Overview
Thank you for buying ChainMate automatic chain oiler. This manual will explain the proper installation and used of the oiler. If you need a further assistance, please contact me for help.
The instructions are divided into four sections:
What is in the kit?
The package contains (as shown in figure below):
- 60ml oil reservoir with two hoses (for venting and oil supply);
- A control box containing electronics and pump, and
- Delivery hose (black), steel wire and a clip.
Kit content: 60ml oil reservoir, controller box, dispensing hose and a steel wire to keep dispensing end near the 7 o'clock position of the sprocket.
Black plastic box contains micro-controller and a micro-pump. About 3ft of power cable come on one end. Short transparent , 3/32", hose next to the power cable is the inlet (to be connected to the oil supply hose coming from the reservoir). Hose on the other side is the outlet and it must be connected to dispensing hose.
Installation
There are three parts to install on a motorcycle:
Oil Reservoir
It is really up to the user to decide where to mount oil reservoir. Some riders may prefer to keep the oil reservoir under the seas so as not to be visible while some may prefer to keep oil reservoir visible so as to know when to re-fill it.
60ml bottle under the seat of Yamaha XT660Z during the 10,000km Balkans Tour. Oil supply hose is filled with oil (red) and the vent hose is clear and routed UP from the reservoir.
There are two hoses connected to the reservoir – a vent hose and a oil supply hose (to be connected to the IN port of the control box.
Due to hoses being firmly attached to the bottle cap, during oil re-filling, it is easier to turn bottle body while keeping cap in place. One should keep this in mind when choosing location for the bottle and routing of hoses (leave little slack).
NOTE: Vent hose must be routed UP from the reservoir so as to prevent oil leakage through it. The open end of the vent hose should be secured with a zip tie (making sure hose is not completely pinched) so that it doesn't move.
If oil leakage out of the vent hose due to shaking and bouncing is a concern, a one-way valve can be fitted at the end of the vent hose.
NOTE: Keep all hoses away from hot parts of the motorcycle. Exhaust pipe will obviously melt plastic, but even regulator can get sufficiently hot to partially melt a hose. If the vent hose gets in contact with hot parts (regulator, for example) it can partially melt and fuse blocking the air flow through it. This, in turn, will eventually block oil delivery to the chain.
While the reservoir and hoses are are tightly fitted through the cap and glued, it is possible that a small amount of oil leaks due to excessive shaking and/or atmospheric pressure changes. In order to avoid this, reservoir should be positioned as upright as possible AND the vent hose should be routed UP (so that any oil that gets into it returns back to the reservoir and not leak outside).
Control Box
Because micro-pump can push fluid against the gravity, controller box and oil reservoir can be placed anywhere on the bike. The only requirement is to attach controller box to the motorcycle firmly so that its position relative to the motorcycle does not change and that motorcycle vibrations transfer from the motorcycle directly onto the controller box (electronics sensors need to detect any vibrations and changes of direction for proper operation).
While some people may prefer to have controller box tucked away and out of sight (under the seat or behind the headlight), I usually mount it to the motorcycle frame on the chain side (for the ease of turning oiler ON/OFF while riding).
Three examples of attaching controller box to the motorcycle frame - when hoses are running horizontally (left figure) or vertically (right two figures).
An alternative placement of the controller box - under the seat, if the space allows (making sure seat does not press against the button).
Clamps for controller box mounting: single clamp to attach to near vertical part of the motorcycle frame, two clamps to attach to nearly vertical frame and single clamp to attach to nearly horizontal frame.
Dispensing End
The pump inside the plastic housing pushes lubricant from the reservoir towards the final dispensing point. The rougher roads one rides, the more careful one has to be about hose routing and final dispensing point mounting.
For riding on mostly paved roads, the final dispensing point can be anywhere. The most convenient point is at the rear sprocket at 6-7 o'clock position (assuming the chain is on the left side, otherwise, at 5-6 o'clock position).
A heavy duty steel wire in the kit is used to hold dispensing hose in place. Steel wire is chosen because it's very sturdy, yet flexible (important when taking rear wheel off or when hit by a flying rock) and light.
The steel wire should be firmly attached to the swingarm with a bolt, even though I have ridden 20,000km around Southern Africa with the wire attached to the chain guide by zip ties. Most swing arms already have bolts through them to hold chain guard or chain guide in place (see example gallery).
An example of the steel wire holding dispensing hose in place (at 7 o'clock position). The wire is attached to the bottom of the swing arm with the chain guide bolt. Notice that the hose is routed up on the inside of the swing arm.
An example of dispensing oil at the countersprocket (on BMW F800GS).
