Chain cleaning solvents

[suzyj]

Hi guys,

I used to use kerosene to clean my chains, but it became shockingly expensive (nobody had it at the bowser anymore) so I changed to petrodiesel, which has been pretty good for getting gunk off chains.

Last night I filled the car up with biodiesel, and I started to wonder if it's any good for cleaning chains. From what I've read on the web, it's a better solvent than petrodiesel (in as much as it removes deposits from your fuel system so they can gum up filters and injectors), and it's certainly safer to store than petrodiesel, having a higher flash-point.

I wonder if it might be less of a skin irritant, too...

So has anyone tried it? I'm kicking myself now for not tsaking a fuel container with me last night when I filled the car...

 

[gplama]

So has anyone tried it? I'm kicking myself now for not tsaking a fuel container with me last night when I filled the car...

Nope, but get a loooong straw and siphon some back out!

 

[John Henderson]

suzyj wrote:

> Last night I filled the car up with biodiesel, and I started
> to wonder if it's any good for cleaning chains. From what
> I've read on the web, it's a better solvent than petrodiesel
> (in as much as it removes deposits from your fuel system so
> they can gum up filters and injectors), and it's certainly
> safer to store than petrodiesel, having a higher flash-point.

I agree about biodiesel's superior solvent properties. Carry a
spare fuel filter if you switch to it in a high-milage Diesel.

> I wonder if it might be less of a skin irritant, too...

I believe it is. There are (unconfirmed) reports of people
drinking the stuff to prove a point.

> So has anyone tried it? I'm kicking myself now for not
> tsaking a fuel container with me last night when I filled the
> car...

I still use turps for chain cleaning, so I can't comment on that
aspect.

The thing I want to know is where you managed to find biodiesel
on sale (unless from SAFF in Adelaide).

John

 

[Terryc]

suzyj wrote:
> Hi guys,
>
> I used to use kerosene to clean my chains,

The trick with kero is to reuse it. you pour the waste into an old
plastic container and let it settle out. Next time you need to clean
your chain, you pour off the clean stuff on top. Repeat this cycle until
it is too oily, use for tar pot, firelighter, metal degreaser, etc

You use just a smidge/minimal new kero for the final wash.

I do not like using any petrol for the flammability problem and the skin
irritability.

In both case,
i can recommend barrier/sorbolene cream before you start and citrus
clear + sorbolene cream afterwards.

> I'm kicking myself now for not tsaking a fuel
> container with me last night when I filled the car...

Let me know if you get a terrorist report filed. {
Tell you need it for mowing the country homestead block.
No problem with 20L. Will be interesting when we do 60L in drum.

P.S. be very careful filling containers, make sure it is approved for
fuel, and do not try to crib that last little bit.
>
>

 

[suzyj]

John Henderson wrote:

> The thing I want to know is where you managed to
> find biodiesel on sale (unless from SAFF in Adelaide).

Volume Petroleum, in Forestville (Sydney). Tho it's only B70, according to the guy at the counter.

Rumour has it that the biodiesel station in Marrickville will soon be reopening.

Chers,

Suzy

 

[Rory Williams]

The thing I want to know is where you managed to find biodiesel
on sale (unless from SAFF in Adelaide).

John

Looking at the Australian biodiesel site the only place in Victoria is in Laverton. I think we actually use them as recyclers for our used food oils out of our research plant.

One of my research staff comes from Bendigo and her Family is still farming up there. Apparently a group of Farmers up there have set up a plant to produce their own biodiesel from crops (I presume canola) they are growing.

RoryW

 

[John Henderson]

suzyj wrote:

> Volume Petroleum, in Forestville (Sydney). Tho it's only B70,
> according to the guy at the counter.
>
> Rumour has it that the biodiesel station in Marrickville will
> soon be reopening.

Thanks. I was aware of that closure. Good to see it reopening.

John

 

[John Henderson]

Rory Williams wrote:

> Looking at the Australian biodiesel site the only place in
> Victoria is in Laverton. I think we actually use them as
> recyclers for our used food oils out of our research plant.

