Pro-oiler Installation

For some time I have been sitting on the fence and looking at all types of chain oilers for my Yamaha fj1200.

There are many different types of oiler available, probably the most popular and well known being the scottoiler. The choice is from systems with a bottle you just give an occasional squeeze to send some oil to the dispensing nozzle at one end to electronically controlled systems at the other end of the scale.

So why did I decide to fit an oiler ?  I had a chain break on one of my GPZ 900R s some years ago. To be fair I hadn't maintained the chain as well as I should and the bike had been parked up for the winter in the UK. I had been for a ride a few months earlier when then was salt on the roads due to icy conditions and I had parked it up without thoroughly cleaning my chain and the salt had started some bad corrosion on my low mileage chain (4000miles)..
Anyway out for a ride with a couple of mates in the Norfolk countryside when a huge bang and shuddering form the back of the bike.  One of the sideplates on the chain had snapped in two, I was very lucky it didn't all get wrapped around my rear wheel. Anyway after a change of underwear the recovery service arrived to take me home.

Anyway decided to go for a Pro-oiler after looking at countless write ups on the web. Certainly not cheap ( cost NZ$ 310 delivered from Europe ) but I did like the quality and their attention to detail.

Oiler arrived in 7 days from Europe.

Contents of Pro oiler Kit
 

Read and studied very comprehensive instructions ( 30 Pages ), trouble shooting , and programming guides before tackling the install.
As the FJ has a mechanical speedo I had to fit a reed switch and magnet to the rear wheel, the system activates the pump every so many wheel revolutions depending on how rich the system is set.
If you tell proiler what bike you are fitting it to they pre programme the unit for your particular wheel size chain size length etc.  Mine was already set by them and upon first reading the instructions it can look a bit mind boggling.
Anyway cable tied and glued the small reed switch to the rear caliper carrier, you also get a small magnet that fitted very tightly into one of the allen screws that hold on the brake disc.

Reed Switch fitted to caliper bracket
 

Next find a suitable place for the controller. Pro-oiler suggest you place it so you can access it with your left hand for easy adjustment while on the move. On the FJ I found what I thought was the perfect place but on the right hand inner fairing. My thoughts are that once I am happy with the richness of the oil flow it is basically fit and forget.  Pro-oiler recommend you turn up the oil in the rain of if on dusty roads where the chain may get dry but I think I can use my right hand for those operations.

Pro-oiler Controler


 

The brain of the system is the junction box .  I found an area behind the right hand side cover that I thought would give me enough room for the junction box and the pump next to the battery box.
Prooiler supply self adhesive velcro lads to install the components but I chose to use long cable ties that went around the whole battery box seemed more secure to me.

Junction box with oil pump fitted below
 

There was still enough room to fit the oil reservoir behind the panel in a position that would make topping up easy, although pro-oiler say that one container can last 10000 kms so not topping up that ofton..

Oil Reservoir

 

Now time for the business end .
The nozzle that dispenses the oil onto the rear sprocket. This is an area there are different versions but I thought the proiler dual sided nozzle was one of the best. The nozzle comes with a nice stainless bracket that can be glued or bolted to the swinging arm. As the FJ1200 has a steel swinging arm I decided that two small holes and bolting it on was the best way to go.  Not sure if I would with an alloy swinging arm.

Nozzle Set up


 

The nozzle runs on either side of the sprocket so the oil is forced into the chain by centrifugal force.

I have done just over 1000kms with the oiler installed and very pleased with results.
The chain remains very clean, i am using just normal engine oil as it flings off the dirt with the oil. One of the problems with sticky chain grease it it does stick to the chain but so does all the dirt and grit forming a grinding paste type effect. The chain remains just lightly oiled and very clean.

I did find that the oil fling off was covering my number plate and would cover my panniers if fitted so decided to make an extension to the chain guard this has worked very well, there is some fling off onto the tyre and wheel but being plain engine oil is very easy to clean off.

