hoggle Posted September 22, 2008 Report Share Posted September 22, 2008 Being rather new to maintaining and Riding Bikes, could someone tell me what is the best way to clean and take care of your Chain ? Iv'e read other posts regarding this........ some posters say to clean then soak your chain in oil ! What oil would be best to use ? I also see you can buy in a can an all in one cleaner that does the same Job ! ( or does it) your replies would be most appreciated, as my bike is as clean as i can get it after a Trial though the Chain is full of Gunk, i have the Spray on Grease that i use but that is just adding to the muck that's already on the Chain ! Thanks, Hoggle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fivemeister Posted September 22, 2008 Report Share Posted September 22, 2008 I personally detest the heavy and sticky chain treatments, finding them messy and difficult to keep on top of with all the riding build up of crap on top of the grease. With a clean chain, I apply WD40 to displace moisture and prevent rust forming then later apply 3 in 1 before a ride (a heavier weight than WD but just as 'clean') This combination seems to offer sufficient lubrication for a trial, but does needs reapplying if its very wet. Bonus is - the chain looks cleaner, does'nt pick up so much crap and then washes off easier after the event ready for a new application of WD40 and so on. I don't notice any more chain / sprocket wear with this method if you keep on top of it and it entails less removal of the chain for cleaning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoggle Posted September 22, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 22, 2008 (edited) Being rather new to maintaining and Riding Bikes, could someone tell me what is the best way to clean and take care of your Chain ? Iv'e read other posts regarding this........ some posters say to clean then soak your chain in oil ! What oil would be best to use ? I also see you can buy in a can an all in one cleaner that does the same Job ! ( or does it) your replies would be most appreciated, as my bike is as clean as i can get it after a Trial though the Chain is full of Gunk, i have the Spray on Grease that i use but that is just adding to the muck that's already on the Chain ! Thanks, Hoggle. Sorry re posted ! Edited September 22, 2008 by hoggle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fivemeister Posted September 22, 2008 Report Share Posted September 22, 2008 He agrees......... http://www.trials.com.au/techtips/chain2.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoggle Posted September 22, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 22, 2008 Thanks for that Fivemeister, though what can i do to clean the chain before i apply the Wd/3 in one..etc ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gazzaecowarrior Posted September 22, 2008 Report Share Posted September 22, 2008 I can't speak for everyone but this is what I do. Once I've jetwashed the bike and got all the mud off it I then jetwash the chain by just spinning the rear wheel so the chain is moving and blast the chain whilst it is rotating until all the links are clean. The bike is on a paddock stand to do this. Once washed I spin the rear wheel to get the chain spinning and this gets all the water out of it. I wait for it to dry and then coat the chain in Putoline DX11 which comes in a spray can. DX11 is good as it is pretty sticky and doesnt leave a bad residue. This seems to work for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fivemeister Posted September 22, 2008 Report Share Posted September 22, 2008 Thanks for that Fivemeister, though what can i do to clean the chain before i apply the Wd/3 in one..etc ? Id take it off and give it a real good clean and de grease - I use some stuff called Marine clean which is diluted with hot water - brilliant stuff from Frost automotive. Once you have properly cleaned and dried it, don't be long before applying oil as untreated chains go rusty VERY quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul w Posted September 22, 2008 Report Share Posted September 22, 2008 when i clean the bike, i give the chain a pressure wash using traffic film remover. i let the bike "drip dry" for a couple of hours then blast the chain with a cheap wd40 substitue. this forces out the moisture and leaves a film on the chain to prevent it going rusty. aerosol white grease is applied the day before an event. paul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jse Posted September 22, 2008 Report Share Posted September 22, 2008 He agrees.........http://www.trials.com.au/techtips/chain2.html Chris and I have talked about this to some extent and I also kinda agree with him, but also be aware that his philosophy is to buy cheap chains and toss them when they show any wear. I agree with Chris that a moisture dispersant is a good idea after bike washing. I got a can of a chain lube I had not heard of to try from a friend that works in an industrial supply house and he wanted me to test it for him. This stuff is called "SLIP Plate" dry-film graphite chain and cable lubricant. It's a little messy at first application but dries quickly and I put a whole day's use on it yesterday setting up a Trial and the chain today still has good lubrication in the links and there was not one spot of it on the swingarm and sprocket or drooling down the back of the tensioner like with regular chain lube. I imagine that there are similar products available so you might want to check them out. So far, I'm quite impressed with this stuff's performance. Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dabomb Posted September 22, 2008 Report Share Posted September 22, 2008 when i clean the bike, i give the chain a pressure wash using traffic film remover. i let the bike "drip dry" for a couple of hours then blast the chain with a cheap wd40 substitue. this forces out the moisture and leaves a film on the chain to prevent it going rusty. aerosol white grease is applied the day before an event. paul WD 40 for sure.It lubricates,keeps chain from rusting,and your chain doesnt pick up all the crud which it would with certain chain lubricants Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outlaw dave Posted September 22, 2008 Report Share Posted September 22, 2008 (edited) In Canada or the USA - Check out a Product called OPTI PRO - this is available at most Lawn & garden Dealers in the USA - It dispels water and leaves a film of oil on the chain. - MUCH better than WD 40. Keeps chains and spoke nipples rust free. Edited September 22, 2008 by Outlaw Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slapshot 3 Posted September 22, 2008 Report Share Posted September 22, 2008 (edited) Hoggle, your post was moved in to the Mechanical talk Forum, I've merged the two and put it back into Mechanical Talk. There are other thread of that nature there if you want to run back through the threads. Edited September 22, 2008 by Slapshot 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
copemech Posted September 23, 2008 Report Share Posted September 23, 2008 If a chain is really grungy, I soak it in mineral spirits to soften the goo and loosten the crud, wire brush it by hand with a small stainless brush, link by link. All clean, the mineral spirits will blow dry, then treat with a similar product to what Dave describes called corrosion-X . Once clean and treated, powerwash and WD-40 will sustain it for a great while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rustandoil Posted September 23, 2008 Report Share Posted September 23, 2008 Interesting stuff! I am a little surprised that most of you are using WD40 as a chain lubricant, I didn't think that it would be robust enough to provide any lubrication, I rather prefer the 3in1 oil idea, a light oil that wont attract too much muck, makes a lot of sense........ I am currently using some Silcoline spray chain lube, messy stuff indeed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulthistle Posted September 25, 2008 Report Share Posted September 25, 2008 (edited) At the shop most of the chains we clean are oring chains. So jet wash is only from a little distance. This is what we do: 1. Soak the chain with a penetrating oil (Zep45, it penetrates better than wd and has a ptfe lube in it, Another commercial name is Tri-Flo) while washing the rest of the bike. 2. Using a plastic brush scrub if really caked, rarely needed though. 3. Soak with S100 soap, and allow to soak. 4. Spray off grunge while spinning wheel. 5. Use compressed air to help dry more quickly. 6. Soak rollers and both sides of chain, trying to concentrate spray on all joints. 7. later before use a chain lube can be applied if conditions indicate, although the ZEP45 is an excellent lubricant. Cope I bet I can switch you off of WD! Edited September 25, 2008 by paul_thistle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.