Petrol to clean chain?
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chillyuk
Guest
paraffin is very good and cheap ,,heater oil by any other name ,,u can even get it in bnq ,,much cheaper than petrol
I bought 4 litres of paraffin a few weeks ago for my Tilley fishing lamps. £7:50 for 4 litres. It would be cheaper to run a Coleman petrol lamp.
slowmotion
Quite dreadful
I could be wrong but I think I read that diesel is a good chain cleaner and also leaves a bit of lube on the chain as a residue. Did I imagine that?
tyred
Squire
I would consider that correct.
Angelfishsolo
A Velocipedian
Look up the Mickle method. All you will even need to do to keep your chain in tiptop condition 
Bodhbh
Guru
As I kid one of my practical jokes was to spike the lawnmower petrol with oil and various other solvents and witness the effect. I remember lots of filthy black smoke and engine knocking. Do you need to use a facemask when mowing the lawn also?
twowheelsgood
Senior Member
Buy an ultrasonic cleaner. Mine was £16 from Lidl 4 years ago.
Use enough vinegar to cover the chain. Repeat with water and detergent, then just plain water.
Dry in the oven after your dinner is out, switched off and cooling.
Relube in a clean glass jar, shaking to work the links. If you do it while the chain is still a little warm then the lube thins and penetrates the links much better.
Wipe off excess.
Barely any effort involved.
Ultrasonic cleaners are brilliant for glasses and jewellery too.
Use enough vinegar to cover the chain. Repeat with water and detergent, then just plain water.
Dry in the oven after your dinner is out, switched off and cooling.
Relube in a clean glass jar, shaking to work the links. If you do it while the chain is still a little warm then the lube thins and penetrates the links much better.
Wipe off excess.
Barely any effort involved.
Ultrasonic cleaners are brilliant for glasses and jewellery too.
Globalti
Legendary Member
I use all kinds of stuff for cleaning but I really wouldn't use petrol. It stinks, it's expensive, it's very flammable and it's carcinogenic:
Acute - Swallowed
Harmful. May cause lung damage if swallowed.
Acute - Eye
Mildly irritating to the eyes.
Acute - Skin
Irritating to skin. Will cause redness and inflammation.
Acute - Inhaled
Inhalation may cause irritation to the respiratory system. Prolonged exposure to vapours
may cause somnelence and narcosis.
Chronic
Prolonged and repeated skin contact may cause dermatitis due to defatting effect.
Prolonged or repeated exposure may cause cancer.
Some people swear by a mixture of paraffin and diesel, I have always used white spirit / turps subs / paraffin / kerosine / barbecue fluid. The last is the best because it's deodorised kerosine so smells OK and if you're not using it for cleaning you can fire breathe with it and the taste isn't too bad. Don't inhale it though - you've seen how light oils will spread out on a puddle? They will do the same in your lungs.
Use a shallow metal try, wash the chain through several times with small amounts of white spirit and an old paintbrush and pour the dirty into a jam jar. After a week all the dirt will have settled to the bottom and you can reuse it.
Acute - Swallowed
Harmful. May cause lung damage if swallowed.
Acute - Eye
Mildly irritating to the eyes.
Acute - Skin
Irritating to skin. Will cause redness and inflammation.
Acute - Inhaled
Inhalation may cause irritation to the respiratory system. Prolonged exposure to vapours
may cause somnelence and narcosis.
Chronic
Prolonged and repeated skin contact may cause dermatitis due to defatting effect.
Prolonged or repeated exposure may cause cancer.
Some people swear by a mixture of paraffin and diesel, I have always used white spirit / turps subs / paraffin / kerosine / barbecue fluid. The last is the best because it's deodorised kerosine so smells OK and if you're not using it for cleaning you can fire breathe with it and the taste isn't too bad. Don't inhale it though - you've seen how light oils will spread out on a puddle? They will do the same in your lungs.
Use a shallow metal try, wash the chain through several times with small amounts of white spirit and an old paintbrush and pour the dirty into a jam jar. After a week all the dirt will have settled to the bottom and you can reuse it.
zacklaws
Guru
I use petrol, Parrafin, White Spirits, shop bought degreasers and some stuff I get from work which is used in steam cleaners, used neat, it degreases chains fast, diluted, it cleans all grime and oil off with just one wipe.
