'Baking' a new chain?

[Joe Nardy]

I have a new D.I.D non O-ring chain that I'm getting ready to install on my GS1100. Since it is better to lube a chain when it is warm and the important places for the lube to go are inside the rollers, I had an idea.......

I am thinking of globbing high quality, high temp grease all over the chain, placing it in a disposable cake baking pan, and heating it up in the gas grill (I wanted to use the oven but Cathy changed my mind about that). My theory is that the grease will thin out and seep into those important places. When the chain cools down it will have that good high temp grease where it needs it. The grease says it is good to 500 degrees F and I'm guessing it will thin out considerably before that. I can't see any reason why 500 degrees should damage the chain. There are no O-rings, it is all metal. 500 degrees should be nothing the metal. Once the chain cools down it should never see temperatures anywhere near that high so the grease should stay put for a long time.

My only concern is that the existing grease will melt and flow out and the new grease won't seep in and I'll have a dry chain. But even if that happens I should be able to get it back to good condition by heating it up to a lower temp and using Maxima Chain Wax on it. The Chain Wax is thin enough when sprayed to get into the important places and will stay there as the solvent dissolves.

Soooo...........what do you folks think of this idea?

Joe

[gspaul]

Back in the 60s/70s..... I remember people putting thier chain in a small pan with grease in it, and placing it on the stove and heating until the grease became fluid enough.

[Anonymous]

chain

DONT DO IT!!! the old days you would heat a bucket of low temp universal grease, and dip the cleaned chain in it and let it soak in, the chain isn't going to get hot enough on the bike to melt the low temp grease, and when you heat the chain the grease wants to push away from the heat, thats why you heat a bucket of grease and not the chain, also be very careful cause hot grease will catch fire in a hurry and is not easy to put out, I put a new ek non oering chain on my 1000 and I used a pie pan and some of the sticky PJ chain lube, and just soaked the chain real good, the stuff stays fluid if you keep feeding the lube puddle, this lets it get in there real good and I have no problem with it flying off if you let it sit up over night

[Joe Nardy]

Thanks guys. I didn't think of heating the grease and not the chain. I'm going to try that. I'll be very careful and try not to burn the house down.

Joe

[80gs1000e]

Did you stay with the 630 or go 530?

[Joe Nardy]

I stayed with the 630 mainly because I found an OEM front sprocket on eBay for $12. I got an OEM rear from the dealer for $52 and the chain for $66. So I ended up with the whole deal for $130. I doubt I could have done the 530 conversion for that price. Plus I know the OEM sprockets wear very well. The ones I took off look like new.

Joe