Loobman chain oiler...

[BillR]

Installed a LoobMan (http://www.chainoiler.co.uk/) oiler a couple of weeks ago...
It's a system where you manually squeeze the oil into the delivery tube and uses a double-sided head to get the oil onto the sprocket/chain.
So far, very pleased with the way it works.
Anyone interested, the name is the link to the company and they're only about $30 shipped.
http://i435.photobucket.com/albums/qq71/raineswn/MZ_Traveller/Loobman_System.jpg
http://i435.photobucket.com/albums/qq71/raineswn/MZ_Traveller/Loobman2.jpg

I didn't feel like bending wires to hold the delivery head, so I hijacked a bracket idea...hey, it's the "Chinabike" way :lol:
This one is approx 4cm long on each arm, drilled for M-6 bolt to fit the hugger mounts, the end that holds the wire is drilled for whatever I had laying about in the "surplus parts" bin...

http://i435.photobucket.com/albums/qq71/raineswn/MZ_Traveller/Loobman_Arm.jpg
http://i435.photobucket.com/albums/qq71/raineswn/MZ_Traveller/Loobman_Angle2.jpg
http://i435.photobucket.com/albums/qq71/raineswn/MZ_Traveller/Loobman_Angle1.jpg

Here's what it looks like under the hugger. A couple of cable ties keep the tubing out of the chain run...
I installed the bracket between the hugger and mounting plate.
http://i435.photobucket.com/albums/qq71/raineswn/MZ_Traveller/Bracket_View.jpg

This is the rim after 2 applications, 430 miles and a run in the wet for about an hour (the rain had stopped, just wet roads). This is actually not as much fling off as when I "gingerly" applied oil on manually using a brush or drip can.

I give it a squeeze when I fill up the tank (more often than I did using a lube can). I just fill up the larger catch tube. The first squeeze of this trip, the rim was clean and I saw very little fling off when I stopped 10 miles into the ride for a pic. All the oil had dispensed from the tubing and the links were just glistening with a film of oil.
I've got to give the chain a good cleaning (shoulda done that anyway :08: ).
http://i435.photobucket.com/albums/qq71/raineswn/MZ_Traveller/Dirty_Tire.jpg

[mizke]

nice clean install

[MICRider]

Neat unit! I might have to get one of these for my KLR. I was looking at a Scottoiler but they are a lot more money and require a vacuum tie in unless you go for the ridiculously expensive electronic ones. I am currently paying over $20 a can for Belray chain lube and lubing the chain about every week. Thanks for the pics and info!

Cheers,
Stew

[BillR]

Neat unit! I might have to get one of these for my KLR. I was looking at a Scottoiler but they are a lot more money and require a vacuum tie in unless you go for the ridiculously expensive electronic ones. I am currently paying over $20 a can for Belray chain lube and lubing the chain about every week. Thanks for the pics and info!
Cheers,
Stew
Yeah, I considered the ScottOiler for a bit...didn't want to mess with the vacuum hook-up.
I also have a PDOiler in the box. It was $102, shipped from the UK.
It uses an electric pump and timer that switch on with the ignition, so it only runs when the bike is started.
Advertised as "positive displacement, doesn't matter what weight of oil or outside temperature and won't drip oil onto the floor like the gravity feed systems."
I intend to give it a trial after a few more weeks with the Loobman, just to see which performs better with the least "work" on my part.
Bill

[SpudRider]

Thank you for posting the great writeup and photographs, Bill! :) The Loobman looks like a very effective, inexpensive unit. Please do keep us updated regarding your long term results using the Loobman, and the PDOiler. :)

Spud :)

[BillR]

Thank you for posting the great writeup and photographs, Bill! :) The Loobman looks like a very effective, inexpensive unit. Please do keep us updated regarding your long term results using the Loobman, and the PDOiler. :)
Spud :)
You are welcome.

My intent is to do a "real world" comparision.
As usual, you see a lot of "I've got this one--I've got that one." discussions, but no real "I've used both and this is how they compare."
It'll be fun and interesting to work through to the results.
Bill

[mizke]

where did you get this at ?

im buying some cable lube, a grease gun for the one grease fitting in my steering system on my quad, and figured why the hell not buy a chain lube setup..