Steel wire in the kit is straight and the user has to bend it in shape most suitable for his bike and the chosen point of attachment. One end of the steel wire has to be bent into a loop to go around the bolt that will hold it firmly in place. Other end can be made into a loop or left straight (use supplied clamp to keep the hose from sliding). Zip ties can be used to keep hose running along the wire.
NOTE: Use either supplied clamp or zip ties (or rubber grummets) to keep hose from moving up/down the wire. If the hose end does not lightly touch the sprocket, most of the oil will end up blown around by the turbulent air and not on the chain.
Examples of two possible ways of attaching dispensing hose to the steel wire. Supplied clamp is of the right diameter for the steel wire and hose (to keep hose in place, yet, not to pinch it completely).
Using needlenose pliers, one end of the wire can be gradually bent for the correct size of the bolt.
Example of a loop around a bolt of the chain guide on KLR 650. When making the loop and fastening it with a bolt, the bolt should be put from the side that it tightens the loop when the bolt is turned clockwise (like in the figure). Otherwise, as the bolt tightens, on the thread, it will tend to open the wire loop.
Wire at the bottom of the swing arm of a KLR 650 holding the wire (threaded hole was already there to attache the chain guide).
After tightening the bolt to hold the wire in the correct direction, hose needs to be threaded through the loop (or use supplied clamp) and secured with 1-2 zip ties along the wire (so that hose does not slide). It is important to make sure steel wire does not get too close to the space between chain and sprocket teeth. For this reason, hose should extend beyond the end of the wire by about an inch (25mm). At this length, hose is stiff enough not to move and get caught in sprocket teeth.
It is important to keep steel wire away from the chain and/or sprocket teeth. Only the black hose should be near the sprocket (about an inch past the end of the steel wire).
Calibration
Once all the oiler parts have been installed as explained in the earlier sections, it's time to calibrate the controller. This is required because motion detection algorithms rely on knowing the orientation (up/down and forward backward). Since users are free to mount controller box anywhere and in any position on a motorcycle, it is necessary to train the system to learn its orientation.
Calibration is accomplished in 3 steps (duration of each step is indicated in parenthesis):
- Engine off, bike upright (1-3 seconds);
- Engine off, bike on the kickstand (about 20 seconds);
- Engine running (idling), bike on the kickstand (about 20 seconds).
NOTE: During calibration, motorcycle must be stationary, it MUST NOT be moved. If moved, re-start the calibration.
Before each step, user has about 30 seconds to get the bike in the correct position/state and press the button (to initiate that step). This 30 second period is indicated by LED light steady ON.
After the motorcycle is in the correct position/state and user presses the button (one short press), the calibration process will start. While the calibration is being performed, LED light is blinking slowly (about 1 blink per second). Once LED light becomes steady, the user should prepare motorcycle for the next step.
If anything goes wrong (user did not get the bike in the correct position, bike moved during calibration, etc) the process can be restarted simply by letting timer expire without any user input (after 30 seconds, if button is not pressed, calibration mode will end without success).
Follow the steps below to perform calibration:
-
Initiate calibration:
- One short press;
- Wait for the 1-4 short LED blinks;
- Long press (press and hold till LED turns on);
- Once the LED is steady ON, the system is in the calibration mode (for the next 30 seconds), proceed to the next step;
-
Engine off, bike upright:
It is best if there are two people - one holds the bike in upright position and the other initiates the calibration process (by one short press of the button), making sure LED is steady ON. This step is short, only 1-3 seconds, and during this time bike MUST be held steady in upright position. End of this step is indicated by LED being steady ON (for the next 30 seconds). Proceed to the next step.
-
Engine off, bike on the kickstand:
Park motorcycle on a flat, level surface, set in on the kickstand and after bike is stationary, short-press the button (making sure LED is steady ON). Slowly blinking LED light (about 1 cycle per second) indicates that the calibration is in progress. Do not touch motorcycle during this time. The end of this calibration step is indicated by LED being steady ON (for the next 30 seconds). Proceed tot he next step.
-
Engine running (idling), bike on the kickstand:
With motorcycle in the same position as in the previous step, start the engine and let it idle. After the engine reached steady state RPM, short-press the button (making sure LED is steady ON). Slowly blinking LED light (about 1 cycle per second) indicates that the calibration is in progress. Do not touch motorcycle during this time. The successful completion of the entire calibration process is indicated by 3 rapid LED blinks.
Normally, this calibration procedure has to be done only once. However, if the controller box is repositioned or changed orientation with the respect to the motorcycle frame, calibration must be performed again.
