uncle uncle

I'm exasperated with wearing my finger tips down to nubs trying to clean out rusty rust gunk from the hex holes of bolts and inner threads on nuts that hold chainrings on... it seems a forever C&V issue, and I haven't come up with any really nifty tricks to make things go smoother. My go-2 method is soaking in rust remover (namely white vinegar), but there always seems to be ample crud stuck in there, even if the rust remover has done it's job. And, the go-2 scrubber is a cotton swab (cheapy q-tip knockoffs), backed up with the occasional tooth pick for the corners. The cotton swabs seem slightly undersize for the job, whereas two of them are slightly oversized for the job. Please share your superior knowledge with this tired, numb-fingered, novice....

smd4

Aluminum chainring bolts?

tkamd73 

For me, soak in WD40 first, then clean or soak with simple green, if rust after, then soak in Krudcutter, but only for an hour or 2, if left overnight in Krudcutter, it will start removing the chrome.
Tim

uncle uncle

No... usually, they are chromed steel ones. Mostly Sugino brand, but, almost all of them seem lighter chromed in the hex holes, leaving Mr. Rust an open invitation to set up shop.

RustyJames 

Similar here except I use Evaporust instead of Krudcutter.

If i’m out of WD40 and not in a hurry, I throw the hardware in a jelly jar with Dawn and hot water and swirl around for a few minutes and re-swirl whenever I pass by over the next day or 2. (Small jar in kitchen works for me.) Evaporust if needed.

smd4

My suggestion was to swap out the steel bolts for aluminum (or titanium). Will save you a lot of elbow grease, they’re not that expensive and you could save a few grams. They’re such inauspicious parts you’ll never notice the different material used.

SalsaShark

Soak in Evaporust

conspiratemus1

No bike of mine has ever had a toothpick taken to it for any form of maintenance. If it won't come off with a damp rag, it stays where it is.
I take it you are talking about gunk accumulating only in the hex holes of the bolts as a cosmetic issue, not on the threads which I prevent by always greasing before assembly.
I've never had bolts rust out, even on my winter commuter bikes from when I was working. Chains, yes.
Are chainring bolts not stainless steel? I assumed they were from the zero amount of trouble I've had with them.

SurferRosa

5-10 min in naval jelly.

I use two small containers of it. Makes it easier to conserve as much as possible. I like to reuse it and avoid pouring it down the drain.

C9H13N 

My favorite thing for cleaning inside tiny hollow spaces is a .177 caliber nylon bore brush.

rccardr 

Small diameter brass brush on a Dremel tool. Insert completely into bolt hole and run at a couple thou RPM.
Cleans AND polishes, does not remove enough material to be an issue.

uncle uncle

I think I have an old gun cleaning kit around here somewhere, with tiny (like .177 caliber or maybe .22).... now where did that end up? Thanks everyone for the ideas.

uncle uncle

Yeah, the accumulation is a combination of general crud, with a fair percentage of rust. Most of the bolts & nuts I've come into have been mostly just plain ol' steel, most of them chromed.

noobinsf 

I usually start with a light oil, like 3-in-1 brand, with brass wool -- you can squish that into some tiny shapes whenever you need. The oil does a good job of softening up accumulated gunk, Then, a soak in Evaporust, rinse, and a drip of the light oil again, or a light coating of grease.

smd4

Top end ones are alloy. If you prefer stainless steel, they are available from eBay for between $5 - $10 per set of five bolts. This is the easiest/cheapest fix for the rust problem.

Mad Honk 

I use a cheap stainless steel straw cleaning brush from Bed Bath and Beyond that costs about $6. I cut the cleaning brush down and put it in a drill, and then use Quick Glo to clean the insides of the chainring bolts. The Quick Glo has a rust inhibitor built in so the rust is knocked down, use a cheap spray lacquer clear to recoat the steel to prevent further rust. HTH Smiles, MH

jrg1244

Here’s my winter invention to clean some Campy bolts…. It’s my fish tank aerator, a yogurt jar and PB Blaster. Left overnight, it worked miracles…. The empty iPad box was just to quiet things down.