cleaning muc off bike spray off discs

saddlesaw

i have done a stupid thing and cleaned my brand new bike with muc off bike spray and since it was the first time i used bike spray to finish off the cleaning job I have been a bit careless with the spray and have accidentally got some of the cleaner on the brake discs.

They are slx discs, calipers and levers.

the performance has gone off quite a lot since the first time i used them (today was only the second ride) and they squeak a little bit. I want to know if I can buy something that will clean off the film that has been left on the rotors or if in time the braking performance will come back? i have done a quick google and some people have recommended car brake cleaning fluid. is this a bit too harsh for bikes?

ilovedirt

I'm fairly sure muc off spray is fine on disc brakes, but muc off sell disc brake cleaner too (basically ethanol in a can) for about £7. I use it and it seems to do the job.

.blitz

There was a feature in one of the comics a while back about how many tests Muc Off had to pass before it was deemed 'safe' for the general public. IIRC 'doesn't permanently contaminate disc brake rotors & pads' was pretty high on the list.

FWIW disc brake cleaner is good for cleaning rotors (no sh*t). Surprising how much crap there is on the inner face of the rotors.

specialeyes

When you say muc off bike spray, are you refering to the pink stuff in the manual spray bottle or the '' bike spray'' in the black spray can? The pink stuff is fine, the '' bike spray '' you will need a cleaner as mentioned above i think as its a lube/polish.
I am an obsessive cleaner and my discs get lots of the muc off cleaner on em, never had a problem! I remove wheels and wrap the calipers if im using the spray can!

saddlesaw

yep its the black can! i didnt think i got much on them but i assumed that the brakes would eventually get better but since this is my first bike with discs maybe they dont clean themselves off in time. I will go and have a look for the muc off brake cleaner because if theyre going to sell something that makes your brakes stop working they should damn well sell something that fixes them again!!

saddlesaw

would ethanol work? i can probably get some of that from work and maybe rub a bit on the rotors?

RichMTB

The black can is a water displacer / light oil similar to WD40 / GT85 you will need to buy a proper disc brake cleaner or isopropyl alcohol and give the discs a good clean.

You might have contaminated the pads though. Take them out and soak them in cleaner.

If they still aren't giving you much stopping power they are most likely contaminated and will need to be replaced

ilovedirt

saddlesaw wrote:

would ethanol work? i can probably get some of that from work and maybe rub a bit on the rotors?

ethanol may work, i'm not 100% sure on that, but if i were you i'd give the rotors a good clean and replace the pads, next time remove your wheels and wrap up the brake calipers when you're using the muc off spray, or just be very careful. Tbh i just use soapy water for cleaning my bike.

nicklouse

Meths/IPA clean the rotors and the pads.

if your brakes then dont work well.

Clean the rotors again and replace the pads.

keep sprays away from bikes with discs as it can get expensive.