Usage
Calibration is typically done once and never again. On the other hand, the system may have to be primed and turned on/off more than once. In addition, users may need to adjust the amount of oil dispensed onto the chain several times until they find the best setting. This section explains how these tasks can be accomplished:
Priming
After installation and calibration, oiler is ready for use. Fill the reservoir with the lubricant of choice. I've tested various lubricants, both motorcycle chain specific and otherwise - engine oil, gear oil, Scottoiler oil, etc.
Before the first ride, however, hoses are still empty and it would take many miles of riding before pump would fill hoses with oil and start dispensing oil onto the chain. For this reason, before the first use or any time hoses get empty (due to the oil reservoir not being topped up on time, etc), one has to prime the system (run pump to fill the hoses with oil).
To run pump continuously, press the button and hold it till pump starts running (about 8 seconds). As and indication that the system is about to enter priming mode, after 3 seconds from the button being pressed, LED will blink 3 times. After another 5 seconds, pump will start running.
Keep the button pressed for as long as you want pump to run. Pump will stop as soon as the button is released or after approximately 20 seconds. This automatic shut-off prevents pump damage due to overheating. If the pump shuts off before hoses are filled with the oil, release the button and press and hold again. This will allow about 10 seconds for the pump to cool down.
It is a good idea to make sure that the oil is moving through the hoses, out of the reservoir, towards the control box and that it comes out through the outlet hose of the control box. Oil flow through the dispensing hose cannot be checked, so one has to watch the end of the hose at the sprocket. As soon as the oil starts coming out, the button should be released and oil flow will stop.
Now, the system is primed and the bike is ready for its first ride with the oiler.
Adjustments
There are four levels of oil dispensing - 1 through 4. The higher the level, the more oiled the chain will be. Nominally, oiler comes with level set to 2. This setting seems to keep chain well-lubed without excessive oil flinging off the chain.
Current setting can be checked by a short button press. In response to the button press, LED will blink number of times corresponding to the current level (if the level is 2, LED will blink 2 times, for example).
If after LED blinks, the button is short-pressed again (within 4-5 seconds), the current level setting will be increased by one and the LED will blink corresponding number of times. For example, if the LED blinks twice after the first short button press and button is short-pressed again, level will be increased to three and LED will blink three times.
Level settings are 1 to 4. So, what happens if the current level is set to 4 and button is pressed again after 4 LED blinks? Current level will simply loop back to 1. Namely, the sequence of level settings is 1 -> 2 -> 3 -> 4 ->1 -> 2 -> 3 ...
As another example, if the current level is set to 2 and you would like to decrease it to 1, you will have to repeat button-LED process three time. However, this does not mean you can short press button three times in quick succession. After each button press, you have to wait for LED to respond back with the corresponding number of blinks and only then short-press the button (within 4 seconds of the last blink). If button is pressed after more than 4 seconds, the process starts from the beginning.
Turning Oiler ON and OFF
Most lubricants attract dust. Unless special lubricants that actually repel dust are used, it is recommended to turn oiler off before getting onto a dirt road.
Oiler is turned off by one long press. Oiler will be turned off if the button is released after LED blinks 3 times (after about 3 seconds). If the riders desires to turn oiler off while riding, it can be accomplished by pressing button and holding it while counting 5-6 seconds and then releasing the button.
NOTE: If the button is held pressed for more than 8 seconds, pump will be activated and oil will start flowing.
Example Gallery
Photos in this section illustrate some installation examples and show more details.
One way breather valve can be attached to the end of the breather hose to prevent accidental oil leakage through the breather hose.
Details of hose connections. Inlet port of the control box (left side) is connected to the oil supply hose with a plastic barbed fitting. Black oil delivery hose is pushed inside the outlet hose from the control box.
Transparent oil supply hose from the oil reservoir should be connected to the inlet hose of the control box with the plastic barbed fitting.
Black oil delivery hose is not barbed fitting compatible. For this reason, it has to be pushed into the outlet hose coming out of the control box (heating the transparent hose can help). Black hose pushed 4-5 mm (5/32-1/4 inch) inside the transparent hose will provide air-tight and mechanically strong connection.
60ml bottle stuffed under the seat of Honda Transalp during the Southern Africa tour.
Dispensing end of the hose at 6 o'clock position on friend's KTM 990 (with one of the first electronic oilers on the market). This photo also shows a possible attachment point for the wire arm holding dispensing tip in place - the chain guide bolt.
Three examples of the final dispensing point mount - DR650, KLR650 and Transalp 650.
For riding on rough roads, with lots of flying rocks, it is recommended to dispense oil as far to the front sprocket (countersprocket) as possible.
An example of steel wire attached to the bolt of the chain guide on DR650. This configuration held dispensing hose in place for 32,000km I've ridden around South America.
Dispensing end of the hose should lightly touch the sprocket at 7 o'clock position (in this case on Yamaha XT660Z Tenere).