How to remove Rust from Chain

[Evsolutions]

Hi Am too cheap to buy a new chain and wondered if anyone
had a fast-easy-cheap way to remove rust from a bike chain.
I need to do a 40 mile hike Tuesday and the chain is totally
creamed in rust/

Joshua
******

 

[Just Zis Guy]

On Mon, 26 Apr 2004 20:04:30 GMT, "evsolutions"
<[email protected]> wrote in message
<[email protected]>:

>Am too cheap to buy a new chain and wondered if anyone had
>a fast-easy-cheap way to remove rust from a bike chain. I
>need to do a 40 mile hike Tuesday and the chain is totally
>creamed in rust/

Assuming it hasn't already, riding on that chain will ruin
the sprockets as well.

--
Guy
===
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after
posting. http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at
Washington University

 

[Curtis L . Russ]

On Mon, 26 Apr 2004 21:07:25 +0100, "Just zis Guy, you know?"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>On Mon, 26 Apr 2004 20:04:30 GMT, "evsolutions"
><[email protected]> wrote in message <iXdjc.286038$2o-
>[email protected]>:
>
>>Am too cheap to buy a new chain and wondered if anyone had
>>a fast-easy-cheap way to remove rust from a bike chain. I
>>need to do a 40 mile hike Tuesday and the chain is totally
>>creamed in rust/
>
>Assuming it hasn't already, riding on that chain will ruin
>the sprockets as well.

Perhaps. Most rust I've had on my chains was on the outside
of the links and of no interest at all. Run it throught an
oiled cloth for appearance purposes and it cleans up well
enough. The interior running of the chain seems to hold up
better (at least from road riding - all of this assumes
road) than people give them credit.

I'm guessing that it would take a pretty eroded chain to
damage the cogs from rust alone and it would be fun to see
if the chain disentegrates before the cogs are damaged.
Stretched chain with the chain climbing up the cogs might
not be a great thing though.

I'd run the chain through a completely saturated oiled
cloth, but not dripping, just to see how it cleaned up. If
it cleans up and the bushings seem to be free, I'd ride. If
the rust is deep and the metal corroded, I'd think seriously
about whether I wanted to walk back 20 miles from the ride.

Curtis L. Russell Odenton, MD (USA) Just someone on
two wheels...

 

[Denny Voorhees]

If it's very rusty I wouldn't trust it. I've had a couple chains in that
condition that I've used for homebuilts break. Probably your best bet is to
soak it in oil for several hours and brush it with a wire brush to remove
the rust. Check for stiff links and then ride it hard for awhile and see if
it holds together.
Take a chain tool with you on your ride
Denny in Sayre, Pa
"Bent but not broken"
"Just zis Guy, you know?" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Mon, 26 Apr 2004 20:04:30 GMT, "evsolutions"
> <[email protected]> wrote in message <iXdjc.286038$2-
> [email protected]>:
>
> >Am too cheap to buy a new chain and wondered if
> >anyone had a
fast-easy-cheap
> >way to remove rust from a bike chain. I need to do a
> >40 mile hike Tuesday and the chain is totally creamed
> >in rust/
>
> Assuming it hasn't already, riding on that chain will ruin
> the sprockets as well.
>
> --
> Guy
> ===
> May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle
> after posting. http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk
>
> 88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at
> Washington University

 

[Doug Huffman]

Surface rust is seldom of any consequence.

"evsolutions" <[email protected]> wrote in message new-
s:[email protected]
ers.com...
| Hi Am too cheap to buy a new chain and wondered if
| anyone had a
fast-easy-cheap
| way to remove rust from a bike chain. I need to do a
| 40 mile hike Tuesday and the chain is totally creamed
| in rust/
|
| Joshua
| ******
|
|

 

[Jeff Wills]

Comments at bottom
Curtis L. Russell <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> On Mon, 26 Apr 2004 21:07:25 +0100, "Just zis Guy, you
> know?" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >On Mon, 26 Apr 2004 20:04:30 GMT, "evsolutions"
> ><[email protected]> wrote in message <iXdjc.286038$-
> >[email protected]>:
> >
> >>Am too cheap to buy a new chain and wondered if anyone
> >>had a fast-easy-cheap way to remove rust from a bike
> >>chain. I need to do a 40 mile hike Tuesday and the chain
> >>is totally creamed in rust/
> >
> >Assuming it hasn't already, riding on that chain will
> >ruin the sprockets as well.
>
> Perhaps. Most rust I've had on my chains was on the
> outside of the links and of no interest at all. Run it
> throught an oiled cloth for appearance purposes and it
> cleans up well enough. The interior running of the chain
> seems to hold up better (at least from road riding - all
> of this assumes road) than people give them credit.
>
True. Surface rust is of little consequence. If the rust
has penetrated the interior, though, all bets are off. I've
seen many chains that were neglected crack due to internal
rust expanding the pins. If the chain breaks once, toss it-
it's toast.

Jeff

 

[Tom Sherman]

Jeff Wills wrote:

> ... True. Surface rust is of little consequence. If the
> rust has penetrated the interior, though, all bets are
> off. I've seen many chains that were neglected crack due
> to internal rust expanding the pins. If the chain breaks
> once, toss it- it's toast.

