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Chain Break
- Thread starter Lou Ranger
- Start date
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- Tags
- chain
oh deary me, chain does look dirty
I clean mine with wd40 and then lube it with 622 chain lube and it looks new
I clean mine with wd40 and then lube it with 622 chain lube and it looks new
I need lessons on this, clearly. I lube the chain after every long ride (at the end of the ride while it's still warm) with motor oil.
I'm willing to try 622 (whatever it is).
And cleaning with WD? Glad to hear it's good for something - will get me a big can.
How do you do it? Spray on and wipe off, on the bike with the centre stand to rotate? by hand, idling in 1st gear?
I'm willing to try 622 (whatever it is).
And cleaning with WD? Glad to hear it's good for something - will get me a big can.
How do you do it? Spray on and wipe off, on the bike with the centre stand to rotate? by hand, idling in 1st gear?
Well dont use your hand with a rag over the chain 
Also get a can of heavy duty overn cleaner if you havent put it all back together and spray over that sprocket and the area around.Then uses damp rag and wipe clean after about 15 minutes.It will clean that gunk to bare metal in no time.
Also get a can of heavy duty overn cleaner if you havent put it all back together and spray over that sprocket and the area around.Then uses damp rag and wipe clean after about 15 minutes.It will clean that gunk to bare metal in no time.
centre stand and rag, spin the wheel by hand.
the wd runs most of the crud off anyway, displaces the water and then I use Motorex 622 chain lube
http://www.mandp.co.uk/productinfo/530848/Chains-and-Sprockets/Chain-Lubes/Motorex
LuckyEight
Head-scratcher
I clean it with kerosene and lube it with Motorex or Motul chain lube. I also have one of these http://www.aligatoravs.cz/obrazky_zbozi/Kettenmax-bef.jpg
you can make a cleaner with old toothbrushes.
heat and bend into a U shape, glue them with epoxy and away you go
heat and bend into a U shape, glue them with epoxy and away you go
LuckyEight
Head-scratcher
Yea I know, I was planning to make my own...but this was christmas gift so...
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It was regular chain (no O-rings) with a master link. Hopefully, by cleaning it regularly and maybe using a dry lube, I can get more miles.
Once the old chain was off and laying on a flat surface, you could tell it was worn by how sideways flexible it was - made a nice half-circle.
Is there a way one can tell when a chain is this worn without taking it off the bike and flexing it sideways?
Lou you can clean your chain all you want but I really think you have a bad push rod seal, and if thats the case you will still get all that nasty oil build up even if you clean your chain every ride.
If you look in your picture you will notice that, just in front of your sprocket, the pushrod seal is leaking. Its hard to tell from the picture but thats what it looks like to me
If you look in your picture you will notice that, just in front of your sprocket, the pushrod seal is leaking. Its hard to tell from the picture but thats what it looks like to me
This correct info from Ksqrly
As for oven cleaner you dont leave on the surface for very long.Like I said about 15 minutes.I have done it all the time with good success.It wouldnt use it inside a carb body but its not going to hurt the inside of casing.
As for oven cleaner you dont leave on the surface for very long.Like I said about 15 minutes.I have done it all the time with good success.It wouldnt use it inside a carb body but its not going to hurt the inside of casing.
I had a look at LR's bike on Friday. There was so much oil slobbered around in there, that there is no way to determine where it is all coming from. Considering how much LR lubes his chain, that he was using engine oil, and that the chain will fling the oil on the clutch push rod, I think that people are over reacting here.
I'd be hesitant using oven cleaner on my bike. After all, it isn't an oven. I use engine degreaser. Also keep in mind the wiring and switches in that area. Degreaser won't damage them, but oven cleaner? That is some nasty stuff! It will remove anodizing from aluminium by corroding it off. I don't want that anywhere near wiring...
I'd be hesitant using oven cleaner on my bike. After all, it isn't an oven. I use engine degreaser. Also keep in mind the wiring and switches in that area. Degreaser won't damage them, but oven cleaner? That is some nasty stuff! It will remove anodizing from aluminium by corroding it off. I don't want that anywhere near wiring...
What brand/model and what was its tensile strength?
Oh and...
"This is also a good time to check the chain for wear. Regardless of adjustment, pull one of the chain links off the rear sprocket. If the chain lifts off the sprocket more than half the height of a tooth of the sprocket, the chain is worn out. Replace it right away and you won't have to replace the sprockets as well. Sprockets must be replaced when the teeth show signs of hooking, or a difference in profile between the back and front of the tooth. Never put a new chain on a hooked sprocket."
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Well take it as you will I have been using oven cleaner for about 25 years cleaning everything from cleaning steel to aluminum.I have never had any problem with it damaging seals,coated wire or pitting aluminum for that matter.I suppose its possible if somebody used and left it for a long time.Its might be oven cleaner but it works as an excellent degreaser also.Common sense would tell a person to not use this stuff where close tolerances are required like a carb body for example.For general cleaning it does a fine job take it or leave it
Drewcifer
1976 XS 360 Maniac
I call that stuff sprocket fudge, and yes, it's caused by pushrod seal going bad with age. It also causes your oil to looooowwwwweeeeerrr itself slowly. So replace! No big deal!
By the looks of my chain its going to need to be replaced along with the sprockets,stuff never ends on this dam bike.
Well, my sprocket fudge was dark, double chocolate for sure. 16VGTI saw it after I scraped the big chunks out and gave 2 applications of engine de-greaser foam and 2 hosings.
I think I am going to switch to wiping the chain off with wd40 and using a can of chain lube as Drewpy suggests, and then see if I still make fudge. My oil level really doesn't drop noticeably between changes but I will keep a close watch while I read up on the how/when/why of seal replacement.
Both chains are 530. I inherited the chain that broke from the PO 12,000 kms ago. It was one year old then but I don't know how much distance he put on it. The only markings are "TYC 530HP".
The replacement is a "D.I.D. 50" roller chain made by Daido Kogyo in Japan.
It's interesting that the instructions say to clean and lubricate with sae80w-90 every 300 miles. I was slathering it with 10w-40 every 50 miles or so - no wonder I made lots of double chocolate fudge.
Thanks for the tip on how to judge the wear
I will try and do that every so often - maybe every 300 miles when I clean and lube. I ran into a bike mechanic today over coffee and he advised me to check the alignment of the rear wheel (he said not to trust the hash marks absolutely). Apparently if it's out even a fraction, it will strain one side of the chain more than the other and will eventually show up as unbalanced sprocket teeth wear.
So, tomorrow I will try his plumb line technique ... - if I can remember it.
D.I.D. makes a fine chain; Japanese is the way to go. TYC is Chinese, but the "HP" makes me think it was a heavy duty chain and probably strong enough for the bike. Did you adjust the chain tension often before the failure occurred?
I've been aligning my rear wheel using a depth gauge on the adjustment screws; it's way more accurate than the hash lines, but I doubt anything beats the plumb line.
I've been aligning my rear wheel using a depth gauge on the adjustment screws; it's way more accurate than the hash lines, but I doubt anything beats the plumb line.
