Too much degreaser?

[Broadside]

Great, thank you @CXRAndy and @slowmotion

One of those cleaners will come in very handy for fleet maintenance!

 

[Shadow]

Thanks for the replies everyone - educational as usual.
Ultrasonic bath - lovely idea! CC never ceases to amaze!

 

[slowmotion]

Thanks for the replies everyone - educational as usual.
Ultrasonic bath - lovely idea! CC never ceases to amaze!

You'll be amazed at the amount of black sludge that comes out of a clean looking chain.

 

[Shadow]

You'll be amazed at the amount of black sludge that comes out of a clean looking chain.

Ha, scary stuff. Not sure I want to be that amazed!!

 

[12boy]

I soak my chains in a hot wax solution in a crock pot only used for this purpose. Regular wax mixed with oil and beeswax creates a mix that penetrates the links but doesn't flake off as straight paraffin wax will, and the Crock-Pot is easy to use....just plug it in, and when the wax is molten soak the chain. Waxed chains don't pick up dirt and grit like oil does, so when the chain gets a little noisy I soak it again. Any grit or grime will settle to the bottom. A fringe benefit is waxed chains don't stain khaki trousers like oily ones do.

 

[Drago]

I clean mine using the method known in latter years as The Mickle. I've usully ground them to 0.5 in 1500 miles (heavy and powerful high gear grinder), and nothing I've tried extends that, so any additional effort is wasted.

 

[Blue Hills]

I think the whole notion of degreasing chains is wrong. Clean with an oily rag by all means, then add a bit more clean oil. The manufacturer goes to a certain amount of trouble to get oil into the inside rollers and it's then harder for you to get new oil back in, apart from any new oil getting diluted by degreaser residue

But if you don't periodically deepclean, how can you get rid of the grit and general debris that inevitably collects on a chain over time?

Isn't it this grit mixed in with the oil, however much you keep applying, which degrades the rest of the drivetrain?

 

[Blue Hills]

I use Jizer in an ultrasonic bath and then rinse it many times with detergent and water. It then goes in the oven at 70C for an hour before re-oiling.

That sounds excessive. And expensive. And a waste of fuel/energy. Why does the chain need to go in an oven for an hour?

I clean by shaking the chain in degreaser in a 1 litre plastic milk bottle - you only need a bit of degreaser at the bottom.
Rinse thoroughly. Wipe dry with a paper towel - maybe air a bit on the washing line. Fit back on bike and then as I drive it use a clean brush to remove any small bits left between links. Oil. And ride. No oven needed.

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

I've got 'short-arms/deep-pockets' - or simply a frugal Yorkshireman

Red diesel (a local garage has it)
I just got a fresh gallon, about 3 months ago, last gallon lasted me for 5 years or so (used on 4 bikes)

I tend to soak a rag, & simply run the chain through it, held inside a clenched fist
If a chain/cassette/rings are heavily 'dusted'/'grimed', I scrub them with an old toothbrush

Only downside, I've found that SWMBO's sense of smell, gets far more sensitive, if I put a treated bike, back in the basement

 

[Blue Hills]

I tend to soak a rag, & simply run the chain through it, held inside a clenched fist

A bare hand? Is this a good idea?

Why don't you use the shaking system?

seems easier and maybe healthier.

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

A bare hand? Is this a good idea?

Why don't you use the shaking system?

seems easier and maybe healthier.

Sorry, my fault, latex (or 'rubber') glove worn, if mainly to keep the smell of diesel off my hands (I don't mind it. but SWMBO does)

 

[slowmotion]

That sounds excessive. And expensive. And a waste of fuel/energy. Why does the chain need to go in an oven for an hour?

I clean by shaking the chain in degreaser in a 1 litre plastic milk bottle - you only need a bit of degreaser at the bottom.
Rinse thoroughly. Wipe dry with a paper towel - maybe air a bit on the washing line. Fit back on bike and then as I drive it use a clean brush to remove any small bits left between links. Oil. And ride. No oven needed.

Jizer is water soluble, so I rinse it off with repeated water/detergent, and then plain water. I want to get any water out of any tiny spaces between the pins, rollers and plates. That needs heat. Hence the oven.


Anyway, that's what I do.

 

[Harry1]

I used to shake my chain in a bottle with a bit of degreaser in it and sometimes I would soak it for 20 minutes. After degreasing it, I would rinse it in hot water and dry it with a cloth before putting oil on it. I then switched to the mickle method and it seems to be the best method I have used so far. The chain doesn't get as dirty now because I don't have oil on the outside of the chain.

 

[Blue Hills]

Essentially I use your erstwhile system - have done for years.

Are you saying that now you don't clean your chain much?

What about all the muck/grit etc thrown up into the internals of the chain?