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Making a chain oiler

10K views 28 replies 10 participants last post by  Tom Schmitz 
#1 ·
Here are the basic building materials. A 16 oz model airplane tank (found on sale for half off! - $3.20), an aquarium manifold valve ($5 at PetSmart), some aquarium tubing and some small brass tubing. I think the tab for this is up to about $10.



Next step is to test assemble the stopper and get the vent line set up correctly.



The tank is set up for 1/8" lines, while the oiler needs to run on 3/16" ID tubing, so the tank fitting needs to be sleeved up a bit. This will require two concentric sleeves that will be soldered together and to the tank fitting.



Then reassemble the stopper and get the feed line looped back a bit.



The valve is a manifold valve, and it needs to get turned into a pair of valves in series so that one of them can be the shut off and the other can be adjusted to control the flow. The middle of the manifold needs to be blocked off. I used a .177 caliber rifle pellet, which I rolled down to 1/8". I then stuffed it in the manifold and packed it in tight. Now the oil will come in from the left side, go through the first valve, up through the loop of tubing, and down through the second valve, exiting to the right.

Here's what it looks like, ready to take to the bike and start fabbing up the actual feed to the chain.



I'll probably work on this some more tomorrow....

Tom
 
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#2 ·
I see your old school Tom and you shop at your local hobbie shop...lol

I tried a set up like this to oil the chain while riding. It worked real well, but it does get messy on the rims.
I went back to the new chain wax. I put a can on the bike to lub on longer rides.

I'm sure you will come up with a good set up.

Kurt
 
#3 ·
Nice Tom!
 
#6 ·
forgive me for sounding like an idiot here but when oiling the chain can't one just roll the bike forward a couple feet and lube the exposed part of the chain, and continue to do so (roll again) without getting the rear wheel off the ground until all parts are covered? i don't have a stand and balancing on the kickstand with a wood dowel wedged under the right footpeg trick makes me a bit nervous.

i also just use a commercial lube product with a spray nozzle, so i'm also wondering why does one make such a contraption? (granted, it does look cool, and i'm sure mcguyver would envy it) but does it make it easier/lube the chain better?

thanks in advance!
 
#7 · (Edited)
I used to use this mod. back in the day. When done right it is very effective.
You don't just fill the res. and let the chain lub run until empty.
i ran a copper tube to the inside of the chain so as the chain turns the oil moves to the out side of the chain lubing it.

I had a small plastic valve in the plastic line running to the copper tube that you could turn on or off. When you need some oil on the chain you turn on the valve, run the bike down the road 1/2 mile and turn it off until needed again.
If done right, you get just enough oil on the chain with out fly off on the back wheel.

There is one hitch to this mod. that we found. That is the oil you use. It has to be light enough to run threw the tubes,but stay with the chain for a period of time.

The good thing about this mod. is that you don't need to carrie a can of chain lub in a bag some where.
Makes it nice when your on the road and packed to the hilt all you do is turn on a valve real quick.

As good as Tom is with mod's and todays new oil's I'm sure he is going to come up with a good way of doing this........stayed tuned!

I really just need to shut up and see what Tom comes up with.

Kurt
 
#8 ·
... so i'm also wondering why does one make such a contraption?...
Benny-

One does this because one is bored, one is an inveterate tinkerer, one is curious, and a proper Scott oiler costs $75 and is sort of a Rube Goldberg affair. ;^)

Seriously, though, the chain should be thoroughly lubed about every 400 miles. I'm building this for use on my multi-day trips so that I don't have to bother. If it is properly adjusted it won't foul the rim horribly. If it proves to be an epic fail, I'll have spent $10 on tuition. Life long learning is good, and that class fee is pretty nominal.
Indeed, the chain can be oiled as you describe, but you might try putting the dowel under the swing arm at the rear axle. It's quite stable when you locate it there.

Tom
 
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#10 ·
Well, OK, I've been held up because I didn't have a round tuit, but I found one yesterday and was able to finish up.

Mounting the tank was the first order of business. I built a shelf that mounts where the evap cannister used to be:



The tank is held in place with industrial double-sided tape:



And then it's checked for fit with the side cover on:



With the fit looking good, it gets wired in place with SS safety wire:



The valve assembly gets placed in a handy spot on the lower part of the frame:



A hard line is mounted to the swing arm and is led in place by two wire clamps, one at each end:




The hard line includes the copper oiler tip, which rides against the sprocket. The oil is flung off the sprocket and onto the chain's rollers, where I hope it will penetrate into the rollers:



It took about an hour to get the flow adjusted to one drop every two minutes. Once that was done, a cover was built so that all that junk won't catch on anything. See the next post, I'm over the picture limit!

Tomorrow is a 200 mile day, so that will be a good opportunity for a test.

Tom
 
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#12 ·
Bravo Tom! Slick as could be.
 
#13 ·
"Slick? Well, I hope it doesn't get on my tire", Tom said in an oily tone...

The proof will be in the pudding, I guess.

Thanks!

Tom
 
#14 ·
Neat contraption, but I highly recommend you use some kind of oil as opposed to pudding.
 
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#15 ·
I can't have any pudding, teacher, as I haven't eaten my meat...
 
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#16 ·
I think I just had a flashback. ;)
 
#19 ·
Thanks Kurt, and everybody.

I'm off for 200 miles in a few.

We'll see if the KLR comes back looking like a Louisiana shrimp boat...

Tom
 
#22 ·
I didn't lay it down!

I launched; it lay down on its own

On top of me.

Pretty hilarious.

Tom
 
#24 ·
I got back at oh-dark-hundred hours last night, so couldn't examine things really closely.

Throughout the day it looked pretty good and seemed to be doing the job. The chain was moist with oil, but no oil on the rim, the back of my leg, or all over the swing arm. Can't vouch for the condition of the windshields of the cars following me...

Tom
 
#25 ·
Sounds like a winner!

Don't worry about the car behind you, just adjust you wiper fluid washer to shoot over your head......lol.....:50:

Kurt
 
#27 ·
Glad it worked brother. Give the cages a squirt in the eye for me.
 
#29 ·
It has worked fine. I would like to replace the low-quality aquarium valves with a decent pair of brazz needle valves. Just haven't found th right ones. The hose tends to harden up a bit, which seems to allow air to leak int to the joint at the valve fitting. That breaks the siphon, so the hose n3es to be replaced about every year or so.

T
 
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