Looking for advice on how to clean an old chain. Bike has been in storage for some years and the chain needs a good cleaning and lube.
Cleaning old chain
- Thread starter two wheels
- Start date
try thistwo wheels said:
Chain Maintenance
it might help.
as long as chain/gears /rings are ok then chain shouldnt need replacing
park do a gadget for this purpose,but i think a quick degrease and a good spray with a light oil should be ok.
id pop it off and hit it with some decent de-greaser. Finish Line makes a really good one. it comes in a yellow can. great stuff. While youre at it, its probably worth cleaning the whole drivetrain. a clean drivetrain works so much more effciently, not to mention will last longer
two wheels said:
Go to a bike shop and get a 'snaplink', a thing to reattach your chain w/o tools. If you don't have a chain tool, get that also. Put chain into a empty plastic gallon jug. Add a little mineral spirits, diesel fuel, gasoline, etc. Shake, shake, shake, take out and let dry. While drying, take your chainrings, cogs off and pulleys outta the rear derailleur. Clean, grease pulleys, reassmble. Put chain back on, lube, next morning-go ride. If the drivetrain stuff is beyond your expertise, just do the chain.
GASOLINE should NOT be used (particularly, indoors) unless you are vying for a Darwin Award.Peter@vecchios said:
KEROSENE is one of the "traditional" solvents which used to be suggested for cleaning a chain. Mineral spirits are a good alternative.
What you choose to use to clean your chain REALLY depends on the type of 'dirt' you are trying to clean from it.
alfeng said:
oh please. If it doesn't explode in the little red plastic gasoline can, it won't explode when you shake wee bit of it with your chain.
Geez, Peter.Peter@vecchios said:
You recommend using gasoline as a cleaning fluid ...
You avoid wearing a helmet when you ride ...
Do you also run with scissors?!?
While white gasoline was used as a cleaning agent 100+ years ago, it is generally considered to be too volatile to be safely used indoors as a cleaning fluid ...
Peter, I'm beginning to question your judgement!
Peter, I admit to recently tossing my cassette cogs into a tub of mineral spirits, but they had to come off anyway when cleaning and regreasing the hub bearings. It worked great, and I returned the solvent quickly back to a sealed jar for reuse. But hey, this is Alabama, not The People's Republic of Boulder. I would think the use of volatile hydrocarbon solvents is illegal in your fair green city 
Since I rarely clean the chain at all, I don't claim to be an expert. But I recall the Shimano box my last chain came in said something like "use only neutral detergent to clean the chain"....maybe they are just bowing to the legal department or political correctness.
Since I rarely clean the chain at all, I don't claim to be an expert. But I recall the Shimano box my last chain came in said something like "use only neutral detergent to clean the chain"....maybe they are just bowing to the legal department or political correctness.
deisel cleans chains really well, i use it outside, who uses degreasers and solvents inside? maybe i have used that citrus degreaser inside, but i dont even like to spray WD40 in the house, maybe the garage... I always figure if my mom wouldnt let me do it there was probably a reason. ;-)
enjoy your clean chain, and do let it dry thoroughly before re-installing/lubing...
enjoy your clean chain, and do let it dry thoroughly before re-installing/lubing...
alfeng said:
I have used gasoline as a cleaner and like many things that are combustible(like mineral spirits), I exercise caution.
I wear my helmet everytime I ride, I don't avoid it.
You, not I, mentioned using gasoline indoors.
I run with knives but never scissors.
I also flew Fighters in the USN off of ships for 20 years...not the safest thing on earth, but if yer careful.....
dhk2 said:Peter, I admit to recently tossing my cassette cogs into a tub of mineral spirits, but they had to come off anyway when cleaning and regreasing the hub bearings. It worked great, and I returned the solvent quickly back to a sealed jar for reuse. But hey, this is Alabama, not The People's Republic of Boulder. I would think the use of volatile hydrocarbon solvents is illegal in your fair green city
Since I rarely clean the chain at all, I don't claim to be an expert. But I recall the Shimano box my last chain came in said something like "use only neutral detergent to clean the chain"....maybe they are just bowing to the legal department or political correctness.
Yep, when it's dirty, just flush that old gasoline down the toilet!!
Just kidding!!
For alfeng and any envionmental fuzz that may be reading this..
Diesel works really well also. When yer done, use it to start your barbque...kidding again!!!
Peter@vecchios said:
That's only the obvious danger....
Gasoline contains ~2 to 3% benzene. Benzene's permissable short term exposure limit (OSHA) is 5 part per million. To put that into perspective - 5 molecules of benzene in an space that an old 36" TV would take up. Nasty stuff. If you dig playing with liquids that contain very strong carconegens and love the thought of leukemia, brain cancer and blood disorders then be my guest, swill it all over the place... It's been shown to induce aemenia with benzene concentrations as low as 100ppm - by inhilation or via skin absorption.
This is also why if you wipe up gasoline with a rag that you're going to use again, or spill it on your clothing, you NEED to wash said item as the benzene does not mystically dissapear.
Todays top tip: Stick to using more suitable cleaning products.
Geez, Peter. You can infer a lot of things about me, but I sure hope you are not equating me with your tree hugging neighbors just because I warned people against using gasoline as a cleaning fluid -- we aren't all ex-jet fighter jockeys who like to live dangerously!Peter@vecchios said:
At least you caution others against choosing/using SRAM components!
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