tube. Isn't it that space under the roller that needs a little lube? Like in this diagram:

 

[Old Can Ride]

Bingo! Wcmike hit the nail on the head. Great picture!

 

[Beemerphile]

I'm just too confused now. It is my understanding that on o-ring chains that there is a pin and a hollow tube that is factory lubed and sealed by the o-rings. There is also the roller - the thing that falls between the sprocket's teeth, that is outside the hollow tube. Isn't it that space under the roller that needs a little lube? Like in this diagram:

No lube that you apply, other than a penetrating lube will get to the area under the roller. The problem with penetrating lubes is that they may also get past the o-rings and dilute the factory lube.

WD-40 and rubber do not go together. O and X rings are rubber. All chains have to be lubed. Use lube that does not have adverse effects on the O and X rings.

RK chains does not seem to think that WD-40 does any harm...

Q How should I maintain my O-ring chain?
A. Doing routine maintenance on any chain is a crucial step to getting the maximum wearlife out of your chain. You should clean and check its adjustment every 400 miles (sooner if the chain gets excessively dirty). Use formulated O-ring chain cleaner or other similar product to keep dirt from building up around link plates and rollers. Don’t use a wire brush or pressure washer. If your chain comes in contact with water, be sure to use a moisture displacement (like WD40). Lubing an O-Ring chain is vital for maximum wearlife. All RK O-Ring chains are injected at the factory with a lifetime supply of internal lubricant. The purpose of an O-Ring lube is to keep the chain from rusting and the O-rings from drying out. We recommend RK special formula O-Ring Chain Lube because it is a non-aerosol, specifically formulated to stick the chain, yet not attract excessive dirt.
Welcome to RK Excel America - FAQ

If the purpose of an O-ring lube is to keep the chain from rusting and the o-rings from drying out, any light oil can do that.

 

[Old Can Ride]

Any light oil can do that, but some don't mix with rubber.

 

[Beemerphile]

Any light oil can do that, but some don't mix with rubber.

All motorcycle chains currently being manufactured use Buna-N (Nitrile) rubber for their o-rings and x-rings, and all these manufacturers recommend kerosene as a cleaner.

Here's the formulation of WD-40:

80% Stoddard Solvent (that is similar to kerosene)
20% light lubricating oil, and a bit of fragrance.

Here's the compatibility of Stoddard Solvent with rubbers and plastics:

Good Compatibility (OK for both static and dynamic seals)
Buna-N (Nitrile)
Chemraz
Epichlorohydrin
Fluorocarbon
Fluorosilicone
Kalrez
Nitrile, hydrogenated
Polyacrylate
Teflon, virgin

The reference for Buna Nitrile with Stoddard Solvent is here:

http://www.efunda.com/designstandard...dard%20Solvent

 

[Beemerphile]

I do, and I will now seek the information there. I don't know how to use the service manual, so that makes it difficult.

I think folks were a bit hard on you for that. I am sorry they felt the need to be condescending. Here is the scoop...

There are three or four bolts (don't remember exactly and the bike is not at hand) to remove for the cover. Look around for them. They are 6mm bolts with 8mm heads best accessed with a 1/4" ratchet with an 8mm socket and an extension. After you get them all out, the cover should be loose, but held on by the shifter arm being in the way of removing it completely. There is a single pinch bolt between the shifter arm (bell crank) and the shifter shaft that keeps it in place. Notice before you remove it that there is a punch mark on the shaft that should be lined up with the split in the shifter arm. Those are to be lined up the same way when you reassemble. Remove the bolt completely and pull the shifter arm off the shaft. It can hang free on the shifter lever and linkage. The cover can then be removed. Be sure to clean the backside of the cover itself and note the position of the metal case-saver that is located in two bolt holes of the cover. It is possible to put it back in backwards if you are not careful. Mark one end of it if you are going to remove it for cleaning (although it can be cleaned in place.) It's important purpose is to prevent a broken chain from jamming between the countershaft sprocket and the engine case hich oftern breaks the engine case and/or damages the transmission.

 

[fedtech]

and just so we can track it. I have not lube my chain since Honda changed under the recall. I will run mine without lubing it so we see what happens. this is a test I can do with doing anything.

 

[Nortwestrider]

and just so we can track it. I have not lube my chain since Honda changed under the recall. I will run mine without lubing it so we see what happens. this is a test I can do with doing anything.

Good luck !!.
I did this same test with my Vstrom ( I was being stupid and lazy ) and after 8,000 miles my chain started kinking and it was shot.After that I used a LubeMan and got about 13,000 miles but it was to messy so I went back to semi regular manual lubing and got around 11,00-12,000 miles out of the next one.
I have a friend with a DL650 that cleans and lubes his chain after every ride ( even if it's a 50 mile ride ).Not only does his chain look like it was just put on but at 60,000 miles he's on his second chain,the stock one lasted 40,000 miles!!.


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