Clean new chain ready for squirt lube

ravit50
ravit50 Posts: 19
edited March 2019 in Workshop
Just bought a new bike Triban RC 520 Gravel. It has light oil on it from the factory. I need to thoroughly clean before apply Squirt Wax Lube. What’s the best way to clean of the oil so the wax will adhere properly to the chain.

Comments

  • orlok
    orlok Posts: 89
    ravit50 wrote:
    Just bought a new bike Triban RC 520 Gravel. It has light oil on it from the factory. I need to thoroughly clean before apply Squirt Wax Lube. What’s the best way to clean of the oil so the wax will adhere properly to the chain.
    Clean the chain in lamp-oil and dry it with an aircompressor. :wink:
    There will be always a moment of tailwind.Pinarello F8/10 - Ultegra 8000 Di2 - Carbonspeed C50 UST - Tubeless
  • sam_anon
    sam_anon Posts: 153
    WD40, paraffin, or a degreaser. Many threads on here regarding cleaning chains.
  • Matthewfalle
    Matthewfalle Posts: 17,380
    the factory oil is fine for the first few hundred miles - no need to clean it off straightaway.

    then follow threads passim advice.
    Postby team47b » Sun Jun 28, 2015 11:53 am

    De Sisti wrote:
    This is one of the silliest threads I've come across. :lol:

    Recognition at last Matthew, well done!, a justified honour :D
    smithy21 wrote:

    He's right you know.
  • apreading
    apreading Posts: 4,535
    You'll never get a better lube than the factory one - run it as long as you can.
  • imposter2.0
    imposter2.0 Posts: 12,028
    If the ‘factory lube’ is so good, how come they don’t sell it separately..?
  • cooldad
    cooldad Posts: 32,599
    Because it's applied when the chain is built, so gets into the rollers nicely, where it's actually needed.
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  • jermas
    jermas Posts: 484
    If the ‘factory lube’ is so good, how come they don’t sell it separately..?


    KMC do http://www.kmcchain.com/en/product/tools-extra-120ml-lube. As above, the chains are hot dipped in vats at the factory using a high viscosity lube. Using the same lube cold would lead to over applying it at home. It would have to be sold thinned with solvent to allow it to penetrate.
  • imposter2.0
    imposter2.0 Posts: 12,028
    That was kind of my point, really. The coating on the chain when new is more of a protective layer, rather than an actual 'lube' as such.

    As a side point, I'm not sure there is any direct link between that KMC lube, and the stuff that KMC dips the chains in when new.
  • jermas
    jermas Posts: 484
    It is lube and not just a rust protector. Also KMC describe their lube as the same as the factory one http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/kmc-chain-lube-pro-kit-120ml/rp-prod120689 .
  • imposter2.0
    imposter2.0 Posts: 12,028
    Sure a protective oil/grease is also going to work as a lube, to a degree. I'm not fully convinced by the KMC stuff, as something you can apply from a bottle would be too heavy to penetrate the rollers unless the instructions are to heat it first.
  • stueys
    stueys Posts: 1,332
    apreading wrote:
    You'll never get a better lube than the factory one - run it as long as you can.

    This isn't actually true, the factory lube has been proven to be great at protection, crap at friction reduction.

    To the ops question, wipe the chain down, then dunk in a jar of mineral spirits. That works well, you might need to do the mineral spirits more than once to get completely clean.

    Trainerroad did a good guide on waxing a chain, the first part of it deals with cleaning - https://forum.trainerroad.com/t/chain-w ... orial/2633
  • Alejandrosdog
    Alejandrosdog Posts: 1,975
    The best route to get rid of it all is chemicalthermalmanipulation.

    1. Pu it in a tub of petrol overnight.

    2. Add lit match

    3 wipe off the black stuff

    4. Add wax

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