What's the verdict on engine degreaser on chains? I've used it a couple of times and it did the trick, but I confess that I'm not real comfortable with the degreaser in proximity with other parts like hubs, painted frames etc. What do you say?

.. take the Chain Off and put it in the stuff, a wire basket dip perhaps?, then re install it ..

How about spray and wipe? If like me your chain never comes off, would you avoid it?

When I "strip" the chain I take it off the bike and soak/agitate it in a coffee can of (odorless) mineral spirits. Sometimes more than once depending how dirty it is.

on the bike, I'd use one of the plastic chain bath things , but the engine degreaser would potentialy eat up the plastic ..

How about a Park chain cleaner and a Liter of their cleaning fluid , instead?


Chain Quick links and the pliers Park makes to open them, would make the removal and reinstallation relatively simple..

Older versions of Engine Degreaser were based on caustic soda which was OK for iron blocks and heads but death on newer Aluminum engines. If you use it be sure it's marked "aluminum safe". It might still be too harsh on paint and plastic but at least it wont eat your rims and components.

I have a simple fix when I have to do "dirty" work on installed chains. I take a sheet of cardboard, fold it, and slide it up between the chain and bike, letting it extend out onto the floor. The "drop cloth" keeps spatter and over spray from the bike and wheel. Of course you still have to wipe off the chainrings, cassette (unless you use a chain keeper instead of the wheel) and derailleur. But the dropcloth protects the tire and rim very effectively, and greatly reduces cleanup.

I used a *** scrubber spray last time and it worked good except for the black stuff running all over my frame.

The only proper way to clean the chain is to take it off the bike. Chain care, wear and skipping by Jobst Brandt

and to be sure.

I've been using DuPont Teflon Chain Saver for quite some time, and along with my first purchase I also got a can of DuPont Motorcycle Degreaser that was right next to it on the shelf at Walmart.

I've only used the degreaser a couple times and it seemed to work well, but I'm not a fan of dealing with overspray for both cleaning and lube so I still drop the chain in mineral spirits for a thorough cleaning.

No way I'd use engine cleaner on anything I wanted to look good. It's made to eat through years worth of baked on (from engine heat) dirt, grease, oil and antifreeze. I wouldn't even spray that stuff on YOUR bike, much less my own!

I'm not sure I understand the point of degreasing a chain on the bike. It seems like you can easily just add new chain lube, after you've wiped the chain to remove surface grime. You could use a light oil as a rinse, but using a de-greaser seems like it would do more harm than good, by removing much of the lubricant already on the chain. If your goal is to completely clean the chain of all lubricant, then remove and soak (ideally ultrasonic bath).

Get the stuff out from the inside. I did it when I wanted to switch from a wax-based lube, but not without some trepidation.

The part of chain cleaning that will benefit you in extended life and smoother running is the chain's insides, NOT the outside. Using a cloth to wipe off a chain will only clean the outside and at the expense of driving some of the outside grime inside. Using a spray on engine cleaner won't do much for the insides. These cleaners aren't made to penetrate inside and flow/flush out grime. Andy.

"These cleaners aren't made to penetrate inside and flow/flush out grime. Andy." You sure? It seems like it did, no gritty feel etc.