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What should i soak my chain in this winter?
- oldkaws4ever
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- Have no regrets...... You only live once.
74 Z1a 900 (Apart and making it better than ever)
77 Kz 650b (Threw a rod, going to sandwich in a 900 or 1000 motor)
76 Kz 400d
05 ninja zx-636
81 Kz 750 Ltd
Darien, Illinois
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- Patton
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As I understand it, the premise of an o-ring chain is that the o-rings are supposed to keep the original lube inside and to keep any outside stuff from getting in.
Any external soak would be prevented by the o-rings from getting inside. And might actually deteriorate the o-rings as most petroleum products are prone to do.
WD40 isn't a lubricant, but supposedly doesn't harm rubber o-rings. Perhaps ATF would do nicely as it is supposedly good for rubber, or at least non-damaging to rubber, and touted to soften and preserve rubber seals. What about brake fluid, as it won't hurt rubber. Or kerosene, the chain-soak of yore.
Why remove the chain at all? After a good chain-warming ride, just wipe it down and apply a quality chain lube product, using whatever speciality chain lube product RonKZ650 recommends.
If guessing, would in this case where it's already off the bike, consider cleaning it by dipping in kerosene, then dipping in ATF, allow to drip dry, and then spray with quality special purpose chain lube.
The peanut gallery has spake. :laugh:
Good Luck!
1973 Z1
KZ900 LTD
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- JMKZHI
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- PLUMMEN
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Still recovering,some days are better than others.
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- fixer5000
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if you slop 90w all over it youll end up with nasty smelling gear oil all over you and your bike everytime you ride it.
darn good point there
1978 kz650b pretty much stock
\\\\\\\" get there fast but arrive alive \\\\\\\"
massachusetts
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- oldkaws4ever
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74 Z1a 900 (Apart and making it better than ever)
77 Kz 650b (Threw a rod, going to sandwich in a 900 or 1000 motor)
76 Kz 400d
05 ninja zx-636
81 Kz 750 Ltd
Darien, Illinois
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- PLUMMEN
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Still recovering,some days are better than others.
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- MFolks
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1982 GPZ1100 B2
General Dynamics/Convair 1983-1993
GLCM BGM-109 Tomahawk, AGM-129A Advanced Cruise Missile (ACM)
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- bountyhunter
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1979 KZ-750 Twin
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- steell
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Return with me to the thrilling days of yesteryear, when men were men and chains didn't have o-rings (and I don't think anything else did either). Where a woman's place was in the kitchen, bitching because you just stunk up the house with that pan of 90 weight you warmed up on the kitchen stove so you could soak your chain in it to lube it and make it last. The chain that you had just spent an hour cleaning in kerosene, and that you are bringing into the house to put in that pan of hot 90 weight, since it didn't take you more than half a second to rule out carrying that pan of hot oil outside, especially after the mental flash of fried jewels :woohoo:
And that's the way it was, in the days when the BSA 650 Lightning and the Triumph 650 Bonneville vied for King of the Hill.
Damn, I have got to lay off the Tequila
KD9JUR
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- timebomb33
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1973 z1 2-1974z1-a,2-1975z1-b dragbikes1015cc+1393cc, 1977kz1000,1978kz1000,1981kz1000j, 1997 zx-11, 2000 z12r,1428turbo nitrous pro-mod and a shit load of parts thats all for now leader sask.,CANADA
I THINK MY POWERBAND BROKE
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- Patton
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... before chain lube... when there wasn't any such thing as o-ring chains... thrilling days of yesteryear... pan of 90 weight you warmed up on the kitchen stove so you could soak your chain in it to lube it and make it last... that's the way it was, in the days when the BSA 650 Lightning and the Triumph 650 Bonneville vied for King of the Hill... got to lay off the Tequila.
Actually tried a variation of this on my 1967 BSA 650 Spitfire , as the highly recommended sure-fire cutting edge method of chain care and preservation (back then it was Boone's Farm Strawberry Hill) :
Soak chain in a kerosene bath and clean it up real good. Let it drip dry, while attending to the following.
On the kitchen stove, melt a block of paraffin, and stir in a healthy dose of powdered graphite.
With this magic potion well-mixed, piping hot and water-thin, add the chain (immerse the chain in the potion) and let it cook for a few moments.
Remove chain slowly so as not to drip off all the graphite impregnated wax, resulting in a beautiful clean graphite impregnated wax-laden chain. Things are really looking good at this point. Confidence and self-pride exudes.
Handling the chain is rather clean and sanitary. Reinstalled without drama, and adjusted perfectly.
Crank bike and take a five mile ride.
Awfullest black mess I've ever seen all over the rear end of bike, wheels, spokes, every where. It all slung off. Didn't know chains got that hot.
And we all know what cleans off melted wax. Just about nothing.
Silver lining -- the old cheap pan -- threw away without cleaning.
Good Luck!
1973 Z1
KZ900 LTD
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