Scottoiler - Dual Injector - Worthwhile? Waste of Money?

[Steve_God]

Hey peeps,

Finally got round to fitting my Scottoiler a few weeks back with all working fine.
However... now I've done some miles on it and the previous lube on the chain has started to wear off, it seems that one side of the chain is keeping lubed nicely by the Scottoiler, and the other is starting to get dry (The nicely lubed side of the chain matches the side that the dispensor is flowing onto from the back sprocket).

My question:
Is it worthwhile to buy a Dual Injector add-on to cover both sides? Or simply turn the flow of the Scottoiler up so that the oil will spread across to the whole chain? (As I've currently got the flow set to Minimum)

[danf1234]

I personally had nothing but hassle with it. It would always drain when the bike was packed up, and then air lock. I tried 3 different units from scotoiler and could never get the flow rate right. It would pour out of 1 nib, and hardly even drip out of the other.

I eventually returned them and set it up as single nib and have never looked back.

[a1istair]

I also bought one because I though it was a genious idea... however it was a load of carp!

It seemed like you could never mount it quite right. Riding would always force one of the two nibs to point away from the sprocket. It would always block up and stop putting any oil on, basically as described in the above post. Eventually, maybe with a speed bump or something, the sprocket ate up one of the two nibs and that was that for the dual injector.

I also went back to single nib and once set up well it works fantastically seemingly forever!

a1istair.

[wyrdness]

Wot they said above. Don't waste money on the dual injector.

[Steve_God]

Thanks guys, getting a nice clear picture :)

Just out of curiousity, what flow level do you have them set at?
I'm thinking that might solve my problem!

[fizzwheel]

Just out of curiousity, what flow level do you have them set at?

Depends on the ambient temperature, basically I turn up the flow till I begin to see fling on the back wheel, then I turn it back down a little bit. Seems to work OK.

I've found theres no set setting that will work on every bike as they all seem to flow a bit differently. In your shoes I'd turn the flow up till the chain is lubed to a level you are happy with and then adjust it from there...

[Stonesie]

Buy a Tutoro duel sided nib for about £4 and use that, they are about as simple as can be and mine has never air-locked or drained itself and it keeps both sides of the chain nice and wet looking.

Sometimes, simple things work better...

[Steve_God]

Buy a Tutoro duel sided nib
Just had a look at that on their website - seems a much simplier way to have a twin feed!

Does it join straight into the existing Scottoiler setup or did you have to modify the end pipe to accomodate it? Also, given it's 'pinch' style, are there any issues of it getting pulled in towards the chain by the sprocket?

[Stonesie]

I have the full Tutoro oiler, but it should plug onto the scottoiler pipe although that might need extending.
The pinch pressure on it is next to nothing so once you set it in place it tends to stay put, mine needed a slight adjustment after about 60 miles because the soft plastic pipes ware onto the sprocket a bit, another 1100 miles and it's not moved.

[Sid Squid]

Sometimes, simple things work better...
That'd be the original single tube that came with the Scotoiler - which works perfectly and is the most robust.

[SVGrandad]

I found the Scottoiler twin injector excellent. Easier to mount, stays where you put it, and after initial priming it didnt need repriming after the fluid ran low. Could be set to adequately lube the chain without fling onto the tyre. The dealer had no problem with it either when he fitted new tyres.
To an engineering mind, the single injector is just a bodge, although I must accept Mr Squids comments that it can be made to work properly.

[Sid Squid]

From some time ago:
Well I'm sitting comfortably, all ears to listen why I'm wrong and why Scottoiler charge you for money for the Dual sided thingy.

