Great video! Very clear instructions. I just cleaned my chain de-greaser and it works like a charm. The dirt just drips off and you can wash it down with water or wipe it off with a rag.
If you clean your chain often you can fore go the degrease. The lube will act as the cleaner. You can then simply wipe the chain clean. Simple and effective.
kerosene and diesel fuel works well and it also lubes a bit. Gasoline/alcohol/acetone/paint thinner is a more effective degreaser (it strips the grease out leaving a non-oily surface. sometimes is good to be that way). Any solvent can be filtered and reused, but acetone vapors very quickly while diesel fuel will last a long time. The main issue is the plastic that can be damaged by some of these solvents. You have to test and try to see any induced damage (brittleness/ cracking/discoloring)
If you look at the testing and manufacturers recommendations. You would find that most lubes dont last long at all. Some of the oily lubes are longer lasting though. Ideally you should lube the chain when it is needed or when dirty.
I use gasoline as a degreaser. Not very environmentally friendly, but I reuse it a lot (i just filter it trough a rag/tissue, nice and clean and good as new). Paint thinner also works well, acetone, any kind of alcohol, any kind of organic solvent (like vinegar, and other organic acids), even oil can clean that stuff, but it's too thick to penetrate anything. Bottom line: I use gasoline in a chain bath and works fantastic.
You don't need that much of a dissolvent to clean the chain. Just take off the chain and sprockets and dump them in a bath of mineral oil. Let them lie there a while and then wipe of the smut and wash the oil away with soap. You can reuse the oil several times and you can wash your hands the similar way. Cost is minimal and enviroment thanks you.
What's 'regular bike wash'? I use muc-off and that gets rid of all the gunk on my chain. Good tip refitting the skewer on the rear drop outs. I like that.
A thing to keep in mind is that WD-50 being an excellent loosener & cleanser IS NOT a lubricant, will eventually evaporate & should never replace oil or grease. Thought u should it cause it's a common mistake.
hard to explain to someone who isn't technically adept. in the chain manufacturing process, every single pin is lubricated. (thats btw. the only place on a chain that has to be lubricated, anything else has to be just slightly coated...) in a chain bath you'd destroy this lubrication. the lubrication after the bath can't restore this, unless you lubricate it under big pressure ;) but don't think about things like that on a 30 dollar chain... better buy a new one instead of cleaning :P
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Great video! Very clear instructions.
I just cleaned my chain de-greaser and it works like a charm. The dirt just drips off and you can wash it down with water or wipe it off with a rag.
"your chain is really filthy" reminded me of austin powers. Really nice video mate!
If you clean your chain often you can fore go the degrease. The lube will act as the cleaner. You can then simply wipe the chain clean. Simple and effective.
kerosene and diesel fuel works well and it also lubes a bit. Gasoline/alcohol/acetone/paint thinner is a more effective degreaser (it strips the grease out leaving a non-oily surface. sometimes is good to be that way).
Any solvent can be filtered and reused, but acetone vapors very quickly while diesel fuel will last a long time.
The main issue is the plastic that can be damaged by some of these solvents.
You have to test and try to see any induced damage (brittleness/ cracking/discoloring)
If you look at the testing and manufacturers recommendations. You would find that most lubes dont last long at all. Some of the oily lubes are longer lasting though. Ideally you should lube the chain when it is needed or when dirty.
I use gasoline as a degreaser. Not very environmentally friendly, but I reuse it a lot (i just filter it trough a rag/tissue, nice and clean and good as new). Paint thinner also works well, acetone, any kind of alcohol, any kind of organic solvent (like vinegar, and other organic acids), even oil can clean that stuff, but it's too thick to penetrate anything.
Bottom line: I use gasoline in a chain bath and works fantastic.
It's called a chain bath,
kind regards
Nick Hine
You don't need that much of a dissolvent to clean the chain. Just take off the chain and sprockets and dump them in a bath of mineral oil. Let them lie there a while and then wipe of the smut and wash the oil away with soap. You can reuse the oil several times and you can wash your hands the similar way. Cost is minimal and enviroment thanks you.
You want to make sure that you rinse all the degreaser off before lubing.
What's 'regular bike wash'? I use muc-off and that gets rid of all the gunk on my chain. Good tip refitting the skewer on the rear drop outs. I like that.
Every 100 miles or so. Just use the lubricant to clean the chain and wipe with rag
Two corrections: it's WD40, not WD50. & on the last sentence it's: "thought you should know cause it's a common mistake".
A thing to keep in mind is that WD-50 being an excellent loosener & cleanser IS NOT a lubricant, will eventually evaporate & should never replace oil or grease. Thought u should it cause it's a common mistake.
great vid.. tks!
Exactly, luck & bike safely!
White Spirits does a good job, and is cheaper than all that fancy degreaser...
hard to explain to someone who isn't technically adept. in the chain manufacturing process, every single pin is lubricated. (thats btw. the only place on a chain that has to be lubricated, anything else has to be just slightly coated...) in a chain bath you'd destroy this lubrication. the lubrication after the bath can't restore this, unless you lubricate it under big pressure ;) but don't think about things like that on a 30 dollar chain... better buy a new one instead of cleaning :P
I'm sorry you said not to spray the degreaser directly onto something of the bike. I didn't catch what that was, could you kindly tell me?
how expensive is the degreaser that goes in the chain bath? filling it two or three times seems like it would use a lot.
I like the part where he lubes the bike.
That gizmo he clips onto the chain, what's that called?
"book-it" lol
you'd destroy the inner lubrication...
O_O
never use a chain bath on a expensive chain!!!
Yes. Definitely WD40. So sorry, my mistake.
narrated by simon cowell