Originally Posted by
dddd
Come to think of it, I have a few good-sized boxes of various old, dirty cassettes and chains, which would have value if it was all clean.
Does anyone here know of an economical (mostly time-wise) way of bulk-cleaning these parts?
I've tried soaking in various solvents but I find that the deposits vary quite a bit in their chemistry such that some of this stuff does not respond to various solvents.
I've even considered using a hot-tank setup followed by a fixture that would let me use my pressure washer on them.
I get very good results from soaking parts in diesel fuel. I usually just soak one set of bike parts at a time. Place parts in a sealed rubbermade primary container with about 1-1/2 liters diesel. Then, place sealed container inside a larger plastic secondary container (plastic kitty litter tray) . Wear eye protection & use elbow length nitrile gloves & toothbrush to scrub parts. Does an absolutely amazing job removing corrosion. However, it's a little tricky with anodized parts. I usually just give anodized parts a quick rinse. If you let anodized parts soak for a few days it doesn't harm the finish but, it can actually change the color of the finish.