But from experience, I would not use petrol in your chain cleaner, I did, and after a short while it warped the plastic badly, the cleaning brushes fell out, and in the end it all fell apart. Petrol and certain plastics do not go together. Even the white spirits may have effected it too, but not too sure.
I once had a high viz yellow waistcoat in my car, my petrol can leaked, and one day when I took my waistcoat out of the car, my socket set in a plastic case had welded itself to the jacket and I could only remove it by cutting it free. The petrol had melted the plastic, and then when it dried out, it went solid again but made my jacket a permanent fixture to the socket set.
Petrol though when it dries, leaves a slight oily film, its ideal for cleaning very dirty chains, but then it needs a quick clean with something else to just remove this film, otherwise, you soon get a good build up of dust on your chain
I think you may even find BBQ fluid carcinogenic, virtually everything, made from Benzine, and some forms of naptha, which BBQ fluid (not sure if all are) is made from are carcinogenic
But from experience, I would not use petrol in your chain cleaner, I did, and after a short while it warped the plastic badly, the cleaning brushes fell out, and in the end it all fell apart. Petrol and certain plastics do not go together. Even the white spirits may have effected it too, but not too sure.
I once had a high viz yellow waistcoat in my car, my petrol can leaked, and one day when I took my waistcoat out of the car, my socket set in a plastic case had welded itself to the jacket and I could only remove it by cutting it free. The petrol had melted the plastic, and then when it dried out, it went solid again but made my jacket a permanent fixture to the socket set.
Petrol though when it dries, leaves a slight oily film, its ideal for cleaning very dirty chains, but then it needs a quick clean with something else to just remove this film, otherwise, you soon get a good build up of dust on your chain
I think you may even find BBQ fluid carcinogenic, virtually everything, made from Benzine, and some forms of naptha, which BBQ fluid (not sure if all are) is made from are carcinogenic
apollo179
Well-Known Member
Re-use it? You could probably sell it on E-bay
Rag and bit of WD is all you need to clean a chain, then chuck any oil you have lying about on it and away you go
Dont they say dont lubricate your chain with oil cos it attracts abrasive dirt.
I clean my chain by immersing in a vat of boiling engine oil - dry and lube. Same for motorbike.
Flippin' 'Eck Tucker!
How big does the vat have to be to immerse a motorcycle in it?
PS. I rode a Guzzi for years. Electrics were awful, but I never had any problems with the chain. Credit where it's due; Guzzi chains must be excellent!
apollo179
Well-Known Member
Never had a chain brake in 10 years couriering on a gt550 - dya get it ?
GT550.... Here comes nostalgia....
My firm used them as pool bikes you could rent by the day when yours was off the road...
I did like those bikes, but I remember at the time thinking that self-cancelling indicators were a bit too hi-tech....
(It was the late 80s and I was used to Italian bikes).
They also had that dumb cut-out switch on the side-stand... but apart from that, you could ride them for 36 hours flat and not even feel a little bit tired.
Nostalgia trip over.
Back to bicycles now,,, and thanks everyone for the tips.
Much appreciated.
My firm used them as pool bikes you could rent by the day when yours was off the road...
I did like those bikes, but I remember at the time thinking that self-cancelling indicators were a bit too hi-tech....
(It was the late 80s and I was used to Italian bikes).
They also had that dumb cut-out switch on the side-stand... but apart from that, you could ride them for 36 hours flat and not even feel a little bit tired.
Nostalgia trip over.
Back to bicycles now,,, and thanks everyone for the tips.
Much appreciated.
I know.... Lovely. Very Japanese and slick... not like (wonderful) Guzzis with their clutch action from a 1964 Scammell truck and their gearchange from an ancient trebuchet.But honestly, the best wet-weather road bike I ever rode was a V50 III on extremely sticky Metzelers.
The combined brakes meant that it slowed and stopped in the wet with nothing but grace, poise and perfection.
GT550s and 750s were fine as courier bikes, but Guzzis are another level.
I appreciate that this sort of comment summons the men in the white coats.... but I truly believe that.
And... I always wore a helmet when I was a courier. It saved my life!! (sorry).
