feethanddooth

is it ok to take the chain off and place it in a tub of degreaser? if so, how long should you let the chain stay for? and what should you do next??

new to this so any advice is appreciated.

minorfleshwound

i read an article in a magazine that suggests using disc break rotor cleaner from any auto store to do this. i tried it myself and it worked well. no hassle to take off the chain and you can just spin the crank and spray as needed. i don't know if my chain will suffer any from the chemicals, i guess i'll find out though =p

Retro Grouch 

It really depends on the chain.

If you have a relatively new Shimano chain they recommend pushing a pin completely out to break it and using a new, replacement pin when you rejoin it on the bike. That means that you have to buy the right size replacement pin so breaking the chain is pretty much a PITA.

If you have a Sram or some-such chain that uses a master link taking the chain apart is easier - at least the second time that you do it.

Unless the chain is really, really yucky I just clean it on the bike. Spray a little solvent on a rag and crank the chain through the rag until you get it cleaned to your satisfaction. You'll have to keep moving the chain to a new, clean spot on the rag. Give the solvent some time to flash off, give the chain a LIGHT relube and you're good-to-go.

gosmsgo

Many people recomend never degreasing the chain.

They say that you will never be able to replace the grease, oil that was packed into the chain to begin with.

I sort of agree. I think that LBS push this non essential idea right alongside with their $10.00 15 ounce bottle of degreaser.

Also, when you use your bike in place of a car like I do you dont really want to do this every 100 or 1000 miles because that is such a pain in the butt you might as well just drive a car.

Something to think about.

freako

All the above suggestions work as well as yours. If the chain is not real yuked up you can even buy a chain cleaning machine like the FinishLine (I had others but they broke, this one hasn't yet and cleans better) unit that cleans the chain while on the bike better then I found that a rag will do. But if you clean the chain on the bike make sure you spin the chain slowly through the rag or the machine otherwise you will get dirty solvent spray all over the floor, walls, on the bike; a cleaning machine is not as messy as the rag and your hands don't come in contact with the solvent.

As far as never degreasing that's bunk, the biking world has been degreasing chains since bikes were invented. The chain manufactures are pushing this idea so you'll replace a chain every 3,000 miles or when you replace tires you replace your chain thus you pay $30 or so for a new chain instead of $10 for a bottle of degreaser. Don't forget you can get a lot of degreaser for $10 at an auto parts store, that $10 stuff at the LBS is green degreaser supposely.

And cleaning a chain every 100 miles or so is NOT a pain in the butt. With a cleaning machine or a rag and leaving the chain on the bike it takes a whopping 10 minutes at the most! You'll spend a lot more time pumping gas and finding a parking spot, dealing with traffic, lets not forget you have to change it's oil too, etc using a car. Some people will find lame excuses for not doing mainteance.

MudPie

Yes, it is fairly common to remove the chain and degrease it in your favorite solvent. Some use a petroleum degreaser (like auto brake cleaner as mentioned earlier) or a water based solvent (like Simple Green). It is probably best to use a brush to scrub the chain or swish it around while it's soaking. Often, mechanical action is needed to move the crud off the chain so the solvent can attack the oils. If I use a brush and Simple Green, the chain is probably in the solution for 15 minutes. Afterwards, I rinse it with hot tap water, let it dry, reinstall it on the bike then lube it with my favorite lube.

Some place the chain into a 2 liter soday bottle with degreaser and swish the chain / solvent in the bottle. This is a neat, self contained way to clean it, and the capped bottle can also store the solvent for use next time. I assume you can fish the chain out of the bottle with a wire. I've never used this method.

As mentioned previously, if you have a chain with removeable masterlink, you don't need tools to assemble/disassemble the chain. Thus chain maintenance is easier. SRAM is probably the most popular chain with a masterlink (called the "Powerlink").

operator

You don't need to let the degreaser sit at all. Put it degreaser + chain in jar. Shake for a bit and rinse. Leaving chains in solvent/degreaser for day+ is actually harmful to some (chain failure).

DMF 

YANPWDRTRMS!

Yet Another New Poster Who Didn't Read The READ ME Sticky!

stokessd

If you use the bottle approach, a spare spoke makes a dandy hook to retrieve the chain.

Sheldon

Nessism

This has the be the most commonly rehashed topic in the history of Bike Forums.

