Wilsons Sandbox

Right.. The WD-40 just washes away the grit and dirt, the chain is lubed internally and the grease is held in place by the O-ring, so if you help preserve the O-rings the chain should be just fine. After using WD-40 (washing the chain) allow it to dry somewhat, or hit the highway and sling off the rest of it, so dirt has nothing to stick to. Its all I plan on using, except maybe for storage time, might add chainsaw bar oil to chain just to keep it from rusting, but normally I just drive the bike into the garage and shut it off for winter storage. No charger/charging all winter, bike started fine, kinda.. forgot to put it in gear and rock it back and forth to loosen the clutch plates.. battery was almost dead by this time and I went "Dah !!" soon as I did that the bike came to life and ran fine, but kinda remember adding a small amount of Seafoam to tank last fall, or was it Marvel Mystery oil.. one of the two. Dooden A15 Green Ape

--- In DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, "thad_carey" wrote: > I've noticed that several regular posters on the site use the WD40 > deal on their chains. If I read correctly, you don't use any other > lubricant, and I assume these are o-ring chains? Isn't WD40 almost a > solvent rather than an actual lubricant--especially in the harsh > sprocket and chain environment? I guess this might not be too bad on > an o-ring chain, but WD40 wouldn't be suitable for a standard, non-o- > ring chain, would it? I know WD40 is good for cleaning a dirty chain > or flushing water out of a non-o-ring chain, but it just doesn't seem > like much a lubricant. If nothing other than WD40 is used on an o- > ring chain, maybe you're getting chain and sprocket interface > lubrication from the miniscule amounts of the factory grease/lube > that comes packed in an o-ring chain and slowly "spooges" out past > the o-rings from normal use. Just curious. > Thad Carey > A15

ttcarey1@... wrote:

>I've noticed that several regular posters on the site use the WD40 >deal on their chains. If I read correctly, you don't use any other >lubricant, and I assume these are o-ring chains? >

Yes, oring chains.

> Isn't WD40 almost a >solvent rather than an actual lubricant--especially in the harsh >sprocket and chain environment? >

The solvent flings off or evaporates, leaving a bit of some sort of thin oil and whatever corrosion-inhibitors are in it. Any dirt also flings off as well. I've had NO rust on chains or sprockets, riding 3-4 days a week on salted winter roads.

> I guess this might not be too bad on >an o-ring chain, but WD40 wouldn't be suitable for a standard, non-o- >ring chain, would it? >

No, a non-oring chain needs 90w oil, or chain lube.

> I know WD40 is good for cleaning a dirty chain >or flushing water out of a non-o-ring chain, but it just doesn't seem >like much a lubricant. >

It's not. The links are lubricated internally by grease retained by the orings. The only places where metal rubs metal, are the rollers on the links, and the sprockets on the rollers. But if you use thick oil, you get dirt sticking to these surfaces and forming a grinding paste. The WD40 is just enough to keep the chain from getting really hot, and seems to reduce wear more than you'd think.

> If nothing other than WD40 is used on an o- >ring chain, maybe you're getting chain and sprocket interface >lubrication from the miniscule amounts of the factory grease/lube >that comes packed in an o-ring chain and slowly "spooges" out past >the o-rings from normal use. Just curious. >

I doubt it. The chains I've taken off, which were REALLY worn, had no tight links and were still very flexible. The links were in good condition, but the rollers had worn down so thin they were breaking off. So the orings had held the grease in all along. Devon

At 3:04 AM +0000 4/8/04, thad_carey wrote:

>Isn't WD40 almost a >solvent rather than an actual lubricant-

I usually lube my chain with used motor oil, but I'd be open to a lighter-weight lube. I think WD-40 evaps too quickly and leaves no film behind, like a solvent. Last week, I picked up a can of PB Blaster Garage Door Lube. It's light and is supposed to leave a dry high-pressure lubricant film. They also recommend it for clocks & guns. It's about the same cost as WD-40 and way cheaper than moto-specific chain lubes. I'll let ya'll know how it goes. Mark http://www.reelrider.com