Looking for an inexpensive but effective chain degreaser... something that won't hurt the paint on my bike when I make a mess and it drips all over my frame. 
Any suggestions?
Thanks.
Any suggestions?
Thanks.
Inexpensive chain cleaning solvent/degreaser???
Taz8
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Simple Green
Get it a t Home depot or Wallymart. It comes concentrated. Just picked up a 40ish ounce concentrated spray bottle from wall mart that makes 10 gallons for about $4. It will probably make less for me since I use a bit stonger concentrate when cleaning chains and cogs when off the bike. Good for lots of things around the house as well.
Get it a t Home depot or Wallymart. It comes concentrated. Just picked up a 40ish ounce concentrated spray bottle from wall mart that makes 10 gallons for about $4. It will probably make less for me since I use a bit stonger concentrate when cleaning chains and cogs when off the bike. Good for lots of things around the house as well.
What Steve said! Such simple, good advice that it deserves a ringing second endorsement...
Get a SRAM PowerLink (or something similar) for your chain (it may well already have one) and use it to remove the chain when you clean it. I don't understand why many people are so averse to removing their chain - it's no big deal whatsoever.
And the benefits of a.) getting a much better/thorough chain cleaning and b.) not getting degreaser/solvent on other parts of your bike (frame, disc rotors, derailleurs, etc) are all muy bueno.
Cheers, Chris
Get a SRAM PowerLink (or something similar) for your chain (it may well already have one) and use it to remove the chain when you clean it. I don't understand why many people are so averse to removing their chain - it's no big deal whatsoever.
And the benefits of a.) getting a much better/thorough chain cleaning and b.) not getting degreaser/solvent on other parts of your bike (frame, disc rotors, derailleurs, etc) are all muy bueno.
Cheers, Chris
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Couple more suggestions...
I'm new to the forum but have a couple of suggestions from my experiences
i) ditto on Simple Green and SRAM Powerlinks; ii) I use 2-3 SRAM chains and rotate thru based on crud and/or miles - so nice to pop off a grimy chain, quick brush on the other components (easier with the chain off for dérailleurs, cogs, jockey wheels) and install a nice clean chain; iii) some advocate using a peanut butter jar or such to agitate the chain, I find it just makes a jar full of frothy gunk and wastes solution - I use an aluminum pieplate and an old toothbrush.
I clean a chain and then put into another pieplate with oil and paint thinner (mineral spirits) to sit until I take it out and hang it to dry.
I also believe that rotating the chains may lengthen drive components life, but thats just a hunch. If I was really organized I would figure out how to swap chains end-for-end and run different direction each change, but I'm not that retentive.....erh....organized
Cheers
dmc...
I'm new to the forum but have a couple of suggestions from my experiences
i) ditto on Simple Green and SRAM Powerlinks; ii) I use 2-3 SRAM chains and rotate thru based on crud and/or miles - so nice to pop off a grimy chain, quick brush on the other components (easier with the chain off for dérailleurs, cogs, jockey wheels) and install a nice clean chain; iii) some advocate using a peanut butter jar or such to agitate the chain, I find it just makes a jar full of frothy gunk and wastes solution - I use an aluminum pieplate and an old toothbrush.
I clean a chain and then put into another pieplate with oil and paint thinner (mineral spirits) to sit until I take it out and hang it to dry.
I also believe that rotating the chains may lengthen drive components life, but thats just a hunch. If I was really organized I would figure out how to swap chains end-for-end and run different direction each change, but I'm not that retentive.....erh....organized
Cheers
dmc...
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156 Posts
Another vote for simple green. That stuff is awesome. You can use it straight to clean your chain and as a degreaser ( I put it in an old spray bottle and spray right on the chain. Then mix it with water to wash your bike, car, house and just about anything else. Plus it's not bad for the environment.
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I'm sure if you cleaned your entire bike with straight SG you might be in trouble if you didn't wash it off right away, but a little overspray never hurt my paint. As soon as you hit SG with some water the SG gets weaker and weaker. There are directions on the back of the bottle giving the mixing ratios from degreaser to light duty cleaning.
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Mineral spirits to de-grease, and 99% isopropyl alcohol to rinse.
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94 Posts
You might want to reconsider the whole degreasing of the chain thing. The problem is that if you soak the chain it gets all of the lube out of the pins and links, not good. You would be much better off cleaning the chain, using a good lube. The carrier fluid in the lube will pick up grime and then deposit a new layer of lube on the chain. If you chase all of the lube out of your chain with a degreaser soak, you will have a much shortened chain life.
As for the cassette, I would strongly recommend removal of the cassette if you are going to use degreaser. You get that stuff into your cassette body and it bye-bye for the body. Not a cheap fix, particularly if you have high end components.