Short answer:
- get a chain breaker (like the commonly available Park tool https://www.performancebike.com/shop/...tegory_ID=4204),
- push out a pin,
- remove chain and drop in a jar with mineral spirits (paint thinner) or Simple Green if you are funny about environmental impact,
- shake up until chain looks clean (two douses may be necessary),
- dump used solvent (if using mineral spirits) in an old two liter plastic soda bottle for reuse until later (sediment will settle to bottom - pour off clean stuff on top next time you need to clean chain), let chain dry,
- reinstall chain using SRAM/Wipperman master-link https://www.performancebike.com/shop/...tegory_ID=5134
- lube chain using your favorite brand.
- Done.

Make this a sticky and save us from having to read this same question 20 times per week.

bkaapcke

When a chain is new, I clean it in a parts degreaser before it goes on. After that I clean it with Brake Klean. Spray a 3" spot on a towel and run the chain through it several times. A few more times with dry towel. Clean between the rollers with a pipe cleaner folded in half. It's quick, and easy. If done regularly, your chain will always be clean. Mud running excepted.
The stuff that comes on there is for preserving it from rust. Run your fingers back and forth along the length of chain. Feel the rollers turn easily? NO? Get that crap off the chain. bk

Yield

I'll find any excuse I can do DO maintenance . I love taking things apart and getting dirty and greasy.

gosmsgo

ok, ok

If you guys REALLY want to degrease your chain then hear this.

Simple Green works better than any commercial bike chain degreaser and you can buy a full bottle for about $3.00

Mix it about 1/3 simple green/water and it works GREAT.

Dirt cheap.

Its also supposed to be non-toxic so drink up if you like.

I replace my chain ($10.00 cheapy) every 2500 miles anyways.

jcm

...what Nessism said. Clean your bike while the chain is in the jug. Presto-Mundo! Clean as you will ever need it to be. No tedious scrubbing required. I use an empty gallon detergent jug with the pour spout pried out. Easy to hook the chain and pull it out.

CsHoSi

Yep, pop the chain and put it in a tub of solvent and agitate. Empty, repeat a second time to rinse it and you're done.

I use kerosene from the station because I have it for my moto o-ring chain and it's safe for use with the rubber.

You can reuse it too. Just pour the dirty solvent in a jug or something, I use a gatorade bottle. The silt will sink to the bottom.

feethanddooth

TFPWDTBAA

The First Poster Who Decided To Be An Ass

bravozulu

Between serious cleanings, I use spray carb cleaner (big can for a buck) with rags, paper towels and a paint brush while on the bike.

Boeshield is "teh shizznitz" for lube -- way better than anything else that I have tried:

https://www.boeshield.com/

freako

Simple Green has been shown to pit steel and promotes rust (actually the two are related), and premature chain failure. This article is related to cycling so some yak won't say my example is not related to cycling! https://www.velonews.com/tech/report/...es/9216.0.html

It's also been shown in government studies to corrode aluminum which is why the US military no longer uses the product.

I wouldn't be drinking ANY "green" solvent. https://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cg...NG0QR5P191.DTL

https://consumer.simplegreen.com/cons_faqs.php

If you insist on using Simple Green then get Extreme Simple Green, this is reformulated to prevent (supposely, though longterm tests are not completed) the problems the original forumla has. This Extreme product the last I knew had not yet been approved by the military.

Coyote2

"Remember, if it's not a scientific law then it's a theory, and if it's a theory then all theory is taken on faith, just as God is."

I don't care whether you degrease your chain, but I must comment: the above was clearly written by someone with absolutely no understanding of the scientific method.

MudPie

I've read the article and I am both a Simple Green & SRAM user, a poor combination according to the article. One piece of information not included is the amount of soak time for the crack mechanism (hydrogen embrittlement, rust from water...) to occur. The article mentions soaking for "long periods" and "extended periods". I am not sure if this implies minutes, hours, days or months. The article implies soaking of one chain while the second chain is being used - I can only assume this means a duration of a few weeks. I wish that article would give more specifics. It's a bit like saying: "if a man is held under water for 10 minutes, he dies; therefore water is bad for man".

DMF 

This from someone who can't even spell "tooth"?

Or read?

feethanddooth

anyway. i used pedros oranj peelz de greaser and then re lubed with pedros ice wax. the chain came out great from de greasing. soaked it for about ten minutes then washed it off with water.

lubed it up noticed a difference. after an hour and a half though i was met by the same squeek squeek. think im going to change lubes.

lots of helpfull advice here.

oh and DMF, thanks for helping meet the BF requirement of 1 moron per thread. feeth and dooth are my older brothers imaginary friends when they were growing up. cheers!

DMF 

That pretty much says it all, I guess...