Bicycle Mechanics - Quick chain question!

I'm here at my office. I noticed my chain skipping this morning, and at lunch I checked it out. Broken link. Half of it was hanging off and was very bent. I bought a chain tool (had my wife run to the LBS and get one and bring it) and I had my wife bring my spare chain too, and I robbed a link off of that. Now I have the parts to fix it. Cool.

Problem: Its dirty as hell and I'd like to clean it up before I put it back together. Not a thorough cleaning, but at least a cleaning that would get most of the garbage off of it. We have basic cleaning materials here, handsoap, mechanics soap (gritty orange stuff) and a few other cleaning products. We also have chain lube LOL. So, is there a way I could soak it in one of these things before I put it back on?

Thanks for the help!

use hot water (try from the coffee machine :) ) and some soap, like dish washing liquid. let it sit in the hot water and soap, for a few minutes and then wipe it with a towel or some kind of rag.. then rinse it in very hot water, and try it out quick.. because the chain is hot, it will dry out better..:) lube it, and you are good to go. :)
I hope you have those long pins to put the chain back together..

Hmm OK sounds like a plan. What do you mean by "those long pins"? I've never done this before....

If it is a Shimano chain you use a double length pin. The first part of the pin is a guide and you snap it off after fully inserting it. Next time you are in a bike shop pick up a "quick link" and throw it in your gear. Then when you break a link, you can just pop off the broken bit and reconnect the chain with this. Quick and easy, no stiff links.

So, is there a way I could soak it in one of these things before I put it back on?

Thanks for the help!

This is probably a bit late, but Simple Green works great!. If you have an empty plastic soda bottle (1 or 2 liter), you can drop the chain into the bottle, and pour in some Simple Green. Swish it around. The violent actions will remove grime and oil. Rinse a few times. As a final rinse, soak it in hot water for 10 minutes and remove the chain. The heated chain will dry quicker. I usually just lay it out on newspaper.

Also, for a thorough lubing, I place the chain in a sandwich bag and squirt the lube onto the chain. Work the chain around inside the bag to make sure all is coated and the links are operated. Your hands will stay clean.

Finally, for what it's worth, I use ProLink with outstanding results. But like most, everyone has their favorite lube.

Thanks for all the great tips everyone. Well I had somewhere to be so I didn't have the time to clean/lube it but I did fix it. But I used a link piece from the parts bike chain and that did the trick.

Hmm OK sounds like a plan. What do you mean by "those long pins"? I've never done this before....


When you buy a new Shimano chain it come with a couple of those. the long part is used as a guide and when you use the tool to push the pin all the way to its place, the first part gets snapped that sticks out get broken off..


http://www.nashbar.com/nashbar_photos/medium/SH-CN9P.gif

AAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaah, I see. I haven't bought a new chain but when I do I'll make sure I keep those! Sure would've come in handy yesterday, what a pain getting those pins lined up perfectly, with the chain on the bike etc. Could've used 3 hands that's for sure!

Get a SRAM power link. It costs a couple of bucks, but takes up little space in your tool bag. You can put it in without tools.

I disagree with any water-based cleaning option. You'll end up with water trapped in the rollers which will mix with any lubricant you put on necessitating a second application.

I've rarely needed to do anything more than a dry cloth to remove the worst of the gunk then a wiping with a rag soaked in WD-40 then re-lubrication. If you must remove and soak an especially dirty chain then use a solvent that has no water in it like turpentine, paint thinner or gas.