Fluid for chain cleaning

Water and your favourite surfactant based degreaser. Ct-40 truck wash, d-limonene products, etc

Parbs

Jules said:

So I got a freebie recently - a strange contraption that you crank your
chain through to clean it and the jockey wheels etc.

Anyway, it needs to be filled with some kind of cleaning fluid.

What should I use? Kerosene?

Cheers,
Jules

Citrus solvent, from you local stupidmarket.

citroclean.com.aucitroclean.com.auOpen ↗

Jules said:

So I got a freebie recently - a strange contraption that you crank
your chain through to clean it and the jockey wheels etc.

Anyway, it needs to be filled with some kind of cleaning fluid.

What should I use? Kerosene?

You will get lots of replies indicating various environmentally
"sensitive" or "appropriate" chemicals you can use.

Simple fact is that Kero followed by a good hose off works both faster
and better......

(And yes I now have a collection of various citrus cleaners and other
"friendly to the environment" degreasers - kero knocks them into a
cocked hat).

--

Blue Heeler said:

Jules said:

So I got a freebie recently - a strange contraption that you crank
your chain through to clean it and the jockey wheels etc.

Quoted message said:

Anyway, it needs to be filled with some kind of cleaning fluid.

Quoted message said:

What should I use? Kerosene?

You will get lots of replies indicating various environmentally
"sensitive" or "appropriate" chemicals you can use.

Simple fact is that Kero followed by a good hose off works both faster
and better......

(And yes I now have a collection of various citrus cleaners and other
"friendly to the environment" degreasers - kero knocks them into a
cocked hat).

--

I must agree. I used citrus based solvents in one of those
contraptions, but last time I removed the chain and cleaned it in a
container full of kero. Came up like new.

It is filthy again now, but I think thats the oil I use.

I bought 5ltrs of Kero at Bunnings for arounr $12.

Brendo

quote='Blue Heeler'Jules said:

So I got a freebie recently - a strange contraption that you crank
your chain through to clean it and the jockey wheels etc.

Anyway, it needs to be filled with some kind of cleaning fluid.

What should I use? Kerosene?

You will get lots of replies indicating various environmentally
"sensitive" or "appropriate" chemicals you can use.

Simple fact is that Kero followed by a good hose off works both faster
and better......

(And yes I now have a collection of various citrus cleaners and other
"friendly to the environment" degreasers - kero knocks them into a
cocked hat).

--[/QUOTE]

I call bul$hit on your working faster and better.
The product I use & recomend is as flameable as kerosene & cleans IMO better and yes I have used both. Petrol MAY clean better but is more hazzardous. I find the Citrus cleaner thiner than kerosene & doesnt leave an oily residue.

Any solvent will give you a cleaner chain if the chain is removed & washed rather than those "on-the-bike" chain wash devices. I find they spray or drip solvent all over your rim & tyre too.

Kero does the job for me. And I tip it back into a 5L container afterwards -
by the time the next chain cleaning is due all the crud has settled out to
the bottom of the container and the used kero is fairly clean. I've been
using the same lot of kero for years, with the occasional top-up to make up
for the bit that is lost each time the chain is cleaned.

Nick

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

Quoted message said:

So I got a freebie recently - a strange contraption that you crank your
chain through to clean it and the jockey wheels etc.

Anyway, it needs to be filled with some kind of cleaning fluid.

What should I use? Kerosene?

Bikesoiler said:

I call bul$hit on your working faster and better.

It's a free country.

Quoted message said:

The product I use & recomend is as flameable as kerosene & cleans IMO
better and yes I have used both.

What it it by the way? Forgive me but I didn't claim kero was the
absolute all out "besT" cleaner - merely that it is a damm side batter
than the enivronmentally friendly alternatives.

Quoted message said:

Petrol MAY clean better but is more
hazzardous.

Actually ether or liquid propane will degrease even better than petrol,
bt the risk to the user does rise even further.

Quoted message said:

I find the Citrus cleaner thiner than kerosene & doesnt
leave an oily residue.

Let's be clear on one thing. Kero is incapable of leaving an "oily
residue". it aint oily, kero is DRY. The residue it leaves is kero.

Quoted message said:

Any solvent will give you a cleaner chain if the chain is removed &
washed rather than those "on-the-bike" chain wash devices.

But of course

Quoted message said:

I find they
spray or drip solvent all over your rim & tyre too.

I use kero in my "chain machine" - and I reckon it's no bad thing that
it spreads around a little - a quick blast with the pressure hose and
all the road grime, dirt, oil and kero is gone from rim, spokes, hub
and tyre. Likewise the driveway where I do my chain cleaning

Now, if you can actually show me a "citrus" cleaner that cleans as
quickly and as easily as kero, and doesn't cost more than 3 times as
much - I'll buy it.

--

Silly me - being a middle aged girl I used a degreaser on my chain 🙁 after
a grueling 3 day ride. 2 days were rain, one day of sand, soil and wet.
Then I left it to dry overnight - next day it was showing rust marks!
Wouldnt the citrus rust also go to "rust" if left to dry for a day or two?
Kero next time for sure. I had used kero in the past but thought that I
wanted the bike all new again LOL
Kathy

I used to do the kero in 3 bottles dance. Since then I have moved up to Prolink. A damn sight cheaper, easier, less time-consuming and therefore better, by my experience.

Another vote for kero, and if you're worried about the residue dripping onto your rim and tyre, put some rag down to catch the drips.

