Yet another chain cleaning tip

[Gary Smiley]

Usually I remove the chain (using the removable link) and shake the chain in
a jar of orange degreaser. Today I microwaved the jar of degreaser until it
was steaming (about 2 minutes). It worked way, way better- it removed all
the grease - no residue left. The chain came out sparkling, like it was
brand new. Be sure you do this in a ventilated area, however.

 

[LF]

Gary Smiley wrote:
> Usually I remove the chain (using the removable link) and shake the chain in
> a jar of orange degreaser. Today I microwaved the jar of degreaser until it
> was steaming (about 2 minutes). It worked way, way better- it removed all
> the grease - no residue left. The chain came out sparkling, like it was
> brand new. Be sure you do this in a ventilated area, however.

Sounds like an improvemnt over what I've been doing with orange
degreaser. How do you ventilate? Do you have a microwave in your
garage? (Should I search ebay for a Campagnolo microwave oven?)

Thanks for the tip.
Larry

 

[LF]

Gary Smiley wrote:
> Usually I remove the chain (using the removable link) and shake the chain in
> a jar of orange degreaser. Today I microwaved the jar of degreaser until it
> was steaming (about 2 minutes). It worked way, way better- it removed all
> the grease - no residue left. The chain came out sparkling, like it was
> brand new. Be sure you do this in a ventilated area, however.

Sounds like an improvemnt over what I've been doing with orange
degreaser. How do you ventilate? Do you have a microwave in your
garage? (Should I search ebay for a Campagnolo microwave oven?)

Thanks for the tip.
Larry

 

[Smokey]

Gary Smiley wrote:
> Usually I remove the chain (using the removable link) and shake the chain in
> a jar of orange degreaser. Today I microwaved the jar of degreaser until it
> was steaming (about 2 minutes). It worked way, way better- it removed all
> the grease - no residue left. The chain came out sparkling, like it was
> brand new. Be sure you do this in a ventilated area, however.

I normally clean my chain on the bike with one of those cleaning boxes,
but this sounds like a good idea. I'll give it a try, thanks for the
tip.

Smokey

 

[Marcus Coles]

Gary Smiley wrote:
> Usually I remove the chain (using the removable link) and shake the chain in
> a jar of orange degreaser. Today I microwaved the jar of degreaser until it
> was steaming (about 2 minutes). It worked way, way better- it removed all
> the grease - no residue left. The chain came out sparkling, like it was
> brand new. Be sure you do this in a ventilated area, however.
>
>

IIRC at least one of the chain manufacturers at one point advised
against using citrus based and similar acidic cleaners on chains. If
this is still so I would think heating it up would make it more reactive
and create more of a potential problem.

Me, using a coat hanger I just dip the chain into the fuel tank of the
neighbors's motorhome, it comes out clean and no icky residue to dispose
of. ;-)


Marcus

 

[Paul Hobson]

Gary Smiley wrote:
> Usually I remove the chain (using the removable link) and shake the chain in
> a jar of orange degreaser. Today I microwaved the jar of degreaser until it
> was steaming (about 2 minutes). It worked way, way better- it removed all
> the grease - no residue left. The chain came out sparkling, like it was
> brand new. Be sure you do this in a ventilated area, however.

Is this the same microwave you use to cook food?
\\paul
--
Paul M. Hobson
Georgia Institute of Technology
..:change the f to ph to reply:.

 

[botfood]

On Oct 16, 12:46 pm, Marcus Coles <[email protected]> wrote:

> Me, using a coat hanger I just dip the chain into the fuel tank of the
> neighbors's motorhome,
----------
in all seriousness... kerosene is great; leaves a slight oily film that
is ok with most lubricants. I suppose you could use th dirty kerosene
in your neighbor's motorhome heater. I've had great luck with john
deere chain lube made for farm equip as it is designed to dry and not
pick up dust and chaff....

d

 

[Wilfred Kazoks]

Just on a slightly tangential issue. Wouldn't it be better to stop the grit
getting onto the chain in the first place.

I was thinking about this the other day. I have a bike with metal mudguards
front and rear. Occasionally i notice a pebble rattling up the front guard
and getting thrown out the front. It made me think that whatever smaller
grit that doesn't go out the front must get thrown off below the lower end
and the chain is the first thing in line to collect it.

Maybe I'll attach a flap on the front guard and test the theory with some
double sided tape. See how much grit I can collect in a week.

I can't really see where else the grit can come from the rear wheel has a
fairly close fitting full length guard, but some could come from the rear
wheel I suppose.