Naval jelly goes well with this type of toast.

--
Tom Sherman – Quad Cities (Illinois Side)

 

[Dom]

If you are too cheap to buy a new chain (which is the
right thing to
do) then you are probably too cheap to buy a good lube or
chain cleaner and do the job right. So ride it the way
it is and let your real personality show.

"evsolutions" <[email protected]> wrote in message new-
s:<[email protected]
gers.com>...
> Hi Am too cheap to buy a new chain and wondered if anyone
> had a fast-easy-cheap way to remove rust from a bike
> chain. I need to do a 40 mile hike Tuesday and the chain
> is totally creamed in rust/
>
> Joshua
> ******

 

[Jerry Rhodes]

Tom Sherman <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]
berlin.de>... .
>
> Naval jelly goes well with this type of toast.

Naval jelly is nice but Pickle-X 20 is better.

Jerry

 

[jmm]

> Naval jelly goes well with this type of toast.

> ...nice but Pickle-X 20 is better.

Careful, both contain acid(s), and both can contribute to hydrogen embrittlement, which is particularly bad news on some of the types of hardened steel components typically used in decent bicycle chains. Baking the derusted and thoroughly washed chain at ~400 degrees F for an hour or so after treatment can help reduce HE cracking (BUT, do NOT try to bake chain and warm pastries in the oven at the same time).

John

 

[Anonymous Cowar]

On Tue, 27 Apr 2004 07:08:24 -0700, Dom wrote:

> If you are too cheap to buy a new chain (which is the
> right thing to
> do)

I have the same problem as the OP; I can't speak for him,
but I balk at paying 22 British Pounds (40ish dollars) for a
new recumbent chain if there's any chance of resurrecting a
slightly rusty one with a bit of grease (both elbow &
petrochemical). And if I'm not going to need a new chainset
for my sins.

> then you are probably too cheap to buy a good lube or
> chain cleaner and do the job right.

.......... (10 dots)

> So ride it the way it is and let your real
> personality show.

Are you Fabrizio Mazzoleni's new persona?

AC

>
> "evsolutions" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:<[email protected]
> le.rogers.com>...
>> Hi Am too cheap to buy a new chain and wondered if anyone
>> had a fast-easy-cheap way to remove rust from a bike
>> chain. I need to do a 40 mile hike Tuesday and the chain
>> is totally creamed in rust/
>>
>> Joshua
>> ******

 

[Kak61]

Toe jam's the best

"Jerry Rhodes" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Tom Sherman <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> .
> >
> > Naval jelly goes well with this type of toast.
>
> Naval jelly is nice but Pickle-X 20 is better.
>
> Jerry

 

[Edward Dolan]

"anonymous coward" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news[email protected]...
> On Tue, 27 Apr 2004 07:08:24 -0700, Dom wrote:
>
> > If you are too cheap to buy a new chain (which is the
> > right thing to
> > do)
>
> I have the same problem as the OP; I can't speak for him,
> but I balk at paying 22 British Pounds (40ish dollars) for
> a new recumbent chain if there's any chance of
> resurrecting a slightly rusty one with a bit of grease
> (both elbow & petrochemical). And if I'm not going to need
> a new chainset for my sins.

Good Grief! I wouldn't pay $40. for a new chain for my
recumbent if it were the last chain on earth. For heaven's
sake, just go out to Wal-Mart and get 3 chains at the
cheapest possible price and it will be good enough and far
better than an older worn rusted chain. I used to get Sedis
chains for about $3. to $4. a chain not so long ago. Some
bike shops (not high end) still have brains enough to offer
cheap chains for those who do not have to have "the best".

--
Ed Dolan - Minnesota

 

[Tom Sherman]

anonymous coward wrote:

> On Tue, 27 Apr 2004 07:08:24 -0700, Dom wrote:
>
>
>>If you are too cheap to buy a new chain (which is the
>>right thing to
>>do)
>
>
> I have the same problem as the OP; I can't speak for him,
> but I balk at paying 22 British Pounds (40ish dollars) for
> a new recumbent chain....

I suggest buying three of these chains for your recumbent.
And no, the price is NOT a typographical error. <http://www-
.performancebike.com/shop/Profile.cfm?SKU=18300>.

--
Tom Sherman – Quad Cities (Illinois Side)

 

[Edward Dolan]

"Tom Sherman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> anonymous coward wrote:
>
> > On Tue, 27 Apr 2004 07:08:24 -0700, Dom wrote:
> >
> >
> >>If you are too cheap to buy a new chain (which is the
> >>right thing to
> >>do)
> >
> >
> > I have the same problem as the OP; I can't speak for
> > him, but I balk at paying 22 British Pounds (40ish
> > dollars) for a new recumbent chain....
>
> I suggest buying three of these chains for your recumbent.
> And no, the price is NOT a typographical error. <http://w-
> ww.performancebike.com/shop/Profile.cfm?SKU=18300>.

