Rusty Chain

[Hills]

Hi All

I'm a newbie here and to the FZ6 Fazer so be gentle.

I bought my new FZ6 Fazer from a UK dealer about 9 weeks ago. I have since done 600 miles (mostly dry ones) and had the 6 week (or 600 mile) service at 430 miles.

The bike is like new, always cleaned, polished, Scottoiler FS 365'd and the chain lubed. I have read may times about R6 and Fazer chains and sprockets prematurely rusting here in the UK but I didn't expect my chain to rust quite so fast! The sprocket is still rust free but the chain is covered in fine rust. It's not for want of lubing either.

I have bought (but not used) some Paraffin to clean the chain, is this a good idea? I have also read here that WD40 is good for getting rust off of the chain? Can anyone advise the best way to get the fine rust off and the best chain lube here in the UK to slow it's return?

Thanks guy for your help. I'm fairly new to Biking, my only regret is not passing my test when I was younger! I'm 39 and live for my next Fazer ride. I love the bike!

Thanks again...
Hills

 

[shaggystyle]

Take a wire brush and some kerosene to it, the rust will come right off. After that, just lube her up normally and make sure you keep her that way. Should stem any further rusting.

 

[Fz6Sa]

Well,- I know I'm gonna start a major discussion now (and properly get yelled at a bit ), but I use WD40 to clean my chain.
I make sure to wipe it off real good after cleaning, and then I apply my wax type lube.

I know of several R6 owners that ONLY use WD40 for their chains, both for cleaning and for lubing, but to be on the safe side I wipe it off and lube with my wax lube instead.

The main concerns with WD40 is weather or not it degrades the O-rings in the chain, - a discussion that I don't think will ever end

 

[Fz6Sa]

Ohh,- and I forgot:

:welcome::welcome::welcome::welcome::welcome::welcome:

to the forum!!!!

 

[Hills]

Cheers Both for the quick answers and the warm welcome!

Another quick on topic question - Is Yamalube (chain loob) any good as a product?

Thanks
Hills

 

[Fz6Sa]

Well,- Yamaha recommends it, so it can't be all bad

I don't use it myself, - but I see no reason for you not to go ahead and try it.

You will notice stuff like dirt-attraction, fling-off's etc. quite fast, and since chain oil is rather inexpensive it's affordable to switch brand if you don't like it.

 

[Motogiro]

:welcome::welcome::welcome:

I don't know if this makes any difference but being in the UK didn't you folks just get snow and if you did were the roads sanded and salted? Salt really plays havoc on ferrous materials. If you did ride in salt wash the bike in cold water. It could even be dried salt on the road.

Again Welcome!

 

[bmccrary]

I know of several R6 owners that ONLY use WD40 for their chains, both for cleaning and for lubing, but to be on the safe side I wipe it off and lube with my wax lube instead.

The main concerns with WD40 is weather or not it degrades the O-rings in the chain, - a discussion that I don't think will ever end

Ok so, to make it never end, here it goes. WD-40 Evaporates. So by just lubing with WD-40 seems rather silly, unless you want to lube your chain every 50 miles or so.

As for it degrading the o-rings. I wouldnt worry about that.

To clean my chain, I used dish detergent. Just pour a bunch right on the chain. Scrub the crap out of it. Fire the bike up, put it in gear (on the center stand) and rinse the chain.

Once the bike is off I coat the chain in WD. This remove any water that around the chain and prevent it from rusting. Wait about 30 mins and then coat the heck out of it with my favorite chain lube.

Once again, I wouldnt worry about the WD tearing up your O-rings. I have done this for years and never had a problem with O-rings wearing out. Normally the chain is toast before that happens..

-bryan

 

[steveindenmark]

Ok this is my opinion so do not lynch me.

I think Scoott oilers is a great piece of kit.....for making sure you never go near the chain or back wheel.

I clean my chain by hand about once a month. It takes 15 minutes and the chain still looks like new on a 2006 bike. As does the rear wheel and the rear of the bike.

I would bin the Scott oiler and get in touch with your bike.

Steve

 

[shaggystyle]

Ok this is my opinion so do not lynch me.

I think Scoott oilers is a great piece of kit.....for making sure you never go near the chain or back wheel.

............

I would bin the Scott oiler and get in touch with your bike.

I had the same thought at first, then I googled what the Scottoiler thing he mentioned was (LINK). It's not an actual oiler, it's some sort of protective spray made by the Scottoiler brand. It's supposed to prevent corrosion and what not. Probably still pointless, but hey if it makes you feel better about your bike........

Anyways, just wanted to point that out.

 

[OneTrack]

Not meaning to question your predicament, but are you absolutely certain that what you are seeing on the chain is actually fine rust?
I use a chain wax after cleaning, and after a day or two (even in dry summer heat), the chain looks as if it's covered in fine rust....it's actually just the "rusty" colour of the wax.

