Chain Cleaning & Lubrication

Park makes a chain cleaning tool, works well. I've used it w/ Pedro's degreaser. Give it a good rinse & dry, then lube it up w/ Boeshield T9.
 
If your chain is really gunked up, you could take it off and let it soak in degreaser overnight or diluted Simple Green (although I have heard reports of doing this with Simple Green breaking chains - I don't really believe it though). Or you can go the masochistic way:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/chainclean.html
 
From BikeForums:

If you do use Simple Green, rinse it off thoroughly afterwards. The stuff is acidic and it will corrode your chain (and other bike parts). The US military has banned Simple Green from aircraft maintenance because of this problem (official reports are easy to find on the Internet). Simple Green reportedly came out with a metal-safe version of their product, but my local stores don't carry it.

Yes, I read an article on it, I think in Velonews, complete with detailed pics and a response by the manufacturer of simple green. If you leave it sit for several days it will corrode the chain to nothing. They have come out with an alternative product, I think its Simple Green marine formula or something like that.

If it doesn't dwell, and the chemical is thoroughly rinsed off, you should be OK, but that was enough warning for me to not want to risk degrading my drive chain, when there are other products out there that do a good job of degreasing.

(edit: not having read the entire thread, khuon covered it very well with his own pic and the link to the Leonard Zinn article in Velonews. Also, it was not for the marine industry but aviation, I stand corrected.
http://industrial.simplegreen.com/ind_prod_ext_mor.php )
 
I've avoided soaking chains as it cleans out lube from spaces that you can't really get it back into easily. I've been of the keep it working good instead of the try and fix a ton of damage school of thought but it might be too late for that and YMMV
 
Brakekleen or electronic parts cleaner. It will get you down to a raw chain in a few minutes, and completely evaporates.

I was a longtime Triflow user, but lately I've been using Finishline wax lube (Krytox). I really like it. The Krytox builds over time, so you get increased lube protection. Slightly more driveline noise than a wet lube, but since it's non-wet it doesn't attract dirt.

Tom P.
 
There are many ways, this is my method.

Get some citrus based degreaser and an old water bottle.
Remove chain and put in old bottle (get a quick link if you dont have one already).
Add an oz. or two of degreaser, cap and shake. Let sit for a while (couple minutes)... Dump out nasty black colored degreaser. fill bottle 1/2 way with hot water, shake like mad, dump the water that now looks like nestle quick, or nesquick for you young whippersnappers..
Back to 1 oz. degreaser, shake....
Repeat until degreaser and water run clear.
Chain is now crazy clean. Dry completely and lube.
Ride bike.

I have found no other way that compares with the result you get from this method.
 
I spray brake cleaner on it and wipe it with a rag until I can wipe it on the rag without leaving grease. Then I drench the chain with white lightning clean ride lube. Prolly not the best thing to do but it works:popcorn:
 
walter said:
Pretty much the same design as the Park and Finish Line cleaners. I had the FL for a while, it worked pretty well. You put the degreaser into the body of the cleaner, wrap it around the rear derailler and chain then back pedal for a bit. Worked pretty good from what I remember.
Click to expand...
Cool, thanks for the quick reply. I'm putting in a large order with REI and came across it. Gonna get one.
 
I had one of those. I found it was way to much work to use. I dont even know where it is now. Use a quick link and drop the chain in a bottle with some degreaser.
 
ellbiddy said:
I've avoided soaking chains as it cleans out lube from spaces that you can't really get it back into easily. I've been of the keep it working good instead of the try and fix a ton of damage school of thought but it might be too late for that and YMMV
Click to expand...

Good response. In a lot of instances, especially in a shop, the chain has been oiled with 3 in 1 oil, chainsaw oil, motor oil, or whatever other household part and then promptly ridden down the boardwalk all day, so in those situations not much short of a parts washer is effective.

On my bike, I make sure to give the chain a quick wipe down after most rides and put a very light coat of squirt lube on the rollers. The more you clean the chain, the more you are rinsing out the grease from inside the rollers which will make the chain run like crap, no matter how much lube is globbed on the outside.
 
I remove chain, put in a wide mouth gatorade bottle with warm H2O and dish detergent and shake like crazy. After the third rinse, when it comes out clean, I place the chain on tin foil and put it in the toaster oven on 200 deg for 10 minutes or so. The directions on most lubes suggest applying the product 2 a dry chain. You will know when your chain is clean and dry because it will sound like a slinky when you jiggle it. I reinstall it and run it dry for a few cranks and listen to it. After applying some dumonde lube, it will begin to run very quietly.... success!
 
I use wax based lube, such as Pedros Chain Wax. When this stuff is spent, it collects in pasty clumps on the ouside of the chain. I then use a wire brush on all 4 sides of the chain while still on the bike, the clumps just fling off. Good chain life and easy maintenance.
 
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