How do you clean your chain?

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martyp

New Member
Just curious about they way other forum members do this messy task.....heres how i do mine.

First remove chain from bike"duh"........then I put in in the parts washer which contains filtered kerosene(taking from oil tank when her indoors is not around).

I let it soak in the washer for about an hour then attack it with a toothbrush going over every link individually....the rinse it of with more kerosene.

I remove chain and wipe it down with a rag, then i put the air gun to it to blow all the excess kerosene away.

Next chain is replaced on bike.....then I use a potion I use on my motorbike chain..........it,s a mixture of cheap engine oil and atf fluid....mixed 50/50.........this is then "painted" on the chain.

I let it soak in for 30 mins or so then wipe of the excess.....I do this once a month...as an interim I wipe the chain with a kero soaked rag and repaint.

how you do yours?:blush:
 

TheDoctor

Europe Endless
Moderator
Location
The TerrorVortex
Around these parts we use the 'Mickle Method'
Best summed up as wipe lube wipe lube wipe ride.
 

potsy

Rambler
Location
My Armchair
TheDoctor said:
Around these parts we use the 'Mickle Method'
Best summed up as wipe lube wipe lube wipe ride.
+1,t'other method sounds a right faff,unless you have OCD like Ianr and fossy then Mickle method will do for me.:blush:
 

RecordAceFromNew

Swinging Member
Location
West London
martyp said:
Next chain is replaced on bike.....then I use a potion I use on my motorbike chain..........it,s a mixture of cheap engine and atf fluid....mixed 50/50.........this is then "painted" on the chain.

Instead of using "cheap" engine oil, if you had used a synthetic oil with electrostatically charged particles such as GTX Magnatex, which evidently contains "intelligent molecules that actively seek out and bond" the components, your chain would not have been fatally damaged by such "cheap" (and significantly less intelligent, or perhaps even stupid) oil. Further, the effort you have to make in cycling from A to B (albeit you usually have to get back to A, i.e. square one!) would have been significantly lower.

I apologize for any disturbance this knowledge may have caused to your therapeutic exercise.
 

jazzkat

Fixed wheel fanatic.
Once a week (or more if it's very mucky and I've got time). Three jars of white spirit dirty to clean then into the sink and wash with washing up liquid. Let dry, refit and lube.
maybe overkill, but the chains not wearing much despite the miles I do!
 

dragon72

Guru
Location
Mexico City
I rub it with lard and get the dog to lick it clean
 
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OP
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martyp

New Member
RecordAceFromNew said:
Instead of using "cheap" engine oil, if you had used a synthetic oil with electrostatically charged particles such as GTX Magnatex, which evidently contains "intelligent molecules that actively seek out and bond" the components, your chain would not have been fatally damaged by such "cheap" (and significantly less intelligent, or perhaps even stupid) oil. Further, the effort you have to make in cycling from A to B (albeit you usually have to get back to A, i.e. square one!) would have been significantly lower.

I apologize for any disturbance this knowledge may have caused to your therapeutic exercise.



was even more theraputic reading that post......:laugh:

never heard off gtx magnatex btw...is this the new replacement for gtx "magnatec"?
 

guitarpete247

Just about surviving
Location
Leicestershire
martyp said:
but lads....i find it very theraputic...

Have you read "Catch 22"?
If you have remember Orr. He would dismantle the tent heating system into it's smallest components then reassemble it. Doing this over and over again was so boring that it made his life seem to last longer so ineffect he would seem to live longer. I'd rather enjoy life and do as little as is necessary to get the most out of my bike:becool:.
If you haven't read it;).
 

battered

Guru
With respect, you are confusing 2 characters. Orr and Dunbar iirc. Orr was mechanically apt, he did indeed strip down the stove to make it work better. "He could hammer a nail in straight" is a phrase used to describe him. He uses this resourcefulness to escape, heading for Sweden in a boat. Dunbar (I think) is the man who does boring things to make his life seem longer. "Why do you shoot skeet if you hate it?" "Because it makes the time go slower. Remember when you first got laid? Seems like 5 minutes ago. First kiss? 2 minutes before that. 30 seconds before that, you started school."

Gppd book indeed, I read it a long time ago, probably more than once.

Time spent mechanically pottering makes you more comfortable with the machine when you get into proper repairs.
 
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OP
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martyp

New Member
guitarpete247 said:
Have you read "Catch 22"?
If you have remember Orr. He would dismantle the tent heating system into it's smallest components then reassemble it. Doing this over and over again was so boring that it made his life seem to last longer so ineffect he would seem to live longer. I'd rather enjoy life and do as little as is necessary to get the most out of my bike:becool:.
If you haven't read it;).


Yes Pete...i read mr hellers masterpiece a long time ago.......all i seem to remember from it tho was the cantankerous nurse......

Have you read "zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance".........some useful nuggets of info in that......

Btw I am assuming you are a guitarist........how do you clean them?
 

joebingo

Über Member
Location
London, England
1. Wipe chain with warm soapy water rinse off suds and leave for a couple of minutes.
2. Apply oil and wait a bit
3. Wipe off excess and run through all gears
4. Repear 2 and 3

my guitar cleaning method is:
1. Take too big a swig of beer from my glass when playing live.
2. Strategically let beer drip from beard onto instrument.
3. Leave to soak.
 

guitarpete247

Just about surviving
Location
Leicestershire
martyp said:
Yes Pete...i read mr hellers masterpiece a long time ago.......all i seem to remember from it tho was the cantankerous nurse......

Have you read "zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance".........some useful nuggets of info in that......

Btw I am assuming you are a guitarist........how do you clean them?
Yeah I did did read it in the late 70's. Brilliant book on the 2 views of life the Classical vs the Romantic approach. Used it in my dissertation for my PGCE.
Cleaning my guitars I use a mix of vinegar and water for rosewod f/boards finishing with lemon oil. Silicon polish on varnished maple boards.
 
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