Soaking your chain?

canada16

Hey

Just wondering I assume you saok your chain overnight, but what do you use, just got my chain tool and going to take my chain off for the first ever soaking, its bogging.

I got white spirits here.

Thanks

Banned!

white spirit, paraffin or petrol/diesel are all fine.

never leave it in muc off though.

Joe_Pineapples

40 minutes in the dishwasher and leave overnight in fresh diesel.

Just don't tell the girlfriend about the dishwasher!

Then coat liberally in Rock 'N' Roll Extreme lube and serve.

Joe.

canada16

I like the second answer but two problems.

I dont have a dishwasher, well I do but its called the missus...

And I dont have rock, n roll lube but have seen it and looks good.

Will leave in white spirits over night, hope it gets the rust off, as the chain is ok.

Thanks guys

Bobhellen

if there is rust on it get a new chain m8 will more that likely be worn to an unusabel state. there not that exspensiv. once on then look after it

Banned!

you cant get rust off a chain with WS. or anything else for that matter. time for a new chain. and cassette too probably.

blister pus

I saved a couple of thick glass jam jars with lids and a decent seal the other day and put the chain in one, topped it up with white spirit, played shaky, shaky maracas for 10 minutes, left it for an hour or two, good few more shakes and into the other jar with water and a tiny squirt of fairy in it - shaky, shaky maracas, drain, then a clean water rinse - out and towel dry. Put on radiator, clean as the proverbial, ready for lube.

Don't forget when you're sliding the pin out not to slide it all the way out. :shock: 8)

Joe_Pineapples

Go for it.
If it's buggered, it's buggered.
A soak and a clean and see how it is, if it's still shagged then get a new one.
I use SRAM ones, the powerlink is a great idea.

Joe.

Joe_Pineapples

I like the shaky shaky maracas idea, but I think I'd do it better if I was pissed.

Joe.

canada16

I was thinking time for a new chain but everything is still working.

Just got it wet one day with dry lube and forgot to dry and re-lube, so it got rusty.

I was going to get the kmc 9L chain but not sure about cassette, was told some sram ones are like butter, but I only read that somewere, so not sure if thats true or not.

God I dont even know how to take a chain off, will have to look at youtube or something, I thought the pin would come right out and you just take the chain off.

Or are you talking about stopping half way and using your hands for the rest to pull out.

Thanks again guys... Shaky Shaky

blister pus

http://www.nuttycyclist.co.uk/cycling/c ... _chain.htm

^ If you take the pin out completely on some chains it's a swine to get back in.

canada16

oh i see

thanks for that.

Why do people still buy shimano and stuff when you can get one that just pops out?

I might buy a new chain and never use dry lube in the UK again.

Will try clean this one first though and see how it goes.

Joe_Pineapples

My SRAM PC-991 chain has taken dogs abuse over the last 18 months and still shines up all sparkly and new.
If your chain doesn't have a special connector link, then you'll need a chain splitter tool to remove it.
The SRAM powerlink means that you don't need any tools to remove and refit your chain as often as you want and it's relatively simple to fit, if a bit fiddly.

http://www.sram.com/_media/techdocs/Cha ... _08_02.pdf

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... delID=9760

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... delID=9911

dave_hill

canada16 wrote:

Why do people still buy shimano and stuff when you can get one that just pops out?

Ssssshhhh - don't tell anybody - but you can use SRAM Powerlinks with Shimano chains...even though Shimano swear blind that you can't...been there done that worn the t-shirt...

Joe_Pineapples

That's it, you've blown your chances of joining the Magic Circle!

canada16

I was told it was not as simple as just connecting, it was more of a make shift thing.

But I am starting to wonder if that person was part of this Magic Circle.

I only have the bog standard chain that came with my bike so its probably bottom of the line shimano that cost 2.00

Been using it for a year and a half, 50+ miles a week

Not everyday, but near enough.

topsey_turvey

SRAM powerlinks are cheap as chips and can be used on SRAM, Shimano and KMC chains. I have two chains that I rotate. Take one off after every ride, and I have a clean one waiting go straight back on. Soak the used one overnight in degreaser - £10 for 5 litres that will dilute to 50 litres from Screwfix - a good brushing then leave in a jam jar of spare engine oil. Works perfectly and you get double the life out of transmission bits.