As for the cassette, I would strongly recommend removal of the cassette if you are going to use degreaser. You get that stuff into your cassette body and it bye-bye for the body. Not a cheap fix, particularly if you have high end components.
I have 2 Sram chains, one on the bike and one to clean.
I use the Sram powerlinks.
I clean the chains in an utrasonic cleaner with a degreaser.
After 10 minutes the chain is brand new
Dry it with a towel or compressed air and lube it with white chain grease carefully just on the bushings, let it dry, and than put it back on the bike.
JE
I use the Sram powerlinks.
I clean the chains in an utrasonic cleaner with a degreaser.
After 10 minutes the chain is brand new
Dry it with a towel or compressed air and lube it with white chain grease carefully just on the bushings, let it dry, and than put it back on the bike.
JE
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852 Posts
SRAM or other chain question. When they say a chain has 114 links, do they mean 114 pins? I only counted about half the number of eye to eye links on a new chain but the box say 114 links. Just trying to get that straight.
I'm with Mile High Barney on the degreaser, mineral followed by IPA. I prefer n-propyl bromide as it works like a champ but harder to get tham mineral spirits.
I'm with Mile High Barney on the degreaser, mineral followed by IPA. I prefer n-propyl bromide as it works like a champ but harder to get tham mineral spirits.
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Simple Green
I don't mean to start a war here, but I remember getting beat over the head for using Simple Green once when I was a budding aircraft mechanic. I guess there is some debate as to the relationship Simple Green has to aluminum.
I know we are talking about cleaning chains here. I'm sure as long as you don't dunk the bike in it, and as long as you rinse well you're probably OK. But I wouldn't let it touch unpainted Aluminum surfaces.
Here is an article I found, it's kinda old but...
http://www.bikeforums.net/archive/index.php/t-4117.html
LOC
I don't mean to start a war here, but I remember getting beat over the head for using Simple Green once when I was a budding aircraft mechanic. I guess there is some debate as to the relationship Simple Green has to aluminum.
I know we are talking about cleaning chains here. I'm sure as long as you don't dunk the bike in it, and as long as you rinse well you're probably OK. But I wouldn't let it touch unpainted Aluminum surfaces.
Here is an article I found, it's kinda old but...
http://www.bikeforums.net/archive/index.php/t-4117.html
LOC
I use Simple Green too
I use simple green in a plastic container with a lid, I have another plastic container that fits inside the first one to which I have drilled several drainage holes in the bottom. SRAM chain goes in the inner container, then this goes into the larger one. Fill with simple green enough to cover the chain. Put on the lid and shake. Pull out the inner container with the chain and all the gunk falls through the drainage holes. You can reuse the solution next cleaning. Solution changes vary depending on how dirty your chains are. Rinse, dry, lube, ride.
I use simple green in a plastic container with a lid, I have another plastic container that fits inside the first one to which I have drilled several drainage holes in the bottom. SRAM chain goes in the inner container, then this goes into the larger one. Fill with simple green enough to cover the chain. Put on the lid and shake. Pull out the inner container with the chain and all the gunk falls through the drainage holes. You can reuse the solution next cleaning. Solution changes vary depending on how dirty your chains are. Rinse, dry, lube, ride.
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812 Posts
I think thats actually more of a concern with steel as it can cause hydrogen embrittlement. Something that is in service as (relatively) short as a chain will not suffer from it as long as it's immediatley re-lubed after cleaning. I also prefer to remove the chain from the bike and put it in an old water bottle filled half full with solvent and shake it up to clean it.LeftOfCenter said:
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Get a gallon of diesel fuel and a plastic oil pan from Wal-Mart. You can use the same gallon all season long if you just pour the diesel fuel into a plastic jug (like an old Cranberry Juice jug) after cleaning your chain in the oil pan. I get through an entire season with one gallon of diesel fuel and I maintain a garage full of bikes with plenty of chains to clean.Taz8 said:Looking for an inexpensive but effective chain degreaser... something that won't hurt the paint on my bike when I make a mess and it drips all over my frame.
Any suggestions?
Thanks.
BB
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1,869 Posts
I use an old water bottle bike , a one with a big opening on top , filled with paint thinner.
I put the chain in that , shake it 2 minutes , take it off ( with a spoke ).
I've been using the product for one year now ,after a couple of washing , you just put all the stuff in an aluminium plate, let the dirt deposit and put back the thinner in the bottle.
I put the chain in that , shake it 2 minutes , take it off ( with a spoke ).
I've been using the product for one year now ,after a couple of washing , you just put all the stuff in an aluminium plate, let the dirt deposit and put back the thinner in the bottle.
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