Hi raleighnut,
Thank you very much for your tip of the brass bristled brush - I did find that the steel wool tended to flake off and make a mess everywhere so that is very much appreciated. Whether or not heating the oil will make a difference I appreciate your suggestion. I think the chain is original, as the previous and only owner stored it for most of its life, however I have definitely been giving replacing it a thought with regards to the wear it may have incurred thank you.
Hi the mikey,
Thank you very much for your input, greatly appreciated. It has made me alert to the fact that keeping this chain may actually do my bike harm, which I had not thought about. I will likely source a replacement soon now.
Hi mickle,
Yes I have been made aware that keeping the chain may actually damage the bike, and so I will definely not be regarding the chain as something to try to keep original anymore, thank you. Haha I love Volvos! I used to have a big interest in them, especially the retro boxy models like the 740/60. What model do you own? Yeah lemon juice is good, I use it over vinegar mainly just because of the smell when I'm having to work close up with parts for an extended period of time, but vinegar is just as useful and as other posters have mentioned vinegar is cheaper. If you're looking for large volumes of degreaser that do a similar service - citrus degreaser is excellent for bikes and I expect could work well for cars. "Weldtite Citrus Degreaser" is a good one, around £13 for 1litre. There are cheaper citrus degreasers around but I have found they are often quite watered down.
