Replacement oil for a Scottoiler

[toonyank]

Is there a suitable replacement oil for a Scottoiler other than Scottoiler oil? I know I may be answering my own question but is it as simple as just using motor oil or is it too viscous.

I've looked on ebay and most are like £6 plus £4 for postage and I think that's a but much for oil.

[Bear]

Lots of folks who's opinion i trust use old motor oil, so that's what I'm gonna do from now on.

[toonyank]

Cheers, I think I'l use the new stuff as I got loads of it

[Spanner Man]

Good afternoon.

SAE 30 chainsaw oil is a suitable replacement, available from all good garden centres....I wouldn't use old engine oil, as it will fling off very easily. & it's lubricative properties would be suspect, & there's the matter of the oil causing the 'o' rings in the chain to swell up.

Cheers.

[Blue_SV650S]

I used chepo supermarket oil in mine for years.

I use USED oil on my chain now, but that is hand applied, not sure I'd want to pass contaminated (used) oil through a scottoiler??

So in short, yep, you can buy cheapo supermarket oil and just set the flow accordingly for the new viscosity :)

[toonyank]

Cheers everyone :)

[Steelman]

Good afternoon.

SAE 30 chainsaw oil is a suitable replacement, available from all good garden centres....I wouldn't use old engine oil, as it will fling off very easily. & it's lubricative properties would be suspect, & there's the matter of the oil causing the 'o' rings in the chain to swell up.

Cheers.

Thanks for the interesting advice Spanner Man; reminds me that I must contact you for a quote on tyres - will send PM.

Cheers.

Tim

[Ceri JC]

Mine has only ever had used engine oil in it, other than the initial fill up. It has never clogged up and 30K miles later, the chain is still in great nick and rarely needs adjusting more frequently than the rear tyre needs replacing. Yes, the rear wheel is a bit mucky, but so is the rest of my bike. :)

[Sid Squid]

not sure I'd want to pass contaminated (used) oil through a scottoiler?
Why not? A Scottoiler is a vacuum operated valve and a reservoir for oil - nothing more.

I wouldn't use old engine oil, as it will fling off very easily. & it's lubricative properties would be suspect, & there's the matter of the oil causing the 'o' rings in the chain to swell up.
Original chain on my ZX6 lasted 53,000 miles, after using the Scottoil that came with the unit it only ever had used engine oil in it, lubricates fine, if there's any difference in the fling I couldn't tell, and it doesn't affect the chain seals at all.

Bearing in mind that very few people have their oiler adjusted anything near right - the chain shouldn't be dripping with oil. If you have an 'O' ring chain then the only part you can oil is the roller, this requires very sparing lubrication.

[Blue_SV650S]

Why not? A Scottoiler is a vacuum operated valve and a reservoir for oil - nothing more.

Sure, but I am not sure running old contaminated oil is a good idea, it will have particles in it, including 'filings' that I can’t believe is going to do the internal seals etc any favours! ... it will also have 'sludge' .. not sure I'd want to put that rubbish through any ‘system’?

People have reported that they have seen no detrimental effects after doing just that mind, so fine – but personally for the sake of £3.50 for 4 litres (enough to last forever) I just put fresh NEW oil through and have the peace of mind! :)

[Ceri JC]

People have reported that they have seen no detrimental effects after doing just that mind, so fine – but personally for the sake of £3.50 for 4 litres (enough to last forever) I just put fresh NEW oil through and have the peace of mind! :)

Ah, it's not just the cost though, using old oil has the fringe benefit of getting rid of your old oil by spreading it over the roads, which means fewer trips to the dump to get dispose of it.:-dd :thumright:

[Grinch]

http://www.smart-tbk.com/filma/images/images_filma1.jpg

[Blue_SV650S]

Ah, it's not just the cost though, using old oil has the fringe benefit of getting rid of your old oil by spreading it over the roads, which means fewer trips to the dump to get dispose of it.:-dd :thumright:

I hear that - remember I use USED oil on my chain ... I just don't use a scott oiler to apply it! ;)

[Spanner Man]

Morning all.

Let's put a stop to this, & just say tight Gits use old engine oil, slightly less tight Gits use new engine oil, & everyone else use the proper stuff:D

Steelman, give me a yell when you need some rubbers

Cheers.

[jambo]

Sure, but I am not sure running old contaminated oil is a good idea, it will have particles in it, including 'filings' that I can’t believe is going to do the internal seals etc any favours! ... it will also have 'sludge' .. not sure I'd want to put that rubbish through any ‘system’?


I would suggest that after 4,000 miles if your "old" engine oil is full of particles and sludge you may have found it was doing the engine very few favours. For what it's worth I've found it fine on my chains, but from a local shop such as HG Scottoil's not that expensive, and you shouldn't be getting through it all that quickly anyway :cool:

[Blue_SV650S]

I would suggest that after 4,000 miles if your "old" engine oil is full of particles and sludge you may have found it was doing the engine very few favours. For what it's worth I've found it fine on my chains, but from a local shop such as HG Scottoil's not that expensive, and you shouldn't be getting through it all that quickly anyway :cool:

However vigilant you are with doing your changes on time, sludge and filings end up in the bottom of the sump over time ... when you drain the oil, some come out ... if you then use that 'saved' oil, it is gonna have these bits in it ...