I have the bike upside down (will eventually get or make a repair stand) and use small amounts of kero poured onto an old paintbrush. I clean the whole drivechange with the stuff - between the cogs and paint it over the chainring and cranks. It all looks a mess until you blast the water over it (from a distance) and everything comes up looking nice and shiny.

Just wish it would stay that way.

jazmo said:

I have the bike upside down (will eventually get or make a repair stand)
and use small amounts of kero poured onto an old paintbrush. I clean the
whole drivechange with the stuff - between the cogs and paint it over
the chainring and cranks. It all looks a mess until you blast the water
over it (from a distance) and everything comes up looking nice and
shiny.

Just wish it would stay that way.

High presure water + hubs/BB = bad idea

You're forcing water into the hubs and/or BB, even if they're sealed. This will
lead to problems in the very near future.

Much better wipe the gunk of with a rag or two and let the solvent
evaporate before oiling

Cheers

Joel

just us said:

Silly me - being a middle aged girl I used a degreaser on my chain 🙁 after
a grueling 3 day ride. 2 days were rain, one day of sand, soil and wet.
Then I left it to dry overnight - next day it was showing rust marks!
Wouldnt the citrus rust also go to "rust" if left to dry for a day or two?
Kero next time for sure. I had used kero in the past but thought that I
wanted the bike all new again LOL
Kathy

what you clean the chain with should make no difference to whether it rusts or not (as long as it is clean and dry), it is having metal surfaces exposed to air or any other oxidizing agent, that allows them to oxidize (rust) . If you clean it with a solvent and rub it dry with a rag for a while it will be clean and dry and then you can oil it or Prolink it or whatever.

In article <[email hidden]>,

Jules said:

So I got a freebie recently - a strange contraption that you crank your
chain through to clean it and the jockey wheels etc.

Anyway, it needs to be filled with some kind of cleaning fluid.

What should I use? Kerosene?

Citric degreaser is what you are looking for. They are available from
your LBS.
--

Blue Heeler said:

Now, if you can actually show me a "citrus" cleaner that cleans as
quickly and as easily as kero, and doesn't cost more than 3 times as
much - I'll buy it.

That's a pretty safe bet. I use a 50/50 mix of kero and degreaser, cleans
better and quicker, washes off easier, costs a little more, but not three
times as much. It's not citrus though.

Theo

quote='Joel Mayes'On 2007-02-10 said:

I have the bike upside down (will eventually get or make a repair stand)
and use small amounts of kero poured onto an old paintbrush. I clean the
whole drivechange with the stuff - between the cogs and paint it over
the chainring and cranks. It all looks a mess until you blast the water
over it (from a distance) and everything comes up looking nice and
shiny.

Just wish it would stay that way.

High presure water + hubs/BB = bad idea

You're forcing water into the hubs and/or BB, even if they're sealed. This will
lead to problems in the very near future.

Much better wipe the gunk of with a rag or two and let the solvent
evaporate before oiling

Cheers

Joel[/QUOTE]

When I said "blast" I was only using that figuratively. I'm actually using a normal hose with trigger nozzle set to either "mist" or that other setting that squirts out big drops at relatively low pressue and a large spread.

Do you think that's still going to be a problem? I've actually been doing this for a while (once a month for almost 2 years) without problems. I got the idea from seeing pro mechanics do it on TV (with what look like high pressure hoses). Perhaps they keep the jet away from the BB and hubs?

I used to do it with a rag but just found it fiddly. Hosing down is much quicker.

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

Quoted message said:

Another vote for kero, and if you're worried about the residue dripping
onto your rim and tyre, put some rag down to catch the drips.

--
matagi

More worried about kerosene getting into the environment - cant be good to
wash it away or let it evaporate. Best to control incinerate it, ie not in
the barbie, according to one thing I read. Also shouldnt mix with petrol, or
atomise with compressed air like some auto workshops do. Ultrasonics may be
the next big thing in cleaning.

jazmo said:

Joel Mayes said:

Much better wipe the gunk of with a rag or two and let the solvent
evaporate before oiling

Cheers

Joel

When I said "blast" I was only using that figuratively. I'm actually
using a normal hose with trigger nozzle set to either "mist" or that
other setting that squirts out big drops at relatively low pressue and
a large spread.

Do you think that's still going to be a problem? I've actually been
doing this for a while (once a month for almost 2 years) without
problems. I got the idea from seeing pro mechanics do it on TV (with
what look like high pressure hoses). Perhaps they keep the jet away
from the BB and hubs?

I used to do it with a rag but just found it fiddly. Hosing down is
much quicker.

With low presure and good seals I guess it no worse then riding through
a puddle or rain. Pro-mechanics do get it wrong too though.

I'm constantly see people at the how've had their bikes stuffed by
mechanics at their LBS, often really dumb things like a lady who came in
on an old single speed with coaster brakes saying the chain was
constantly droping and leaving her with no brakes.

Apparently the problem started after she went to her LBS 'cause the tyre
was rubbing on the mud-guards. Rather then adjusting the stays the
mechanics shifted the wheel forward in the drop-outs.

Cheers

Joel

Fractal said:

Ultrasonics may be the next big thing in cleaning.

I've got a 1L or so generic ultrasonic cleaner. It's great for loosening
gunge on small parts, and for cleaning jewelery, but I've tried it on
dirty chains a couple of times with citrus degreaser and water and it's
not particularly effective. A more powerful version may do better, but
kero in a can does a much better job.

For things like clusters it can be good to blast it in the cleaner, then
wipe it down. The bubbles formed tend to loosen the gunge, but it's too
thick and tacky to come totally loose.

--
Dave Hughes | [email hidden]
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