Chains - The Cleaning And Lubing Thereof

Thankfully, no...otherwise it would have ended up like the Death Wings...IN THE CARPORT.

Can somebody post a picture of this "rubber ring"?

Ack...nevermind....I just went into garage and looked. Mine has it.

So....can I cut that bitch off? What's the point of it?

rydnseek wrote:

......There are hundreds of dirt bikers who just use wd-40 on their chains.

More like thousands, and I'm one of'em.....

One night several years ago I was at a monthly meeting with my sport bike club........the guest speaker that night was a guy from RK Chains.......the inevitable question came up regarding what lube/wax to use.......he said the guys at RK just use WD-40 and the rest was all "snake oil"..........that was good enough for me.....if the guys that work for the chain company are content with WD-40 I see no reason to differ..........and, like Scotty, I mainly ride in the dirt/sand......that last thing I want is some goopy mess that actually attracts dirt....my $.02 on this subject

motokid wrote:

Can somebody post a picture of this "rubber ring"?

Ack...nevermind....I just went into garage and looked. Mine has it.

You can cut it off as others have done. (sounds like it is a REAL biotch thou)

Mine has it still on and I haven't had any problems with it other then the first few weeks, (don't think the guy I bought it from adj, nor cleaned it very well). Maybe it was just coincidence, but since I adjusted it and keep it lubed up...no problems.

I could hear the sqeaking for a while at first.. i wasn't sure what it was. I read on one of the forums that someone thought it was the rubber rings around the gears. I put a different front gear on & didn't hear it as much. Now that i have almost 3k miles on it, with a lot of dirt & work on the chain, I haven't noticed it. I put the stock front gear back on, & after putting on the fmf pipe, i can't hear any squeaking at all! :)

I really only heard it if i rode slow & easy beside a curb.. where the curb would reflect the sound from the bike. It may have also been the chain 'guide' in the CS cover. I put a 14 tooth sprocket in for a while, which would have worn it down more. Then it would have had more clearance when i put the stocker back in. Now i don't run with the cover on at all.

Anyway, it's not an issue for me.. & i still just hose off the chain after a ride (along with the rest of the bike), then spray on a little wd-40 to finish up. Cheap, fast, & easy.. just like me.

scotty

I think maybe mine is squeaking less as the miles add up. It mainly bothers me when I'm riding slow going thru town, the squeaking seems to echo like crazy as I'm riding around the square. I've just started lubing it whenever I think of it as a preventive measure. I like the Dupont Teflon Multi-Use stuff; buy it in the can from Lowes, and I've seen it at Derby Cycles in a handy little squirt bottle.

http://www.webbikeworld.com/t2/motorcycle-chain-lube/dupont-teflon-chain-saver/

Sarah

How often should I lube the chain on my new bike. Thanks in advance.

Opinions will vary; some will say every few hundred miles, some will say never. I like this Multi-Use stuff:

http://www.webbikeworld.com/t2/motorcycle-chain-lube/dupont-teflon-chain-saver/

Sarah

I do it when the rollers get shiny (the rollers are the cylinder-shaped things that contact your sprocket teeth).
Off-road, that means after every ride.
On the street, that's a few hundred miles if you've got a good chain lube, and less milage with a wimpy chain lube. :)

My opinion is that lubing an O- or X-ring chain helps by cushioning and silencing the rollers on their insides where they contact the chain bushings and their outsides where they contact the sprocket.
Also fights external rust and keeps the rubber rings soft and pliable.

These roller parts ain't sealed by the rubber rings of the chain, so this helps.
I like to clean the dirt off the chain with a nylon-bristled brush before hitting it with lube, and also do it when the chain is warm just after a ride, if possible.

An often overlooked biggie is chain slack.
It's common for riders to have their chain too tight, forgetting that as the rear suspension moves upward toward mid-stroke, slack is taken out of the chain.
That's why you need to start off with enough.

I'd have to disagree with you YZ - those O-rings are there precisely to keep the lube in and the dirt out. That's why you don't want to clean them with pressurized water. You'll force water past the O-ring and mix it with the lube that's inside, degrading it's performance. If you believe this isn't true, why waste your money on an O-ring chain at all - a non o-ring chain is cheaper.

You misunderstand.
The rollers ain't sealed by the O-rings.
The rollers are the parts that contact the sprocket teeth.
These rollers are just sitting there on top of the bushing, and is the reason for the jingly noise a dry chain makes.

The O-rings seal the pin and bushing area, the area that becomes elongated with wear and causes chain "stretch" due to each chain joint getting loose and sloppy.
Without these O-rings, dirt will cause rapid elongation from wear when it gets into this part of the chain.
Because of this, O-ring chains are worth it and last a lot longer.

However, ever put an O-ring master link together?
Think about how it's put together, and then explain how the O-rings seal anything but where the pins go through the bushings. :)

Big Bear: Depends...

Dry dusty conditions are less of an impact to lubrication degradation than wet, muddy conditions.

