Chain oiler installation

1972 Roaster

Maybe I’m the first to do this but I’ve acquired the parts to install a chain oiler.

I can figure out what the metal pipe is supposed to be fixed to.

Anyone have a picture of theirs?

It attaches to the lower, center hole of the chain guard.
Way back in the day, I took a little lady for a night time ride, on my shiney new 73, 850.
She was wearing her brand new Ski parka she was so proud of.
Left a big oil streak up the back.
Being a 73, Mk1, it didn't have the little black deflector.
Dealer installed a little micro valve. I kept it closed as I couldn't stop the splatter.

Just thought I'd share my experience.

hi,
I’ve never had great success with chain oilers. The one on my Trident remains unused. I think the first Honda Fours were also equipped with them but they were subsequently dropped. I think that modern purpose designed spray can chain lubricants do a far better job if applied every few hundred miles than a continual drip of thin motor oil.
My bikes can leak enough oil without purposefully introducing another source, and I’ve not only wrecked passengers clothing but once in my youth, my mate jacket who was riding on a bike behind me, I copped a lot of ‘stick’ for that as he was a Ducati rider. Until I sorted them out, Trident rocker boxes were my nemesis
regards
Al

I ran a Tutoro chain oiler on my modern bonneville for a few yrs. This one uses a road vibration operated check valve to release its oil a drop every minute or two if held fully open continually. It does not need any electrical or vacuum hook up. I ran locally available chainsaw oil, summer temp viscosity and saw little to no splatter.


Thinking to install in on the Commando.

Alan L said:

hi,
I’ve never had great success with chain oilers. The one on my Trident remains unused. I think the first Honda Fours were also equipped with them but they were subsequently dropped. I think that modern purpose designed spray can chain lubricants do a far better job if applied every few hundred miles than a continual drip of thin motor oil.
My bikes can leak enough oil without purposefully introducing another source, and I’ve not only wrecked passengers clothing but once in my youth, my mate jacket who was riding on a bike behind me, I copped a lot of ‘stick’ for that as he was a Ducati rider. Until I sorted them out, Trident rocker boxes were my nemesis
regards
Al

Click to expand...

Destroyed my girlfriends new jumpsuit and man she was angry. Please don't do this. Crimp it up , solder , crush , screw in bolt , clamp up , whatever it takes to stop an outdated idea. Modern chain lube only.

Thanks had to take the chain guard out of the box to see the mounting hole.

I guess I’m just envious of all of your Norton stories from the 1970s

I’ll tell everyone what a bad idea it was in a couple days.

Torontonian said:

Destroyed my girlfriends new jumpsuit and man she was angry. Please don't do this. Crimp it up , solder , crush , screw in bolt , clamp up , whatever it takes to stop an outdated idea. Modern chain lube only.

Click to expand...

Bad ideas are kind of “my thing”

Coolhands said:

Bad ideas are kind of “my thing”

Click to expand...

It’s usually best to build on the body of knowledge that has already been established rather than go back to re inventing the wheel and repeating all the mistakes and learning !

Almost everybody has disabled the stock oiler cos A) it was a fairly crude attempt even then B) lubrication product technology has moved on, a lot and C) our expectations have also moved on… we used to be called ‘greasers’ for a reason (being covered in oil).

Hot engine oil is a terrible chain lubricant, unless it’s actually bathing in the stuff, which your rear chain isn’t. Most of what drips on to a running chain will get flung right off!

As posted in your chain thread:

Modern chain lube is surprisingly good. There’s a lot of solvents in chain lube, which aids penetration but needs to be taken into consideration.

The trick with chain lube is to apply it AFTER your ride, whilst the chain is warm, that further aids penetration. Then wipe off the excess, then leave to cool / soak in / allow solvents to evaporate (ideally overnight) before riding again.

Thanks all! Guess this is a part I wasn’t missing!

Fast Eddie said:

Almost everybody has disabled the stock oiler...

Click to expand...

...Including the factory as the 850 Mk3 didn't have it.

MichaelB said:

It attaches to the lower, center hole of the chain guard.
Way back in the day, I took a little lady for a night time ride, on my shiney new 73, 850.
She was wearing her brand new Ski parka she was so proud of.
Left a big oil streak up the back.
Being a 73, Mk1, it didn't have the little black deflector.
Dealer installed a little micro valve. I kept it closed as I couldn't stop the splatter.

Just thought I'd share my experience.

Click to expand...

To this day my wife still reminds me of a very similar experience.

cash said:

To this day my wife still reminds me of a very similar experience.

Click to expand...

And mine !

Fast Eddie said:

And mine !

Click to expand...

Why was cash carrying your wife as pillion?

Flatspot said:

Why was cash carrying your wife as pillion?

Click to expand...

Small world

Both my Matchless and Atlas have some sort of chain oiler. The Atlas tank-breather hose fits onto the chain guard and fumes the chain so it always at least gives the appearance of being lubed, an illusion I suspect. The Matchless has a generous chain guard (and needed it) but no attachment point for an oiler. When I got it, many years ago, the crankcase breather (you know, the one inaccesable behind the primary case) was plumbed to dribble on the bottom run of the chain, which then had no guard, thus accommodating the overlay sprocket. That may have been OK for desert racing or scrambles but within a few miles of road riding the rear wheel (and left side of the tire) was completely saturated which then attracted dust from the gravel roads and made an awful mess to clean up, frequently. It is now plumbed into the oil tank as God and the factory intended. But somehow the chain still gets oil from somewhere.

Perhaps now beating a dead horse but I had a 69 CB750 with fabled chain oiler. As I recall oil dribbled out the end of the counter shaft onto a madly spinning 12-tooth sprocket and was immediately flung off. Thankfully it was adjustable and could be shut off. It just made a mess. Chain life was awful also - change the rear tire and the chain every 4500 miles. The factory went to a 13-tooth sprocket that was supposed to help chain life. I did not know about chain lubes, if there was such a thing then.

Which brings me to wonder... do larger sprockets, eg. 22-tooth rather than, say, a 16-tooth, as on the Matchless, make an appreciable difference in chain life? Seems like the pins would have to rotate less to go around a larger sprocket. I suspect that was why the CB750 had such short chain life.

I have used a Scottoiler on an FJ1200 and on a VFR750, with no spatter issues from the cold and sticky oil, no wifely complaints, in fact spray can lube fling was worse, and it definitely extended chain life, a lot.

Scott sold their own oil, but chainsaw chain bar oil is fine. Since I haven't used a Scottoiler since 2002 I don't know if these products are still available, but.....

They are only intended for use with O ring and X ring chains, to lube the roller to sprocket contact area, and can't be relied on to 'penetrate' standard chains to lube the pins.

Go with the spray can lube.

Put the shiny new part in a display case or like I do keep a box especially for 'parts I bought and never fitted'. The box isn't empty.

I plugged the chain oiling outlet port on my oil tank and eliminated the ongoing mess it created.
Modern day lubes and chain development make a lot more sense than a constant oil drip getting slung all over you, your rider, your bike, your back tire, your garage floor, the road yada yada yada.

SteveA said:

Put the shiny new part in a display case or like I do keep a box especially for 'parts I bought and never fitted'. The box isn't empty.

Click to expand...

I too have one of those boxes. I still believe that one day I will need or use all of them.

Lineslinger said:

I've to one of those boxes. I still believe that one day will need or use all of them.

Click to expand...

Me too. And, I have a box of worn parts that haven't yet quite failed, just in case the new one fails.