 

[D-Mac]

:welcome:

I used to go with Kerosene to clean followed by chain lube, but now I often go with WD-40 (especially on the road) followed by chain lube. As for chain lube, I like the DuPont waxy spray stuff - very cheap and lasts a long time....BelRay SuperClean is good too, but much more expensive).

My only issue with WD-40 is that it doesn't cling to the chain (it evaporates), so I don't think it's very good lube. Whether or not it harms o-rings doesn't bother me.....enough people use it and to be honest, any "harm" it does would seem to be pretty minimal.

I'm getting a Scottoiler this year.

 

[Shinn]

Kerosene to clean and I've tried about 20 different types of lube, all pretty much the same to me. Except some can go from $5 to $50 a bottle. I like the chain wax though, good price and the yellow wax comes off pants easy.

 

[FizzySix]

Kerosene to clean as recommended by the manufacturer (with a nylon brush), though you can use WD-40. It contains a similar solvent.

In terms of preventing rust, WD-40 would be perfect...that's why it was invented, to protect the surface of rockets from rusting. The solvents evaporate, leaving behind a light coating of oil, which will prevent rust if undisturbed.

In terms of lubrication though, mineral oil may be a bit light (Yamaha recommends motor oil in the manual IIRC?), and a bit low-tech given what's available on the market, such as the popular teflon dry waxy spray.

It is also a marvelous substitute for cologne, and is bound to attract female mechanics to you like nothing else.

 

[SANGER_A2]

In terms of preventing rust, WD-40 would be perfect...that's why it was invented, to protect the surface of rockets from rusting. The solvents evaporate, leaving behind a light coating of oil, which will prevent rust if undisturbed.

+1 to this. WD40 lubricates. It just doesn't do it that well! It's great for cleaning and preventing water though.

In terms of lubrication though, mineral oil may be a bit light (Yamaha recommends motor oil in the manual IIRC?), and a bit low-tech given what's available on the market, such as the popular teflon dry waxy spray.

God knows why Yamaha would recommend oil on the chain - unless you clean all the slippery oil spray off the tyre every few days.

Oh and for the other UK people here: paraffin = kerosene! And it's great for cleaning off oil and lube. Especially with one of these bad-boys. :rockon:

 

[Gopher]

+1 on using WD40....

However, first and foremost it is a water repellent. WD40 is used (and was actually designed) to drive out moisture, and leave a very light oil behind as mentioned.

If you apply a lot of WD40 to your entire chain...leave for 10mins....then apply more and start scrubbing with a stiff toothbrush! The rust literally scrubs away... Once youve done, spray again... wipe clean with a clean dry towel... leave for another 10mins to allow to dry fully.

Finish by lubing up (plenty of lube, wipe off excess), I use Silkolene btw.

The idea is to clean the chain of ALL rust, oils and water...then prep by driving any remaining water out, then lube. My chain was in a real bad state after only a week under a cover... and it looks like new now!

Should take you bout an hour to do the first time, then just do the same routine quickly once or twice a week and your chain will stay in good shape!

If you think its a bit long winded, just remember that 25% of biking is the enjoyment of looking after your machine!

 

[robertdroberts]

I use the Dupont lubricant.

Spray and scrub with a brush, twice around and its pretty clean.

 

[wrightme43]

^^^ thats what I use to lube. Its awesome

I use WD40 to clean, its awesome.

In testing a actual oring from a chain sitting 24 hours submerged in WD40 it was fine no problems.

Dont worry at all about using WD40 to clean the chain, its a horrible lube but a great cleaner.

 

[FizzySix]

Keep in mind too that light surface rust is not *necessarily* an indication of a problem with a chain, or that it wasn't lubricated properly, or will wear prematurely. The outside of the links don't mesh with anything; it's mostly cosmetic.

Likewise, a shiny chain subjected to well-intentioned abuse could be a candidate for early replacement despite its charming good looks.

I'll let the more knowledgeable gear-heads on the board speak to causes and indications of chain-wear; all I'm saying is that if you're into the maintenance, it's nice to have a clean chain, and can be done with readily-available off-the-shelf products (like WD-40 and a commercial lube), just don't equate form with function.

And for the love of god, don't believe anything you read on the internets....er....except this post, of course

 

[Hills]

Thanks very much all for the superb answers.

It is fine rust on my chain but I now realise from reading all your kind replies that it's not the end of the world and will clean off. I'm buying a small nylon brush and a small wire brush if I can at the weekend and I'll try both kerosene/paraffin and WF40 and see which helps bring the fine rust off best. I will then give the chain a good wipe down and leave to dry before lubing with chain lube.

Cheers again for all the help guys. :thumbup:

P.s. I've told the missus to wash the pots and clothes with WD40. (joke )

Regards
Hills