Northwind

You can have a wee bit of rust on a chain and not worry too much about it... If it's on the rollers it'll wear the cassette and chainset though, which isn't too good, but on the plates it's just cosmetic as long as the chain still moves properly. But at the end of the day if in any doubt, replace, it's cheaper than chain + cassette after all (as I'm still trying to convinvce my brother, having just put a third new cassette onto his road bike for him)

rb1956

I'm a member of the "do it on the bike" school of chain cleaning and lubrication, using the Park Tools Cyclone® scrubber, but if you must take the chain off, the SRAM Powerlink or similar is the way to go.

No normal chain cleaner or degreaser will take rust off. You could try one of the oxalic acid based rust removers followed by a very thorough rinse and relube, but you should probably fine yourself the cost of a new chain for being slack enough to let it rust in the first place! :twisted:

Except maybe in a desert environment, where sand might be more of a threat than water, dry lubes are not much good, IMHO. Mind you, I'm a heretic who doesn't buy any lube marketed for bicycle/motorbike use. I use chainsaw bar-oil, which does the job admirably, and is so cheap in 5 litre jugs from any hardware store that there's no excuse for not using lots of it.

canada16

I never thought of that.

I might look into it, the chain saw has a type of chain and that needs good lube.

Its prob all the same thing, but the bike companies will say it will wreck your bike.

Northwind

Chainsaws get frequent lubing though, and shorter run times. I use chainsaw oil on my motorbike chain (in a scottoiler) but it's very flingy compared to most bike-specific lubes.

canada16

So its quite thin then.

See I paid 5.00 for a bottle of white lightning wet and its still going strong from early summer.

So its not that expensive in the long run.

Prob get a XT cassette and a KMC chain as the X9L is going for 19.99 which is 30gr lighter, I know its only 30gr, but it says it has reallt good corrosion protection.

Thanks guys for the advice.

topsey_turvey

Chainsaw lube is designed to be flung off, and re-applied from a reservoir. Not what happens on a bike, so in bad conditioins you soon end up with a lube free chain. Second the White Lightning comment.

Eranu

I never really got on with the SRAM powerlinks, I found them hard to remove if it was muddy etc.

I use these now, much easier to remove and put back:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... delID=5159

Works with my Shimano chain fine.

rb1956

Topsey Turvey wrote:

Chainsaw lube is designed to be flung off, and re-applied from a reservoir. Not what happens on a bike, so in bad conditioins you soon end up with a lube free chain. Second the White Lightning comment.

Chainsaw bar-oil is not designed to be flung off, that's just what happens on a chainsaw because the chain zips round the bar while cutting far faster than a bike's chain ever moves (and is obviously constantly rubbing against the wood). Similarly motor-bike chains move faster than bicycle chains and fling the oil off more. Chainsaw bar-oil is actually made quite sticky to combat fling-off on chainsaws, and it clings to the chain and sprockets quite happily in bicycle use. I've been using it for years, and I'm happy, but obviously your mileage may vary.

cavemud

Hi there....

My mind boggles at why people aren't using sram power links on all chains. I've used them with all makes and it's far easier than any other system.

Take your chain off with a chain splitter (removing two adjacent pins to expose two male parts of the chain), clean it, then reconnect it with an SRAM power link (about £1.50 from LBS), from then on you can remove your chain without any tools at all fairly easily.

Just remember, that power links come in different widths depending on the chain ie, 8 speed, 9 speed & 10 speed.

Also, I find that it helps to put the chain back on running in the same orientation as previously (usually mark it with a zip tie).

Personally I use engine oil which sticks to the chain better for wet weather use, but this does mean the chain picks up more crap and needs cleaning more often......... horses for courses.........

topsey_turvey

Chainsaw bar-oil is actually made quite sticky to combat fling-off on chainsaws, and it clings to the chain and sprockets quite happily in bicycle use.

It soon disappears in Pennine gloop in winter conditions.

canada16

God so many choices.

Wipperman sram ect..

Why cant things just be standard, so complicated for a newbie/sorta

Thanks guys.

The links are so cheap, might try Sram first and if they are hard to release will try that wipperman one.

Thanks guys.

I would not use motor oil on my bike though.