What is a good rust cleaner?

kt1060 said:

What is the best thing to use to clean rust from chains and freewheels.

Rust removers contain phosphoric acid. So does Coca-cola. WD40 can loosen up rusted parts.

WD-40 in a pan. Soak them for a day or two, then take a small wire-brush and scrub away. Make sure to clean the dirty WD off as you go to see progress, then clean it after you are done. Let it air out a couple hours(overnight works) Then treat it like any other chain(always check it for stretch/wear after this though).

Conniebiker said:

WD-40 in a pan. Soak them for a day or two, then take a small wire-brush and scrub away. Make sure to clean the dirty WD off as you go to see progress, then clean it after you are done. Let it air out a couple hours(overnight works) Then treat it like any other chain(always check it for stretch/wear after this though).

Wouldn't you want to check for wear and stretch before you go through the trouble. Chains are not that expensive, just buy a new one. $15 gets you a 7-8 spd sram chain. $30 will get you a 9 speed.

Getting the rust off of the gears is another story. I would take it off the wheel and douse it with some WD-40 and then run a 3m scratch pad through each gear.

midgie said:

Wouldn't you want to check for wear and stretch before you go through the trouble. Chains are not that expensive, just buy a new one. $15 gets you a 7-8 spd sram chain. $30 will get you a 9 speed.

Getting the rust off of the gears is another story. I would take it off the wheel and douse it with some WD-40 and then run a 3m scratch pad through each gear.

Actually, you could do a preliminary check before treatment. The rust removal will alter the clearance a small bit however, to the longer. That is why I prefer to check after.

I have an on going project of restoring old discarded bikes and donating them to local day workers and immigrants for basic transportation. Some of the bikes are real basket cases with chains rusted stiff. Rusty chains are generally pretty dry hence the rust. I found a steel brush works wonders in removing stubborn rust. I have a big one and one the size of a tooth brush. After a good scrubbing I blow off with air compressor. WD-40 for a clean and wipe than regular chain lube. In my case chain stretch is not a concern since I just want to get the bike up and running and safe. In fact its important to save the chain since a new one cost money and may lead to additional parts replacement. You can't beat the feeling of giving these bikes away to some one who really needs them on a daily basis. Plus the bikes are not filling up some land fill some where.