Cleaning stuff

Colin Blackburn said:

I have several bikes in bits at the moment, cogs everywhere! While things are in this state I'd
like to take the opportunity to clean some of the parts, mainly cogs and derailleurs. What's the
best way? Big bucket of soapy water? Proprietory cleaning stuff? Other lighter oils (I have tanks
full of kerosene and diesel if they are useful)? Other spirits? Chinese bike laundry?

Kerosene is fine for degreasing things (with a bit of elbow grease), but if you want to be posh
proprietary degreasers like Jizer and Ecotec are available in places like Halfords. These latter are
water rinsable making them a bit easier to use than kerosene, which has to be left to dry off
completely before you use the part. I suppose you could wash the part in soapy water afterwards but
I usually can't be bothered.

I use meths for removing brake-related goo and oil contamination from my rims and other sensitive
areas where slippery kerosene wouldn't be suitable. Any alcohol would do though.

Avoid aerosol degreaser sprays though, they're expensive and I find they tend to degrease you rather
than the part you're working on!

Regards,

-david

Colin Blackburn said:

I have several bikes in bits at the moment, cogs everywhere! While things are in this state I'd
like to take the opportunity to clean some of the parts, mainly cogs and derailleurs. What's the
best way? Big bucket of soapy water? Proprietory cleaning stuff? Other lighter oils (I have tanks
full of kerosene and diesel if they are useful)? Other spirits? Chinese bike laundry?

For a really good clean it's best to disassemble cassettes if that's convenient. Individual cogs and
things will no moving parts - off the bike: soak or wipe with WD40 or kerosene/paraffin.

Complete cassettes or freewheels: Use a rag soaked with WD40 or kerosene/paraffin to clean between
cogs. Alternatively, there are special brushes for this.

Derailleurs if v dirty: Blast with WD40 or GT85, scrub with rag/cotton buds/whatever, more WD40,
dry, lube. If not v dirty, just a wipe down and relube should do.

~PB

"Colin Blackburn" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I have several bikes in bits at the moment, cogs everywhere! While things are in this state I'd
like to take the opportunity to clean some of the parts, mainly cogs and derailleurs. What's the
best way? Big bucket of soapy water? Proprietory cleaning stuff? Other lighter oils (I have tanks
full of kerosene and diesel if they are useful)? Other spirits? Chinese bike laundry?

Gunk is a good option as not only is it an effective degreaser, but it is miscible with water and
can be washed off easily and safely.

makeashorterlink.commakeashorterlink.comOpen ↗
--
Simon Mason Anlaby East Yorkshire. 53°44'N 0°26'W simonmason.karoo.netsimonmason.karoo.netOpen ↗

Colin Blackburn said:

I have several bikes in bits at the moment, cogs everywhere! While things are in this state I'd
like to take the opportunity to clean some of the parts, mainly cogs and derailleurs. What's the
best way? Big bucket of soapy water? Proprietory cleaning stuff? Other lighter oils (I have tanks
full of kerosene and diesel if they are useful)? Other spirits? Chinese bike laundry?

Never used diesel, but it might work. Parafin is my cleaning agent of choice. Drop everything in a
bath of parafin, allow to soak, swill around a bit, scrub anything that's particularly claggy with
an old toolbrush, dry thoroughly, lube lightly and reassemble.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) jasmine.org.uk~simonOpen ↗

;; Want to know what SCO stands for? ;; ars.userfriendly.orgcartoonsOpen ↗

Quoted message said:

Derailleurs if v dirty: Blast with WD40 or GT85, scrub with rag/cotton buds/whatever, more WD40,
dry, lube. If not v dirty, just a wipe down and relube should do.

A toothbrush can also be useful for mechs and brakes, etc.

~PB

Simon Mason said:

Gunk is a good option as not only is it an effective degreaser, but it is miscible with water and
can be washed off easily and safely.

makeashorterlink.commakeashorterlink.comOpen ↗

Smells really disgusting, though. Wot, don't clean the bike in the house?
:-)

~PB

Simon Brooke said:

Never used diesel, but it might work.

It does, but it can be nasty to the skin. Rubber gloves recommeneded.

If using petrol, do not leave your chain to soak overnight in one of those blue plastic ice cream
containers. Otherwise you will get up in the morning to find a dirty chain and a dark oily stain on
the floor. And no container. Bah!

Dave Larrington - legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uklegslarry.beerdrinkers.co.ukOpen ↗
===========================================================
Editor - British Human Power Club Newsletter
bhpc.org.ukbhpc.org.ukOpen ↗
===========================================================

"Pete Biggs" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Derailleurs if v dirty: Blast with WD40 or GT85, scrub with rag/cotton buds/whatever, more WD40,
dry, lube. If not v dirty, just a wipe down and relube should do.