A drive chain, as I'm sure you know, is constructed of two types of links, the inner and the outer. The outer link sideplates are connected together by pins that you see peened over, (rivetted), on the sides of the plates. The inner link plates are connected together in a similar way except that the joining pins are hollow - a bush. Those two parts make a bearing upon which the links articulate, the pin passing through the bush. In an unsealed chain - a non 'O' ring chain - you need to lube this joint or the chain will soon be excessively worn, it can be oiled from either side as the pin and bush have a clearance between them allowing them to move and allowing lubricant between them, if they didn't it would soon sieze. It's this very bearing that is sealed in an 'O' ring* chain and cannot be oiled** - grease is used fill this joint when the chain is made and lasts the life of the chain**. Upon the bush that joins the inner sideplates there is a roller, this roller is the part of the chain that primarily contacts the sprockets, allowing the chain to roll on and off of the teeth of the sprocket rather than slide which would quickly cause wear. The roller isn't sealed and must be lubricated, it too has a clearance that allows it to spin on the bush and allows lubricant into it's bearing faces, from either side.
If my explanation has been adequate it should be apparent that if you use an unsealed chain it will need lubricant into the articulations of the joints and the roller. It will need lube inserted between inner and outer plates so as to get between the pin and bush, between the inner plates and the edges of the roller to get under the roller so it will roll effectively on the bush, a little overspray on top of the roller eases the contact of the two, but is the lube that soonest dissapears.
It should also be clear that when using a sealed chain the only bit that you can oil is the roller, and further that this can be done from either side.

* Or 'X' ring, either describes a sealed chain.
** Unless your chain is goosed and the seals have failed of course.

Marketing, money, youve been pulled on that one.

That may be putting it a bit strongly. However the dual oiler allows chain oilers to be sold to people that wouldn't otherwise buy them because of the 'only oil one side of the chain' misconception.

[SVGrandad]

Thanks Mr Squid for that brilliant description of chain construction, and yes, you are right that the chain needs lubricating from one side only - with your vast experience you would rarely if ever be wrong. However, I looked long an hard at the single injector and could not find a satisfactory (to me) way of mounting it. With the dual injector I had no such problems. I would argree that you dont want anything sturdy in that area, and the single injector is good in that respect.
One bit you did not mention Sid is the cleaning effect of the lubrication - the Scottoiler oil kept my chain and side plates rust free on both sides without additional cleaning. Does the single injector get sufficient oil on the inner side plates to keep them clean and rust free?
Cheers
SVGrandad

[danf1234]

I have three dual injectors in my garage that were all ****. None of them worked as they should. They get air locked, get knocked out of position., they drain on the side stand, there is no way to get even flow as they are gravity fed.

My single nib has never ever ever never let me down.

After weeks of complaining I got my money back from scotoiler, with an admission that there is no way to control dual flow rate with that set up. It uses a wicking inside. Basically a sponge.

Great idea that was poorly executed.

[Villers]

Ive had 2 bikes Ive bought previously that have had scottoilers already installed. The firts (a single) wasnt too bad, took ages to get the flow rate right but in general it was a pain in the ****. It had oil delivery tourettes, one minute it would maybe be a drip every two minutes or something - the next it would think I was riding through the sahara and needed a constant dribble.

The second was a double and it was fited to my Hayabusa. It had very poor self discipline to say the least. On two seperate occassions it managed to **** its entire guts out on the garage floor when it was left aone over night.

Personally I wouldnt have one on my bikes now (the second one was removed and binned forthwith of the second '****ing out its guts' infringement) because they simply cannot be trusted. I can understand that some people have fantastic results, and they need a lot of fine tuning, but I wont be paying such cash for such heartache which could realistically result in it dumping a load of lubricant onto the only thing between the road, power and myself.

[Sid Squid]

I appreciate that some people have had troubles setting up or using a chain oiler, (not solely Scotoilers), but the significant number I have fitted and also those I have used myself have never suffered problems once set something like right.
Does the single injector get sufficient oil on the inner side plates to keep them clean and rust free?
Yes. In their constant movement the chain and sprockets cause such turbulence, particularly when contained within the front sprocket cover, that a little oil gets everywhere around the chain, when set correctly this won't be an amount that causes oil to wee all around the back of your bike.
Arriving at this setting is possibly the problem that those who experience trouble most commonly find, but it isn't hard to get to, or that fine an adjustment - if it's fitted right.