[Sid Squid]

Still, after nearly 100,000 miles on this bike, (and it wasn't new when I fitted it, it was on a previous bike), the great majority of which with used oil in it, any concerns over the use of old oil have been demonstrated not to be well founded.

If there's lumps in your oil, you could fit a filter to your bike. And if you still find there are then they'll fall to the bottom of the can when you store the oil anyway - but I haven't.

[Blue_SV650S]

...
There can’t NOT be sludge … it’s a build up of clutch friction plate material (plates wear, the friction material goes somewhere ;)), carbon deposits, water etc etc … same with filings, metal stuff is spinning/meshing filings WILL come to be … when the bike is in motion some of this is picked up in the filter, when the bike is left standing, whatever is sitting in the oil can then fall to the bottom under gravity (presuming it is heavier than the oil!!). All this just builds up over time into a sludge as it is not all removed at oil change …

Anyhoo, the overriding fact is that you have used it with no detriment, so my action of only using NEW oil is indeed over precautionary it would seem!! 8) … to be fair, it is interesting to know, but I’d still only use NEW (be it cheap) oil even after you have submitted your evidence!! :D - its just a personal choice!!

But I reiterate, I don’t use a scottoiler any more, but do use USED oil on my chain :)

[Biker Biggles]

But all that sludge and the filings might be damaging your chain.Even if you brush it on.


Legs it and hides.;)

[Blue_SV650S]

But all that sludge and the filings might be damaging your chain.Even if you brush it on.


Legs it and hides.;)

4-sure, but then I figure all the road dust and muck is nasty too ;) ... also oil 'flings' from the chain taking all the muck with it - hence why I prefer to chain lube! :)

[Jase22]

I can't believe you're all so tight!!! If you get the Scottoil from a shop rather than buying it from egay and incurring postage, it's only like a fiver. Five quid, does that really break the bank?

And it works better than using engine oil IMO, certainly keeps the chain cleaner and far less cack all over your rear wheel and tyre.

[Sid Squid]

I can't believe you're all so tight!!! If you get the Scottoil from a shop rather than buying it from egay and incurring postage, it's only like a fiver. Five quid, does that really break the bank?
It's not about the cost is it? Throw one, (now agreed perfectly useable), oil away and buy another to take it's place? That's just daft.

And it works better than using engine oil IMO.But it doesn't, that's the point -a 100,000 mile demonstration has irrefutably proven this to me.

certainly keeps the chain cleaner and far less cack all over your rear wheel and tyre.I've lost count of the times I've said this:

If you've got oil on your back wheel/tyre, indeed if there is significant fling, adjust it right.

[Jase22]

Makes sense to me to use oil that's made for the job, which works well and keeps my chain clean.

For the sake of £5 and a trip to the local recycling place with my oil I can't be fussed.

[stuartyboy]

There can’t NOT be sludge

Er...decant the oil.

Leave the container sitting overnight on top of a magnet.

For super safety filter it through a paint cone.

Personally I wouldn't bother.

[Blue_SV650S]

Er...decant the oil.

Leave the container sitting overnight on top of a magnet.

For super safety filter it through a paint cone.

Personally I wouldn't bother.

:confused: The sludge isn't oil, it is the contaminates dropping out of the oil when it is at rest ... this surely is oil independent? ;)

Yes, some sort of filtration would potentially get the larger particles back out of the oil again. Certainly leaving the pot on a shelf for a couple of weeks and then siphoning the cleaner oil off the top would get rid of most of it 8)

From what Sid is saying the contaminates don't appear to damage the internals of the scottoiler much anyway! So the choice is yours!! :smt045

[Ceri JC]

Yes, some sort of filtration would potentially get the larger particles back out of the oil again. Certainly leaving the pot on a shelf for a couple of weeks and then siphoning the cleaner oil off the top would get rid of most of it 8)


This is true. 2 months back a mate was over when I was filling up my scottoiler, he noted the colour/clearness of the oil I was putting in.

"I thought you said you filled it with used engine oil"
"That is"
"Bugger me, that looks cleaner than some new oil I've put into bikes!"
"Well, I leave it to stand for at least a few weeks then decant it into this smaller container (old scottoil container with the filling attachment on top) which I use to actually fill the scottoiler up with."
"Ahhh..."


From what Sid is saying the contaminates don't appear to damage the internals of the scottoiler much anyway! So the choice is yours!! :smt045

Indeed and it's not like your chain is normally in some sterile, hermetically sealed chamber and is highly sensitive to the slightest particle of gunk, is it? I mean, there's plenty of crap off the the road and things sticking on it (to whatever you lube it with) anyway.