Truly a chain for total morons. But why is it priced at
$399.99 when you can add a penny and get a nice round price
of $400. Hells Bells! Why not $4000. while we are at it?
This goes to prove what I have known from my earliest
childhood, i.e., just because you have money does not mean
that you have brains. Sometimes I think there is an inverse
relationship between the two, especially whenever I see how
the rich spend their money.

--
Ed Dolan - Minnesota

>
> --
> Tom Sherman – Quad Cities (Illinois Side)

 

[Doug Huffman]

Phosphoric acid is phosphoric acid.

'Hydrogen embrittlement' is penny wise and pound foolish'
without a significant driving force to get the hydrogen
significantly into the metal. Care to calculate the
diffusion rate of hydrogen into CFe at room temperature? At
the relatively low concentrations resulting from consumer
concentration of orthophosphoric acid, H3PO4

"Jerry Rhodes" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
| Tom Sherman <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
| .
| >
| > Naval jelly goes well with this type of toast.
|
| Naval jelly is nice but Pickle-X 20 is better.
|
| Jerry

 

[Anonymous Cowar]

On Tue, 27 Apr 2004 22:00:58 -0500, Edward Dolan wrote:

>
> "anonymous coward" <[email protected]> wrote
> in message
> news[email protected]...
>> On Tue, 27 Apr 2004 07:08:24 -0700, Dom wrote:
>>
>> > If you are too cheap to buy a new chain (which is the
>> > right thing to
>> > do)
>>
>> I have the same problem as the OP; I can't speak for him,
>> but I balk at paying 22 British Pounds (40ish dollars)
>> for a new recumbent chain if there's any chance of
>> resurrecting a slightly rusty one with a bit of grease
>> (both elbow & petrochemical). And if I'm not going to
>> need a new chainset for my sins.
>
> Good Grief! I wouldn't pay $40. for a new chain for my
> recumbent if it were the last chain on earth. For
> heaven's sake, just go out to Wal-Mart and get 3 chains
> at the cheapest possible price and it will be good enough
> and far better than an older worn rusted chain. I used to
> get Sedis chains for about $3. to $4. a chain not so long
> ago. Some bike shops (not high end) still have brains
> enough to offer cheap chains for those who do not have to
> have "the best".

I get SEDIS/SRAM chains - probably the same as yours but at
a different price

10-14 dollars at http://www.sjscycles.com/store/vIndex.htm

I was warned off the Taya chains, that were the only ones
cheaper. If anyone has any good experiences I'm all ears.

But at least with Toms chains I shouldn't have to worry
about rust.

AC

 

[Jerry Rhodes]

jmm <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> > Naval jelly goes well with this type of toast.
>
> > ...nice but Pickle-X 20 is better.
>
> Careful, both contain acid(s), and both can contribute to
> hydrogen embrittlement,

John,

I think that "hydrogen embrittlement" is the least of
his worries.

I would toss the chain into a cement mixer along with a
couple of shovels of pea gravel along with some Simple Green
in a couple of gallons of water and let it run all night.

I would then rinse it off really well and then boil it in
some really hot (350+deg) paraffin/ATF until it quit
foaming and then slap it back on the bike and ride it for
another 8 years.

Jerry

 

[Sticker Jim]

I build some of my trikes out of scrap bikes, and this is the method I use
to rejuvinate thoroughly rusted chains:

- take the chain off and brush off any loose matter with a
wire brush
- then, put the chain on a wire wheel (I put mine on a small
bench grinder) and do the whole chain, all 4 sides to
remove the vast majority of the rust
- drop the chain in a bucket of oil (any type is fine) so
it's completely submerged. 2L pop bottle or old 1L plastic
oil jugs with the top cut off work too
- remove the chain, put it in another intact 2L pop bottle,
put any kind of cleaner/solvent in with the chain, and
shake it til the chain rinses clean. Repeat as necessary.
- dump the wste cleaner out, cut the bottle and remove the
chain
- hang chain to dry
- install chain and lubricate if/where necessary to stop
any squeaks.
- stiff links are massaged out by hand by rotating the links
to full exent in both directions, and then giving the
joint a light flex sideways, in both directions. Then add
an extra drop of oil to the FORMERLY stiff link

It sounds a lot longer to do this than it actually takes.
Leaving it overnight in the oil isn't necessary - I just
leave it that long for a good soaking. This has worked every
time on old chains that were so badly rusted that I could
hold them straight out like a stick.

"evsolutions" <[email protected]> wrote in message new-
s:[email protected]
ers.com...
> Hi Am too cheap to buy a new chain and wondered if
> anyone had a
fast-easy-cheap
> way to remove rust from a bike chain. I need to do a
> 40 mile hike Tuesday and the chain is totally creamed
> in rust/
>
> Joshua
> ******

 

[Fabrizio Mazzol]

"Sticker Jim" <[email protected]> wrote in message ...
>
> soaking. This has worked every time on old chains that
> were so badly rusted that I could hold them straight out
> like a stick.
>

I sure hope you guys are just trying to be funny.

Here's the difference between you and Me.
http://tinyurl.com/2g8hx