I have an '05 Kawasaki vulcan 800, can I spray WD-40 on my 0-ring chain to clean it a bit before I use spray lube?
WD-40 to clean chain, can I?
- Thread starter Degreaser
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be on the lookout for any bad orings ...if you have one the WD will wash out the grease inside that bushing.
If the WD-40 isn't totally washed off afterward it may not allow the chain lube to stick to the chain. Residues from the light oils/solvent in WD-40 can dilute the oil on the surface if they are still present to the point that any tackiness, solidity of the lube could be diminished.
yeah you can, however if you want something cheaper, just use Kerosene or even Diesel fuel. I use that and a a couple toothbrushes to really deep clean my chain.
I use brake cleaner for a lot of cleaning chores on OPE and autos.
Cheap at Wal-mart, spray nozzle and leaves no residue.
Cheap at Wal-mart, spray nozzle and leaves no residue.
Originally Posted By: Robenstein
yeah you can, however if you want something cheaper, just use Kerosene or even Diesel fuel. I use that and a a couple toothbrushes to really deep clean my chain.
+1 ... kerosene works great, and dries clean. Can get a gallon at Walmart for about $8.
yeah you can, however if you want something cheaper, just use Kerosene or even Diesel fuel. I use that and a a couple toothbrushes to really deep clean my chain.
+1 ... kerosene works great, and dries clean. Can get a gallon at Walmart for about $8.
brake cleaner may damage o rings in modern chains.diesel is cheap.and equal to kerosene nowadays.
Originally Posted By: dwendt44
I use brake cleaner for a lot of cleaning chores on OPE and autos.
Cheap at Wal-mart, spray nozzle and leaves no residue.
Originally Posted By: dwendt44
I use brake cleaner for a lot of cleaning chores on OPE and autos.
Cheap at Wal-mart, spray nozzle and leaves no residue.
Originally Posted By: kc8adu
brake cleaner may damage o rings in modern chains.diesel is cheap.and equal to kerosene nowadays.
Originally Posted By: dwendt44
I use brake cleaner for a lot of cleaning chores on OPE and autos.
Cheap at Wal-mart, spray nozzle and leaves no residue.
As long as it doesn't use acetone or at least too much acetone it should be ok on the seals. Most of the light, non-polar hydrocarbon solvents are ok on rubber.
brake cleaner may damage o rings in modern chains.diesel is cheap.and equal to kerosene nowadays.
Originally Posted By: dwendt44
I use brake cleaner for a lot of cleaning chores on OPE and autos.
Cheap at Wal-mart, spray nozzle and leaves no residue.
As long as it doesn't use acetone or at least too much acetone it should be ok on the seals. Most of the light, non-polar hydrocarbon solvents are ok on rubber.
Originally Posted By: Robenstein
yeah you can, however if you want something cheaper, just use Kerosene or even Diesel fuel. I use that and a a couple toothbrushes to really deep clean my chain.
ok, what I did was watch some youtube vids on motorcycle chain cleaning methods and cleaning products that use WD40 on chains, and then being confused I thought 'look in the Kawasaki Service Manual' to see what Kawasaki says, so I did and it says 'Use only kerosene or diesel oil for cleaning an O-ring drive chain.'
so this has me wondering now about diesel and kerosene, but you said Diesel fuel, and manual says diesel oil, are they both the same stuff?
yeah you can, however if you want something cheaper, just use Kerosene or even Diesel fuel. I use that and a a couple toothbrushes to really deep clean my chain.
ok, what I did was watch some youtube vids on motorcycle chain cleaning methods and cleaning products that use WD40 on chains, and then being confused I thought 'look in the Kawasaki Service Manual' to see what Kawasaki says, so I did and it says 'Use only kerosene or diesel oil for cleaning an O-ring drive chain.'
so this has me wondering now about diesel and kerosene, but you said Diesel fuel, and manual says diesel oil, are they both the same stuff?
Yes, that is the same thing. We think of "Diesel oil" as a lubricant, but its a fuel to much of the rest of the world. Just how like how gasoline in certain parts of the world is "petrol".
So yes, you can use Kerosene or its cousin Diesel fuel.
So yes, you can use Kerosene or its cousin Diesel fuel.
I have always thought of WD40 as being pretty much just conveniently packaged kerosene, myself.
Originally Posted By: WANG
I have always thought of WD40 as being pretty much just conveniently packaged kerosene, myself.
it has solvency like Kerosene, but if it was Kerosene it would dry better without a film. WD40 leaves a sticky varnish.
I have always thought of WD40 as being pretty much just conveniently packaged kerosene, myself.
it has solvency like Kerosene, but if it was Kerosene it would dry better without a film. WD40 leaves a sticky varnish.
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Get some Dupont Multi-Purpose Lubricant in the blue can from Ace Hardware (one of few suppliers of it anymore) and use that. It's all I used on my previous bike and the factory chain and sprockets went just over 21,000 miles and probably could have done 25. It is o-ring safe right on the label. Chain stays fairly clean with it, too, actually cleaner than Dupont Chain Saver in the yellow can which I tried but the blue can multi-use stuff worked better and the chain stayed cleaner.
I don't like the chain waxes and heavier lubricants that gum up the rollers on the bushings. It causes extra vibration from the driveline than when the rollers have a thinner lube on them that lets them roll/spin in a more slippery way. Blue can helps with that.
I don't like the chain waxes and heavier lubricants that gum up the rollers on the bushings. It causes extra vibration from the driveline than when the rollers have a thinner lube on them that lets them roll/spin in a more slippery way. Blue can helps with that.
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