Chain Guard Extension
 

Anyway very happy with the whole Pro-oiler package and would highly recomend it, they have taken a lot of time and effort to produce a first class product..

As a Footnote

I sent a few pictures to Pro-oiler http://www.pro-oiler.net/ as they have a gallery of differant bike fitments but the FJ1200 was not there. I did find it usefull when panning my install though to look at what other people had done.

I got a great reply from Arnold at pro-oiler below

Hello Phil,
Thank you very much for the pictures,
We uploaded them to our gallery.

http://pro-oiler.net/gallery/yamaha/fj1200/

If you like, we could put your name/site under the pics:
Photo's courtesy of Phil Biggs from New Zealand
Sometimes people don't like their name published, so therefore I am asking.

Also:

Pro-Oilers are programmed a bit on the rich side, judging from the pics, I'd say you can select a lower setting, like 2 or even 1.
If there's still too much fling off, you can select a leaner table (14 or 15) and save the new table.
Panniers influence the drag too, so that's also a reason for a lower setting.




Best regards,



Arnold Wubbels
Sales
Pro-Oiler NL
T 0031 (0) 485 372286
F 0031 (0) 848 316201

FJ1200 Fork Seals

Drained oil from forks as I knew my right one was leaking.
Quiet shocked only got about 25ml of oil out so had lost quiet a lot.
Drained left fork leg or I mean I removed the drain screw only to find NO oil came out at all !!!  Guess that explains why it wasnt leaking !



Stripped and cleaned out all forks ,there was someoil in there so some lubrication going on.
Very small stone chips in chrome at top of travel in forks, cleaned up very carefully with 1000 grit wet and dry with WD40.

When reassembled turned 90 degree so chipped area is facing inside hopefully will work if not get them rechromed at end of year.
I made a tool to hold the damper unit with an old socket and a 27mm head sized nut welded together.



My homemade fork tool

 

 

Had to try and think of a way to put the top bush and seal in without the driver tool ...  Cut off the end of a used mastic cartridge this was just the right size to fit over the seal :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Any way all back together now and fill with the correct amount of oil  





FJ1200 Winter Overhaul

Hi All

Been very slack keeping this up to date but have been to UK and Europe for a Month and also busy with general stuff.

Anyway have had the FJ now coming up 3 years and decided it needed a good going over. All I have basically done is oil and filter changed but it needs some definite TLC.

List below

New Rear tyre
New Front Wheel Bearings
Overhaul Clutch master Cylinder and Clutch slave cylinder
Dismantle rear suspension and clean lubricate all bearings and linkages
Front fork seals
Adjust valve clearances ( I borrowed Yamaha tool from my mate Steve while in the UK He is coming to NZ in February for a holiday so need to get them done by then ! )
New spark plugs
Oil and Filter
Air Cleaner  and Fuel Filter
Sort out Fuel Reserve Problem
Balance Carbs
Strip and clean all brake calipers
Fit Pro-oiler Chain oiler system

+ any other general stuff while I'm at it !

FJ1200 Fuel Reserve Switch

I have had a problem with the FJ reserve switch not operating correctly. The Yamaha FJ 1200 has an unusual system for the reserve done electronically rather than a traditional tap !
What has happened is when the low fuel light comes on the reserve system creates a missfire promting you to swith the electric reserve switch. If you do not switch it over within a few KM,s the bike will stop.  I have only got this low a couple of times and when I have the only way I could get her going again was to diconnrct the wiring to the fuel tank sender unit. Have had the bike in a million bit over the last few months so decided I should look at the reserve system while working through my list. Check out the wiring and found that the switch was open circuit in both positions.
Was able to carefully open the switch up where i found 19 years of corrosion has been working away at the terminal. Cleaned up with some wire wool and reassembled good as new.

Before and after shots below

 

Before Cleaning badly corroded

 

 

After Cleaning like new