What makes a chain wear due to lack of oil?

Hmm time for me to check the play in mine then!! I'll see if I can find someone to sit on it while I check.

[northwind]

Originally Posted by muffles

It also suggests that the reason a chain "dies" is that eventually there comes a point where the rider doesn't oil it, or doesn't do it correctly, and then the chain starts to go. That's supported by the statement that a correctly oiled and adjusted chain doesn't wear out at all.

The thing about that- the main thing- is that it's rubbish Even in an oil bath a chain'll wear out eventually, though it'll take a long time- even with perfect lubrication there's still some friction, no such thing as a frictionless interface. THere's also wear between rollers and sprockets, every time the chain meets and leaves a tooth. But, definately true that a well cared for chain will last a veeeeery long time, longer than most sprockets.

Originally Posted by northwind

The thing about that- the main thing- is that it's rubbish Even in an oil bath a chain'll wear out eventually, though it'll take a long time- even with perfect lubrication there's still some friction, no such thing as a frictionless interface. THere's also wear between rollers and sprockets, every time the chain meets and leaves a tooth. But, definately true that a well cared for chain will last a veeeeery long time, longer than most sprockets.

Lol, so substituting "never wears out" for "wears out in a very very long time" is the reason chains wear out what I mentioned? The point I'm confused about is the one about there being two sorts of lubrication here - the packed grease that is sealed in the joints, and the oil that stops the seals breaking. I don't understand how a chain can wear slowly - the above suggest that a seal will break and the grease will leak out, and at that point - chain's useless.

[northwind]

Different sorts of wear really... The force that wears out the sprockets is also wearing out the chain, but I reckon most chains get damaged or replaced before that ever becomes an issue anyway. Same with the o-rings, they do wear over time as the chain flexes. Don';t know what the real answer is, just know that the argument that only neglect wears out chains is nonsense.

There's some sort of tourer with an oil-bathed chain isn't there? I think maybe Randy O has one?

Another slightly OT question,
is there anywhere that sells better, replacement, chain alignment things for pointies? I find them nearly useless, the one on the left always twists around a bit making the markings all but redundant.

Anothr point : The pins and rollers are made of mild steel, "case hardened" by carburising or nitriding, this creates a thin surface layer about 0.02mm thick of very hard steel surrounding the soft mild steel core (we do the heat treatment where I work).

So the chain will wear slowly until the "case" wears through, then wear will be very rapid. I've seen this happen to my chain - after years of little adjustment, all of a sudden you have to adjust it every few days! Time for a new chain!

I suppose you could calculate roughly how much stretch before the case wears through, but I can't be arsed at the mo

using autosol on the links doesnt help much.