cleaning your chain

[tyred]

Pint of what you're on please!!

Certainly, it's my own brew, 1 part Halfords wet lube, 1 part Castrol GTX, a dash of Rema Tip-Top rubber solutions, a dash of Swarfega, a dash of white spirits and some blackcurrant cordial to sweeten.

 

[BigSteev]

but you do need to carry a fresh cow pat with you.

If the male equivalent will suffice, I reckon that there's a few on here that should have no problem with that requirement.

 

[Iainj837]

I think I will save up and buy a decent chain then, don't fancy putting cow dung on my chain thank you

 

[Manonabike]

why do you need a clean chain?

we keep getting post on this subject time and time again yet I've not seen/read any evidence that cleaning helps prolong the life of a chain.

from what I read - and the option I used since it is less faffing - is to spray on motorcycle chain grease, leave it for a few mins to allow it to work into the links and rollers then wipe off excess. job done.

likewise from what I read and experienced - cleaning chains in petrol, paraffin, rose or orange smelling eco friendly bio degradable cleaner is bad since it strips out the grease from the rollers, and that is where you need it most and is hardest to get back in there (as soon as you start cycling, some of it gets pushed out anyways.

certainly when I was into cleaning chains with paraffin, they felt really slack and gritty and not that much better after greasing.

what I do now is less bother and since my commute can be through mud when it rains, I accept the fact that I will get through a couple chain a year.

wonder what the great and late sheldon says about chain cleaning?

(^^^^ mostly applies to mountain bike chain; road chains don't get that dirty).

You wondered

"I used to use a parts cleaning tank and a toothbrush to clean chains, but Zaven Ghazarian, an excellent mechanic I used to work with came up with a better system: drop the chain into a plastic Coke bottle with a couple of ounces of un-diluted citrus degreaser, cap it, and shake thoroughly. Fish the chain out with a spoke, rinse in water, and you are all set! (I am told that Pepsi bottles also work, and are easier to remove the chain from, because they have a wider mouth...but I'm a Coke guy, not a Pepsi guy.)"

 

[zacklaws]

I tried it in a plastic coke bottle, with petrol as a degreaser. When it came to pull the chain out after a good shaking, I had to cut the top off the bottle as the chain had coiled itself up inside the bottle and no way would it come out through the narrow neck, even though I had one end to pull on.

I thought it was a good idea, but its not that good.

 

[potsy]

I tried it in a plastic coke bottle, with petrol as a degreaser. When it came to pull the chain out after a good shaking, I had to cut the top off the bottle as the chain had coiled itself up inside the bottle and no way would it come out through the narrow neck, even though I had one end to pull on.

I thought it was a good idea, but its not that good.

Ha ha I did the exact same thing a few weeks ago,was keeping quiet but seeing as you've owned up I don't feel such a wally now

 

[Manonabike]

I tried it in a plastic coke bottle, with petrol as a degreaser. When it came to pull the chain out after a good shaking, I had to cut the top off the bottle as the chain had coiled itself up inside the bottle and no way would it come out through the narrow neck, even though I had one end to pull on.

I thought it was a good idea, but its not that good.

A large Nescafe jar is perfect for the job.

I work with two chains to make things easier for me as I need to clean the chain very frequently, at least once a week. The chain picks a lot of sand where I ride and that kills everything hence the need for frequent cleaning.

The procedure I use is:

Remove chain from bike and place in the jar with white spirit, shake it a few times and leave it for a while until I finish cleaning the bike. I then take it out and dry it with a rag, Finally it goes into a container with gearbox oil till the following week when is needed again. The following week, the first thing I do, before I start cleaning the bike, is to hang the chain from a nail and leave it there for the excess oil to drop back into the container. By the time I'm done with the cleaning the chain is ready for the bike..... so fit the chain and with a rag remove any excess oil that might still be there. That's it.