A toothbrush can also be useful for mechs and brakes, etc.

~PB

Just an addition to PB's note...

An OLD disused toothbrush. GT85 stains ya teeth :-)

--
Mark (MSA)

Bike shop assistant... "We couldn't repair your brakes, so we made your horn louder"!

"Dave Larrington" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Simon Brooke said:

Never used diesel, but it might work.

It does, but it can be nasty to the skin. Rubber gloves recommeneded.

If using petrol, do not leave your chain to soak overnight in one of those blue plastic ice cream
containers. Otherwise you will get up in the morning to find a dirty chain and a dark oily stain
on the floor. And no container. Bah!

I get the impression from many of Dave's postings that he's acquired a large proportion of his
considerable knowledge the hard way. Remember also that petrol fumes are toxic, and the stuff is a
serious fire hazard. Better not to mess with it at all.

My cleaner of choice is white spirit. Be careful though as it will remove the word "Ultegra" from
cranks with ease. What was I saying about Dave now? :-)

--
Dave...

"Dave Larrington" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>... < My cleaner of choice is white spirit. Be
careful though as it will remove the word "Ultegra" from cranks with ease.>

I agree with Dave, white spirit is much less dangerous than petrol, and it doesn't dissolve plastic
buckets overnight either! I have always thought diesel and paraffin [kerosene]unsuitable as they do
not evaporate, leaving behind a residue that will weaken and degrade your chain oil. The perfect
accompanying tools are an old washing up brush, and a few long strips fo rag to get in the tight
bits, eg rear cogs.

BTW I have just tried soaking the cleaned chain in a very old tin of ChainLube, it seems to work
very well. I will still use 10-40 motor oil for the regular oiling, I find this a lot cleaner than
the 3-in-1 type cycle oils.

David W said:

white spirit is much less dangerous than petrol, and it doesn't dissolve plastic buckets
overnight either!

White spirit can disove certain plastics. I found out the hard way! ...Margarine or ice cream tub, I
think. Best to store it in original or glass container.

~PB

David W said:

I agree with Dave, white spirit is much less dangerous than petrol, and it doesn't dissolve
plastic buckets overnight either! I have always thought diesel and paraffin [kerosene]unsuitable
as they do not evaporate, leaving behind a residue that will weaken and degrade your chain oil.

Paraffin is a perfectly acceptable cleaner of "manky bits," in my experience. But so is citrus
degreaser. In any case I tend to be a bit circumspect about blasting cleaner around bearings, so I
usually take the cassette off and give it a good wash in a pot of second-hand chain cleaner.

For me, the cost of citrus cleaner is low enough that I don't bother with anything else. It can be
used a Several of times before it becomes too skanky to do the business, and if you leave it in a
jar overnight most of the solids precipitate out and you can pour the cleaner off the top.

The great advantage of citrus cleaner is that it rinses out in cold water. White Spirit doesn't -
and it does leave a residue, it's just easily displaced by most lubricants.

On a 7-speed chain it probably makes little difference. On a 9-speed I would be very wary of using
anything other than "proper" cleaners - the things are so fragile anyway that I don't want to
accelerate the wear.

For frame cleaning I usually use car wash detergent and then hose down with water, or if the bike is
dirty but not muddy I use a cloth soaked in citrus cleaner. The need for frame cleaning is greatly
reduced by use of mudguards ;-)

--
Guy
===
WARNING: may contain traces of irony. Contents may settle after posting.
chapmancentral.demon.co.ukchapmancentral.demon.co.ukOpen ↗

Pete Biggs said:

David W said:

white spirit is much less dangerous than petrol, and it doesn't dissolve plastic buckets
overnight either!

White spirit can disove certain plastics. I found out the hard way! ...Margarine or ice cream tub,
I think. Best to store it in original or glass container.

Best kept away from tyres and leather saddles, I think. I keep it in a couple of wide-necked plastic
bottles (I can look at them and tell you which types of plastic it doesn't eat if you want), and
pour between them once the grit settles out. Lasts ages.

Of course, it's about as environmentally friendly as a not very green thing. The warning labels on
my bottle have all sorts of dead fish and withered trees on them. Guy: where do you get that citrus
stuff from again?

--
q~print chr vec"\L$`$'",$_-49,8for unpack'C*',$'->lRe5QiSO58aP6ja9_Q8uYWaPx ~!~m`->`,eval$` #Andrew
Chadwick <piffle.orgpiffle.orgOpen ↗