Regards Wilfred
"Marcus Coles" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Gary Smiley wrote:
>> Usually I remove the chain (using the removable link) and shake the chain
>> in a jar of orange degreaser. Today I microwaved the jar of degreaser
>> until it was steaming (about 2 minutes). It worked way, way better- it
>> removed all the grease - no residue left. The chain came out sparkling,
>> like it was brand new. Be sure you do this in a ventilated area, however.
>
> IIRC at least one of the chain manufacturers at one point advised against
> using citrus based and similar acidic cleaners on chains. If this is
> still so I would think heating it up would make it more reactive and
> create more of a potential problem.
>
> Me, using a coat hanger I just dip the chain into the fuel tank of the
> neighbors's motorhome, it comes out clean and no icky residue to dispose
> of. ;-)
>
>
> Marcus

 

[Mark]

Gary Smiley wrote:

> Usually I remove the chain (using the removable link) and shake the chain in
> a jar of orange degreaser. Today I microwaved the jar of degreaser until it
> was steaming (about 2 minutes). It worked way, way better- it removed all
> the grease - no residue left. The chain came out sparkling, like it was
> brand new. Be sure you do this in a ventilated area, however.

Rather than fumigating my microwave, I just heat up some water (in the
microwave) to near boiling, then mix 50/50 with my favorite degreaser.

Hot solvent of any sort definitely works better than cold solvent -
especially in winter when my shop and the degreaser stored in it are
around 45 degrees F.

Don't try it with flammables, though - that could really "clean you clock".

Mark J.

 

[dvt]

Wilfred Kazoks wrote:
> Just on a slightly tangential issue. Wouldn't it be better to stop the grit
> getting onto the chain in the first place.
>
> I was thinking about this the other day. I have a bike with metal mudguards
> front and rear. Occasionally i notice a pebble rattling up the front guard
> and getting thrown out the front. It made me think that whatever smaller
> grit that doesn't go out the front must get thrown off below the lower end
> and the chain is the first thing in line to collect it.
>
> Maybe I'll attach a flap on the front guard and test the theory with some
> double sided tape. See how much grit I can collect in a week.

If you ride in the rain with that extra flap, you'll learn that the
front flap prevents rain from washing the lube off the chain. It
probably does the same for grit.

--
Dave
dvt at psu dot edu

 

[* * Chas]

"Marcus Coles" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Gary Smiley wrote:
> > Usually I remove the chain (using the removable link) and shake the
chain in
> > a jar of orange degreaser. Today I microwaved the jar of degreaser
until it
> > was steaming (about 2 minutes). It worked way, way better- it
removed all
> > the grease - no residue left. The chain came out sparkling, like it
was
> > brand new. Be sure you do this in a ventilated area, however.
> >
> >
>
> IIRC at least one of the chain manufacturers at one point advised
> against using citrus based and similar acidic cleaners on chains. If
> this is still so I would think heating it up would make it more
reactive
> and create more of a potential problem.
>
> Me, using a coat hanger I just dip the chain into the fuel tank of the
> neighbors's motorhome, it comes out clean and no icky residue to
dispose
> of. ;-)
>
>
> Marcus

Yes! That's great!

Chas.

 

[[email protected]]

Wilfred Kazoks wrote:
> Just on a slightly tangential issue. Wouldn't it be better to stop the grit
> getting onto the chain in the first place.

I'm sure that it would. Industrial chain drives are normally fully
enclosed and run in clean conditions. They last (almost) infinitely
longer than bike chains or motorcycle chains. Likewise, things like
timing chains on motor vehicle engines last 100,000 miles or more in
their clean environment, even though they carry far more power than a
bike chain.

I've read many times that utility motorcycles and bicycles with
completely enclosed chains require no chain attention at all.

Of course, using a complete chain enclosure wouldn't be suitably
sporty! ;-)

>
> I was thinking about this the other day. I have a bike with metal mudguards
> front and rear. Occasionally i notice a pebble rattling up the front guard
> and getting thrown out the front. It made me think that whatever smaller
> grit that doesn't go out the front must get thrown off below the lower end
> and the chain is the first thing in line to collect it.
>
> Maybe I'll attach a flap on the front guard and test the theory with some
> double sided tape. See how much grit I can collect in a week.
>
> I can't really see where else the grit can come from the rear wheel has a
> fairly close fitting full length guard, but some could come from the rear
> wheel I suppose.

I usually run fenders on my bikes, even my now-little-used mountain
bike.

But many years ago, I went mountain biking at an old abandoned quarry
and coal mining site. Lots of death-defying climbs and drops on the
piles of tailings, etc. I had fenders on the mountain bike that day,
too, because it's a very dirty place.

After a couple hours of riding, I had to stop and scrape black dust out
of my rear cogs. It actually filled the cogs to the point where the
chain wouldn't mesh with them. Apparently, the dust and dirt in the
area was dropping off the underside of my rear fender, landing on the
rear cogs, and packing in there.

That was an extreme situation, of course. But I think it illustrates
that the front wheel isn't the only grit-slinger.

Still, I'm convinced fenders help chain life.

- Frank Krygowski