If you have the opportunity to lube it when you are out, that certainly
won't hurt. Lube it...

However lubing a dirty chain isn't of much use, so if your interest is prolonged wear, the trick is to keep it clean and lubed (regardless of chain type).

I have subscribed to the YZEtc method for over 30 years and never had a chain malfunction (the trick there is also continuous and accurate adjustment). I had over 15 K miles on an off-road bike chain that barely showed signs of wear (arc measurement). CA desert use context.

Warm soapy water and a nylon bristle/tile brush and clean it completely and rise using mild pressure. I actually use a spray gunk to loosen the outside (and general area around the both sprockets/axle/hub/swingarm/chain guide) spray off ( light pressure on chain - enough to remove debris), and then go at it with the brush and soapy water until you can literally lick it (the chain).

Afterwards, I ride the bike (mid 2nd gear is enough around the block) to spin the H2O off, then use WD and apply liberally and wipe off. When I am ready to ride I use motor oil by putting my finger over the spout and while spinning the wheel, apply a fine line of oil along both sides of the links and the the center. Spin for a minute or so, and then wipe off excess.

I never had any confidence in spray-on lubricants. They seemed to retain more debris than I cared to see lodged on my chain. My basis of estimate is simply spinning the wheel after use. Oil simply seems to work better IMO.

So while the oil does fly off and requires a lil more time to clean, it's MUCH easier to clean than chain wax (you COULD actually lick the chain after three minutes of elbow grease and a good brush) and the level of lubrication and chain longevity is exceptionally better (again, regardless of chain type).

- Robert

YZEtc wrote:

You misunderstand.
The rollers ain't sealed by the O-rings.
The rollers are the parts that contact the sprocket teeth.
These rollers are just sitting there on top of the bushing, and is the reason for the jingly noise a dry chain makes.

The O-rings seal the pin and bushing area, the area that becomes elongated with wear and causes chain "stretch" due to each chain joint getting loose and sloppy.
Without these O-rings, dirt will cause rapid elongation from wear when it gets into this part of the chain.
Because of this, O-ring chains are worth it and last a lot longer.

However, ever put an O-ring master link together?
Think about how it's put together, and then explain how the O-rings seal anything but where the pins go through the bushings. :)

I suppose the misunderstanding was from it being too brutally obvious to state the outside of the rollers aren't protected by the O-rings. Yes, I have put an O-ring master link together. That's what really prompted my response is I know how much pressure it takes to seal. Otherwise I agree with all you stated. I keep my chain lubed up after cleaning.

HP

Cool.
Sounds good. :)

Trying to solve this because its making me really paranoid.

Last week, on my trip back down from Mass., I was on the highway at walking speeds (2-5mph) since the traffic was backed up. I started hearing this high pitched squealing sound when I turned the throttle to keep the bike in motion. It was faint but barely audible over the FMF pipe. (same pitch as a loose rubber alternator belt in a running car engine, if you know what I mean, but not as loud)

I wrecked earlier on a trail ride in the woods, so I thought maybe the rear tire was slightly off alignment and the 13t rubber mounted CS was the was causing this.

Anyway, forward to yesterday, I install the 12t JT sprocket non rubber mounted CS and can hear the same squealing? Checked the rear axle blocks and those are in alignment, the chain tension is correct.

Does something need to be greased, rear axle. Any ideas?

Might it be this? <--- clicky

Do you have stock rear sprocket with rubber crap on it?????

I think that's the source of most squealing noise my wr250x.

Just to keep the squeaky chain thread alive...

The girl and I are coming out of NM on a brief 120 mile RT ride (originating in AZ) and she pulls along side me and in spite of my noise defying XD helmet I'm hearing this high pitched squeal.

So we stop and I prop the bike up on the kickstand and realize the noise, in-fact, is coming from the chain drive.

A simple squirt of WD relieved he problem. Longer term oil lube/saturation completely relieved the symptom.

Lube it, or loose it...

Ah yes, thanks. I looked into the "something broke" forum and found several threads on it. I will look at all the bearings and the chain. That stock is chain is quite crappy. For some reason it develops rust really easily?

Actually, the stock chain is a good quality piece.
Do you lube it to keep the bare steel from rusting?

I'd be willing to bet, if you have the stock rear sprocket, and it looks like this:


that your source of the squealing is the rubber on the sprocket.

I do lube it, every 600 or so miles. Over the winter the garage, I was keeping my bike in developed a little leak in the ceiling so a bit of rain was dripping onto the rear seat and some of it made it onto the chain. I cleaned the rust off with a brush as best I could, but its never been the same since.

I was thinking the same thing. If it is the rear rubber thing, then I 'll just have to wait till I do a full sprocket and chain replace.


By the way, does anyone know what that rubber coil wrapped around the front wheel hub next to the sprocket does? I would love to axe it.

motokid wrote:

I'd be willing to bet, if you have the stock rear sprocket, and it looks like this:

that your source of the squealing is the rubber on the sprocket.