Rough chain after maintenance...

[Blue Hills]

Lubing a chain, when it's at all dirty, washes grit into the rollers, and it takes a while to come out or be crushed.

To really clean a chain, it needs to come off the bike and be soaked in solvent, then in very hot soapy water, then rinsed and quickly dried (low oven). Then re-lube.

why can'y you just wash the solvent away with plain water? What does the soap add to the process?

 

[Ajax Bay]

Yes: I go for the hot water rinse - leaves chain hot and residual H2O will evaporate in the sun/low oven that bit quicker.

 

[silva]

why can'y you just wash the solvent away with plain water? What does the soap add to the process?

Oil sticks dirt together, soap dissolves oil, frees up the dirt, so that it can be washed away, I guess?
A possible reason for rough running could be that the cleaning washed out grit, grit that prevented the chain to become longer under tension, without it, chain parts can move away from eachother more.
The then longer chain will then wear teeth out towards the new larger pitch.

 

[Blue Hills]

Oil sticks dirt together, soap dissolves oil, frees up the dirt, so that it can be washed away, I guess?
A possible reason for rough running could be that the cleaning washed out grit, grit that prevented the chain to become longer under tension, without it, chain parts can move away from eachother more.
The then longer chain will then wear teeth out towards the new larger pitch.

The oil and gunk will have been removed by shaking the chain up in the degreaser surely? Then you just need to flush the degreaser away surely plain water will do this? I then just air dry, oil afresh and ride the bike round the park. No rust problem.

 

[rogerzilla]

Water won't wash away paraffin or white spirit.

 

[swee'pea99]

Any attempt at thorough cleaning, or indeed anything that washes out the original grease results in a chain that is noisy, wears quickly and is pretty much fit for the bin.

That was always my understanding - that really thorough cleaning was a really bad idea, because it washed out the factory-installed lube that was best left in place for the lifetime of the chain. Have to say I never do more than lube & wipe - seems to do the trick.

 

[Blue Hills]

That was always my understanding - that really thorough cleaning was a really bad idea, because it washed out the factory-installed lube that was best left in place for the lifetime of the chain. Have to say I never do more than lube & wipe - seems to do the trick.

so how do you get the grit and muck out of the innards of the chain? It's surely not all going to sit on the outside for you to conveniently wipe off?
After thorough cleaning I oil well with liquidy oil, go for a ride round the park, oil and again soon afterwards and another ride. I reckon that lubes all the moving bits pretty well. And saves the rest of my drivetrain being pedalled away.

 

[swee'pea99]

so how do you get the grit and muck out of the innards of the chain? It's surely not all going to sit on the outside for you to conveniently wipe off?
After thorough cleaning I oil well with liquidy oil, go for a ride round the park, oil and again soon afterwards and another ride. I reckon that lubes all the moving bits pretty well. And saves the rest of my drivetrain being pedalled away.

I don't. And lest there be any misunderstanding, I'm not saying my take on it is right, just that it's how I've always understood it.

 

[Andy in Germany]

so how do you get the grit and muck out of the innards of the chain? It's surely not all going to sit on the outside for you to conveniently wipe off?
After thorough cleaning I oil well with liquidy oil, go for a ride round the park, oil and again soon afterwards and another ride. I reckon that lubes all the moving bits pretty well. And saves the rest of my drivetrain being pedalled away.

Maybe @swee'pea99 just uses a higher class of road?

 

[swee'pea99]

Maybe @swee'pea99 just uses a higher class of road?

In Wood Green?

 

[Blue Hills]

I don't. And lest there be any misunderstanding, I'm not saying my take on it is right, just that it's how I've always understood it.

probably my mind gone, but you aren't by any chance the person who replaces chains very often? at 0.5 wear?
Just cleaned the chain on my exped bike - was camping in a wood for two days at the weekend and cycling through a lot of mucky lanes through torrential rain. It's now all shiny. Tomorrow it gets the oil and a ride to work it all in.
regards to wood green by the way - know it well.

 

[swee'pea99]

you aren't by any chance the person who replaces chains very often? at 0.5 wear?

On the contrary...