Thanks. I was aware of a site at Boronia, Vic, listed on
http://www.grownfuel.com/buybiodiesel/index.html

> One of my research staff comes from Bendigo and her Family is
> still farming up there. Apparently a group of Farmers up
> there have set up a plant to produce their own biodiesel from
> crops (I presume canola) they are growing.

If only I could buy it here in Canberra. I need a large vehicle
to take my son's wheelchair, and don't like imposing more
greenhouse load than I need to.

John

 

[Rory Williams]

Thanks. I was aware of a site at Boronia, Vic, listed on
http://www.grownfuel.com/buybiodiesel/index.html


John

Thanks for that contact. Unfortunately not on my side of town but I'm occasionally over that way. I have a diesel vehicle which I am trying not to use too much for one reason and another. The bio-option might reduce the strain on the conscience.

RoryW

 

[Bleve]

On Apr 4, 4:15 pm, Rory Williams <Rory.Williams.2oi...@no-
mx.forums.cyclingforums.com> wrote:
> John Henderson Wrote:
>
> > The thing I want to know is where you managed to find biodiesel
> > on sale (unless from SAFF in Adelaide).
>
> > John
>
> Looking at the Australian biodiesel site the only place in Victoria is
> in Laverton. I think we actually use them as recyclers for our used
> food oils out of our research plant.
>
> One of my research staff comes from Bendigo and her Family is still
> farming up there. Apparently a group of Farmers up there have set up a
> plant to produce their own biodiesel from crops (I presume canola) they
> are growing.

There's a biofuel servo out near ferntree gully, I think on Scorseby
Rd?

 

[Donga]

On Apr 4, 9:55 am, suzyj <[email protected]>
wrote:
> Hi guys,
>
> I used to use kerosene to clean my chains, but it became shockingly
> expensive (nobody had it at the bowser anymore)


Wow, it sounds like you use a lot. Is this in a bike shop? I keep my
chains pretty clean, doing about 300 km/week on two bikes and cleaning
every 2-3 weeks. I would only use about 50ml each time, applied with a
brush and/or chain cleaner. One bottle of kero from the supermarket
lasts me months. The cost is insignificant.

Donga

 

[Blue Heeler]

John Henderson wrote:

>
>
> I agree about biodiesel's superior solvent properties. Carry a
> spare fuel filter if you switch to it in a high-milage Diesel.
>

And if it is an old diesel prepare to replace fuel lines....

> > I wonder if it might be less of a skin irritant, too...
>
> I believe it is. There are (unconfirmed) reports of people
> drinking the stuff to prove a point.
>

Gee I hope they knew what they were doing when they batched the BD in
question Methoxide being fairly high up on the "kill you deader than
hell" list.




--

 

[suzyj]

Donga wrote:

> Wow, it sounds like you use a lot. Is this in a bike shop?

Naah - I'm just peeved I can't get kero from the bowser any more. I probably only go through a couple of litres a year.

Next time I'm filling up, I'll be sure to take a container along, and give it a go.

In response to other posters, my car did 700km on petrodiesel (and thus far about 50km on petro/bio blend), so I don't think there are many deposits to be cleaned out

 

[Terryc]

suzyj wrote:
> Donga wrote:
>
>
>>Wow, it sounds like you use a lot. Is this in a bike shop?
>
>
> Naah - I'm just peeved I can't get kero from the bowser any more. I
> probably only go through a couple of litres a year.

Tried your local supermarket?
1L containers are probably convienient.

 

[Gumby]

suzyj wrote:
> Hi guys,
>
> I used to use kerosene to clean my chains, but it became shockingly
> expensive (nobody had it at the bowser anymore) so I changed to
> petrodiesel, which has been pretty good for getting gunk off chains.
>
> Last night I filled the car up with biodiesel, and I started to wonder
> if it's any good for cleaning chains. From what I've read on the web,
> it's a better solvent than petrodiesel (in as much as it removes
> deposits from your fuel system so they can gum up filters and
> injectors), and it's certainly safer to store than petrodiesel, having
> a higher flash-point.
>
> I wonder if it might be less of a skin irritant, too...
>
> So has anyone tried it? I'm kicking myself now for not tsaking a fuel
> container with me last night when I filled the car...
>
>
I use the mechanical chain cleaner and sugar soap. Seems to work pretty
well.

