What are some guidelines for better chain performance?
FREQUENT LUBRICATION. Bare metal-to-metal contact leads to wear and metal fatigue; therefore, good lubrication is essential to chain performance and life. Manual lubrication (brush or spout can every 8 hours) provides the lowest performance. An oil bath increases the speed limit by 7 to 10 times.
Feet Per Minute
| Lube Type / Chain No | #40 | #50 | #60 | #80 | #100 | #120 | #140 | #160 |
| Type A (manual) | 300 | 250 | 220 | 170 | 150 | 130 | 115 | 100 |
| Type B (oil bath) | 2300 | 2000 | 1800 | 1500 | 1300 | 1200 | 1100 | 1000 |
THE RIGHT OIL. Oil has to get between the moving parts of the chain to be effective. Smaller chain needs lighter oil; however, increasing temperatures require heavier oil. See the accompanying table.
Oil Viscosity
| Temp / Chain No | #40 | #50 | #60 | #80 | #100 | #120 | #140 | #160 |
| up to 100 F | SAE10 | SAE10 | SAE20 | SAE20 | SAE30 | SAE30 | SAE40 | SAE40 |
| 101-120 F | SAE20 | SAE20 | SAE30 | SAE30 | SAE40 | SAE40 | SAE50 | SAE50 |
| 121-140 F | SAE30 | SAE30 | SAE40 | SAE40 | SAE50 | SAE50 | SAE60 | SAE60 |