FAQ  r1.6

Pro-Oiler Maintenance

1. Does the PRO-OILER need any maintenance?

No routine maintenance is required.

However, it's a good idea to visually check on a regular basis that everything is working.

The obvious one... is the chain correctly lubricated?

If it is, then that's all you need to do.

But if it's not, then start basic troubleshooting:

· Correct settings?

· Reed switch signal ok?

· Oil level ok?

· Nozzles in correct position?

Please refer to the Troubleshooting section for further information

2. How often do I need to refill my oil container?

This depends mainly on the settings you have been using.

Baseline consumption for a bike

· used in clean, dry conditions

· fitted with a 530 section chain of 110 links (typical big-bike)

· with the reed switch on the rear 180/55-17

· running on table 8 setting 3 = 2715 revolutions per pump stroke

This gives a theoretical consumption of

· 4970 m / pump stroke

· 67196 km / L

· 1.49 ml / 100 km

The consumption is only "theoretical" because

· if you ride in all conditions, there will be times when you are running on the maximum, which is 6-7x higher than your normal dry-road setting

· even if you never go out in the rain, you may still get caught in a shower or two, when you will turn up the delivery

· the road can be dusty and dry out your chain, so you need to turn up the delivery (and/or run Prime) from time to time

Chain Maintenance

1. I've fitted a Pro-Oiler. Is that the end of chain maintenance?

Mostly, yes.

You still need to visually check your chain to make sure everything is working and the chain is properly lubricated.

In normal conditions the chain is self-cleaning when you use motor oil in the PRO-OILER, so there's no need for periodic de-greasing as with a spray-can lubed chain.

There's one exception, however.

Before you first run the PRO-OILER after using spray-on chain lubes, it's a really good idea to

· clean the chain thoroughly (use parafin, not petrol, which damages the o-rings)

· clean out the inside of the front sprocket cover

· clean the underside of the chain guard

The reason is that motor oil will dissolve the accumulated mess - which will start to come off in messy splatters. It can take quite a while before it all comes off, so it really is best to do it all in one go!

2. I've been riding in dirty conditions. What do I need to do?

In principle, nothing more than

· turn up the delivery to keep the chain properly lubricated

· and turn down the delivery when the chain condition has stabilized

If you have been through seriously dirty, gritty conditions, then it can be a good idea to just quickly wipe off the dirt with a cloth or paper towel soaked in paraffin - or even WD40

Environmental Issues

The PRO-OILER is a total loss lubrication system - surely this is harmful to the environment??

In theory yes. 1L of oil enters the eco-system every 70,000km

But in reality the the net environmental effect of fitting a PRO-OILER is firmly positive!

Let's consider the following points:

Per 10.000km a "typical" motorcycle has consumed approximately

· Motor oil (burnt/vented and unburned): 1L (if your engine consumes 100ml/1,000km)

· Motor oil (oil changes): 5L (at 3.5L per oil change at 6,000km)

· Fuel: 700L (at 7L/100km consumption)

· Spray-on lube: 2L (at 100ml per application each 500km)

Over 10,000km a PRO-OILER will consume approx 0.15L of chain oil (PRO-OILER's consumption works out at around 70,000km/L for a typical 530 chain, and even less than that for the smaller sizes.) 

The one crucial point when considering the PRO-OILER's environmental impact is this:

Being a continuous lubrication system, PRO-OILER actually leads to a reduction of emissions because a poorly lubricated chain can easily consume 5% of engine power - or put another way, use 5% more fuel for the same distance and speed.

The power consumption of poorly lubed chains has been proven countless thousands of times on dyno's worldwide. In fact, in especially tough environments like moto-cross, the chain can cost 5-10% of power by the end of a single race.

Let's be really conservative, and say that a PRO-OILER can improve your efficiency by 3% on average, then per 10.000km

· you will use 21L less fuel

· you will reduce emissions of CO, CO2, and NOx

· you will save 2L of lubricant suspended in volatile solvent