 

[Gags]

"Terryc" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:4613c55c$0$4611$61c65585@un-2park-reader-01.sydney.pipenetworks.com.au...
> suzyj wrote:
>> Donga wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Wow, it sounds like you use a lot. Is this in a bike shop?
>>
>>
>> Naah - I'm just peeved I can't get kero from the bowser any more. I
>> probably only go through a couple of litres a year.
>
> Tried your local supermarket?
> 1L containers are probably convienient.

I used kero (from supermarket) for a long time but recently I was in super
cheap auto and bought a bottle of "biodegradable degreaser" that is in a
blue bottle. I have used it about 3 times so far and I am pretty impressed
with it. It is almost odourless and seems to do a reasonable job of
degreasing - means the wife doesn't complain about me smelling like kerosene
anymore!!!

The other thing I bought that I should have years ago was a decent pair of
rubber gloves.........not sure why I didn't do this earlier but it is
definitely easier now as I don't have to scrub my hands forever when I get
back inside from a degreasing session in the shed.

Gags

 

[Donga]

On Apr 5, 5:53 am, "Gags" <[email protected]> wrote:
> "Terryc" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>
> news:4613c55c$0$4611$61c65585@un-2park-reader-01.sydney.pipenetworks.com.au...
>
> > suzyj wrote:
> >> Donga wrote:
>
> >>>Wow, it sounds like you use a lot. Is this in a bike shop?
>
> >> Naah - I'm just peeved I can't get kero from the bowser any more. I
> >> probably only go through a couple of litres a year.
>
> > Tried your local supermarket?
> > 1L containers are probably convienient.
>
> I used kero (from supermarket) for a long time but recently I was in super
> cheap auto and bought a bottle of "biodegradable degreaser" that is in a
> blue bottle. I have used it about 3 times so far and I am pretty impressed
> with it. It is almost odourless and seems to do a reasonable job of
> degreasing - means the wife doesn't complain about me smelling like kerosene
> anymore!!!
>
> The other thing I bought that I should have years ago was a decent pair of
> rubber gloves.........not sure why I didn't do this earlier but it is
> definitely easier now as I don't have to scrub my hands forever when I get
> back inside from a degreasing session in the shed.
>
> Gags

I get worried about degreaser. I used a few cans of that $2 spray
degreaser a few years ago. For my pains, I destroyed the alloy finish
on a 105 and an Ultegra crankset. I twigged too late that it was the
degreaser - I think because of its high alkalinity. Why change from
kero? If you have dirty hands, just wash them in kero ;-)

Donga

 

[suzyj]

TerryC wrote:

> Tried your local supermarket?
> 1L containers are probably convienient.

They are (and I do have a bottle of kero from Bunnings at the moment), but I get really p**ed off at paying $3 or $4 a litre for something that was $1 a litre from the bowser.

Bit like bottled water really.

 

[Michael Warner]

On Wed, 4 Apr 2007 09:55:31 +1000, suzyj wrote:

> I used to use kerosene to clean my chains, but it became shockingly
> expensive (nobody had it at the bowser anymore) so I changed to
> petrodiesel, which has been pretty good for getting gunk off chains.

I use turps in a plastic container - if you let the gunk settle and pour
off the rest, you only need to top it up a little each time.

--
Home page: http://members.westnet.com.au/mvw

 

[DaveB]

Gags wrote:
> The other thing I bought that I should have years ago was a decent pair of
> rubber gloves.........not sure why I didn't do this earlier but it is
> definitely easier now as I don't have to scrub my hands forever when I get
> back inside from a degreasing session in the shed.

Yes a good quality pair would be the go. I have a packet of those throw
away latex gloves in the shed but a few minutes in petrol/kero/whatever
and they start to disintegrate.

DaveB