[BillR]

where did you get this at ?

im buying some cable lube, a grease gun for the one grease fitting in my steering system on my quad, and figured why the hell not buy a chain lube setup..
Just click here...
LoobMan (http://www.chainoiler.co.uk/)
Anyone interested, the name is the link to the company and they're only about $30 shipped. Took about a week to arrive.
Bill

PS: I've "lubed" the chain 3 times now and it is looking cleaner each time. There's none of the black, gunky build up, just a film of oil. And very little fling-off on the rim :D
B

[mizke]

is it good for atv chains ? cuz i would figure atv chains would get alot more dirt on them in street bike.. so oil would attract dirt and hold it on the chain more..

[waynev]

is it good for atv chains ? cuz i would figure atv chains would get alot more dirt on them in street bike.. so oil would attract dirt and hold it on the chain more..

On our microsprints on a dirt track we always used regular oil for chain lube and they didn't get very dirty, oil doesn't really attract dirt, take a pc of metal, stand it up, throw some mud at it and i bet it will stick, lube that same pc with some oil and throw some mud at it, bet it falls right off.

[MICRider]

is it good for atv chains ? cuz i would figure atv chains would get alot more dirt on them in street bike.. so oil would attract dirt and hold it on the chain more..

I don't know if I would bother with one for an ATV as they don't get nearly the miles that a street or dual purpose bike gets. I think on my ATV's I would prefer to just lube the chains when they look dry or after I wash them. On my KLR though I do 100 km's a day commuting so I have to lube the chain every week... It's a pain :)

[BillR]

is it good for atv chains ? cuz i would figure atv chains would get alot more dirt on them in street bike.. so oil would attract dirt and hold it on the chain more..
On our microsprints on a dirt track we always used regular oil for chain lube and they didn't get very dirty, oil doesn't really attract dirt, take a pc of metal, stand it up, throw some mud at it and i bet it will stick, lube that same pc with some oil and throw some mud at it, bet it falls right off.
That's what I meant by this comment:
"I've "lubed" the chain 3 times now and it is looking cleaner each time." As the oil is deposited by the delivery head, it kinda/sorta washes the gunk off the chain.
And since it's just regular oil with no "additives" to make it stick to the chain...
I've found that for my application, the oil I dispense is out of the tubing in about 10 miles. I know when I had my quad, I rode it that far almost everytime I went out and I did not take good care of the chain.
This thing is almost fit and forget. All you gotta do is unload the machine, squeeze the bottle and ride off...
I wouldn't install one of the "automatic" models that use pumps onto an off-road machine, though.
Bill

[waynev]

On the microsprint for every heat race or regular length feature some oil was applied to the chain to keep it lubed, for the 100 lap races though the heat would get to it and the chain would tighten up, so on those races i used one of these http://automotive.hardwarestore.com/90-547-oilers/flex-spout-oiler--664916.aspx with a pc of fuel line tubing attched to it and a drilled out bolt mounted thru the chain guard, this way on caution laps i could give it a few pumps to lube the chain on the fly, it was a cheap way to keep the chain lubed up.

[BillR]

On the microsprint for every heat race or regular length feature some oil was applied to the chain to keep it lubed, for the 100 lap races though the heat would get to it and the chain would tighten up, so on those races i used one of these...
...it was a cheap way to keep the chain lubed up.
Great idea, easier to squeeze that trigger, instead of getting the bottle out of the Loobman holder. :)

There's a few devices out there that are just an oil reservoir, valve and tubing. Just open the valve when you start riding and "hope" you remember to turn it off when you stop... :lol: Lots of "oops, I forgot" tales on those threads... :oops:
Bill

[waynev]

Well in that case you could just use a 12V valve so as soon as the bike is on the oil starts flowing, turn the bike off the oil stops.

[BillR]

Well in that case you could just use a 12V valve so as soon as the bike is on the oil starts flowing, turn the bike off the oil stops.
Exactly what the PD-Oiler does... :) It's an electrical pump/timer tapped into a switched wire (tail-light).
The one bad thing about this one is it runs anytime the bike is on, even stopped at a long light... :(
Good thing: I can tuck it all behind the body panels, out of prying hands...
I'm going to give it a run in a few weeks.
Bill

[mizke]

why not just run it to a seperate switch somewhere up by the keys. that way you see it and wont leave it on.. or even just a seperate button you press real quick and its set to give a 3 second supply of oil

[BillR]

why not just run it to a seperate switch somewhere up by the keys. that way you see it and wont leave it on.. or even just a seperate button you press real quick and its set to give a 3 second supply of oil
Viable alternatives and there's one out there that has the "push button" function already built. :)
The PD Oiler unit ties into a wire that is already on the ignition switch (most people use the tail light wire). That way it is off when the key is.
Bill