How to clean a drivetrain?
 

Can someone post a link to a good how to?

I'm going to give my bike some TLC after way too long.

Thanks.

http://sheldonbrown.com/chainclean.html

:p

I use WD-40 a brush and then blow it off with a air hose.Wd-40 works great as a cleaner, because it is 40% alcohol. The small amount of residue that is left will not hurt any thing. I think this is better than using water an soap. Just remember that WD-40 is not a lubricant. When finished you need to apply some sort of lub. I also use WD-40 to clean my whole bike it will make her shine like a new one. Just spray it on a rag and wipe it down. If you get some on the brake area of your rims be sure to clean it of with something like brake cleaner or acetone. I have done this for years and it works great. Also you can use the acetone on the chain to remove the residue left by the WD-40.

I remove the master link and soak the chain in Kerosene. After the chain dries, I use Pro Gold chain lube.

remove the chain (get a connex link if you dont have one yet)
remove the cassette.
clean with paint thinner
dry/let evaporate
lube

drivetrain will look like new after this.

i just cleaned the chain off the bike for the first time and i'm not convinced it is a better way than doing it on the bike with a chain clean tool. it looked spotless but when the lube went on the oil drips were still black.

:eek:

wd40 = no no no.

Will the connex link work with a standard 10-speed ultegra chain? Is there a link that will allow you to easily remove this chain?

if it's really dirty, wd-40 will help blast away a lot of the dirt by breaking the sticky chain lube.
but you should make sure you let it evaporate before applying a thicker chain lube, since it'll get diluted.

I guess ill read up on "making cheep chain lube$" (with paint thinner)

P.s. I cant find that post, I have searched everything, all i came up with was this http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=279454 <--- btw, whats up with those hipsters, that poll makes NO sense.

About every other day, I put my bike on my stand, drip a good chain lubricant on the chain (on the bike), let it soak in for a few minutes, run it through every gear and wipe it off as completely as possible. If you do this regularly, you virtually never have to clean it with solvent. This process not only lubes the chain but it cleans it also. My chains look very clean.

Applying or soaking the chain in solvents just removes the lubricant from all the inner areas where it is needed. This does more harm than good and isn't necessary unless the chain has been neglected.

yep, i use a connex link on my 10 speed ultegra chain. it si very easy to use and you can break the chain apart in less then 2 seconds.

I have been using SuperLinks for a few years and they work great. They are available for Campy or Shimano. Here is the Campy version.

http://www.lickbike.com/productpage.aspx?PART_NUM_SUB='0337-59'

60% chainsaw bar oil / 40% mineral spirits. put in pump oil can. done.

I just use a Park chain cleaner on the bike, give everything a liberal spray with SRAM degreaser, let sit for 15 minutes, brush out heavy buildup, hose off with water, blow it dry with a compressor and use any decent wet or dry lube.

I do it every week though, so it isn't that big a deal. 30 minutes max.

+1

That goes for any spray solvent - in addition to leaving unwanted residues the vapors and any splashed solvent will break down the bearing lubricants in your BB, hubs, etc.

I try using the chain cleaner that I have, but it doesn't always take off all the gunk that's in between the links on the chain.

That is why you use the the acetone to clean th WD-40 off.

I forgot to mention that I take the chain and wheel off the bike.

Don't drive yourself crazy. No matter what how OCD you are about cleaning it, you aren't going to get more than a couple thousand miles out of a chain. Get a chain cleaner from Park, fill it with Simple Green, run the chain backwards through it till it's shiny. Floss the cassette and chainrings with a rag dampened with Simple Green. Let it dry overnight. Lube lightly (chain should run quietly) and ride.

Replace your chain when you see daylight between the chain and the bottom of your chainring. Or don't and then replace chain, cassette, and chainrings in a year or two when it starts skipping and missing shifts.

BL

I don't know what that sticky **** is they use on new chains but the chain on my three week old CAAD9 was a HORRIFIC mess after just 200 miles. After searching here I decided to make some of the mineral spirit/chain oil lube. I hang my bike from the garage ceiling nicely horizontal on a pulley system I built. I took a little bucket, mixed up about a quart of 40% oil, 60% mineral spirits. Took my photo tripod with a little "table" on it and parked it under the chain. I used a brush to saturate and clean a section of the chain with that solution for about 20 minutes, then rotated to the next section. Dried it off as best I could with lint free rags, then with air from the compressor. I then lubed it again with a 60% oil, 40% mineral spirits mixture. Let it sit on the chain for about 20 minutes and wiped as dry as I could.

I can't believe the difference. Danged thing is noticeably more quiet than before, shifting is a ton smoother, and after this evenings ride it looked exactly the same as when I left.

Amazing, cheap stuff that oil and mineral spirits. I'm sold. Now just need to get a powerlink or something similar.

I just use some degreaser and wipe it down then lube it after most every ride.

Every few hundred miles I clean the whole drive train (and bike) thoroughly, for that I take a short cut. I stop at the car wash, spray on some degreaser and power wash it, in 2 minutes its spotless.

+1

WD-40 yes yes yes.
It's an oil based product with a thinner that evaporates. That means it gets into the tighter areas, but leaves oil behind. I run it in a chain cleaner tool, then wipe the chain dry. You can then oil as much as you want after. For gears, dish soap and water and a good brush.

And, you can get a gallon of WD-40 for like $15.