I think I did something stupid while cleaning chain

friedpizzainbatter
friedpizzainbatter Posts: 166
edited July 2013 in Workshop
Was wondering if anyone could point a finger at where I went wrong, feel free to laugh whilst pointing, as I think I did something stupid.

Took my chain off to clean it, cleaned in degreaser then dried in the oven. Sprayed with GT85 then worked Muc off dry lub into it a link at a time. Left the chain soaking in dry lube for a few hours. When I went to wipe off the excess and refit onto bike the chain was covered in rust, where did I go wrong?
The ony thing I can think of is that the lube is water based and I should have wiped the excess off immediately and fitted, is that right?
Trek Domane 4.3. Merida One.forty 7.700. Merida CX 3. Voodoo Bizango
"When the vulture flies sideways the moon has hair on his upper lip"

Comments

  • desweller
    desweller Posts: 5,175
    Dry lubricant consists of PTFE particles in a solvent carrier fluid. The solvent transports the PTFE into the chain and then evaporates, leaving the PTFE behind.

    Dry lubricant is therefore not a rust preventative! If you want something to protect the chain from oxidising then use conventional oil.
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    On Strava.{/url}
  • All sounds a bit OTT to be honest. I just clean my chains with paraffin or white spirit (bought from any DIY store), cheaper than fancy 'special' cleaners, then just spray some GT85 on it in the summer, or good old 3 in 1 oil in the winter.
  • desweller
    desweller Posts: 5,175
    xdoc wrote:
    All sounds a bit OTT to be honest. I just clean my chains with paraffin or white spirit (bought from any DIY store), cheaper than fancy 'special' cleaners, then just spray some GT85 on it in the summer, or good old 3 in 1 oil in the winter.

    I think you're on the wrong forum. Don't you know that bikes are more complicated than space rockets these days?
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  • thistle_
    thistle_ Posts: 7,121
    Was it rusty before you started cleaning it?

    GT85 or dry lube won't make it go rusty in the space of a few hours. What did you use as the degreaser?
  • Yes DesWeller, you're probably right, I bet my Garmin 200 has a greater computing power than Apollo 13 :)
  • cycleclinic
    cycleclinic Posts: 6,865
    The first problem is you took the chain of degreased and dried in the oven. If I did that my wife would quite literally try to kill me and I wouldn't blame her.

    All this attention will not increase the life of your chain just shorten the ammount of free time you have available. There are lubes that have a cleaning effect that all I do and get good chain life.
    http://www.thecycleclinic.co.uk -wheel building and other stuff.
  • woolwich
    woolwich Posts: 298
    Heat and moisture. Hmmn you just gave a chain a sauna :lol: No wonder it oxidised.
    Seriously I wouldn't go to the extreme of removing the chain from the bike when you clean it and just leave it to air dry for 10/15 minutes and let the substance of your choice evaporate before reapplying lube.
    Mud to Mudguards. The Art of framebuilding.
    http://locksidebikes.co.uk/
  • rfretwell
    rfretwell Posts: 30
    xdoc wrote:
    All sounds a bit OTT to be honest. I just clean my chains with paraffin or white spirit (bought from any DIY store), cheaper than fancy 'special' cleaners, then just spray some GT85 on it in the summer, or good old 3 in 1 oil in the winter.

    so that's at least two of us!
  • smidsy
    smidsy Posts: 5,273
    General wipe down after each ride - WD40 on a rag and just run the chain through (use hand to turn crankset). Leave to dry and then apply chain lube of choice. Wipe off excess.

    Full clean - Remove chain, place in jar of parafin, leave to soak, wash off with soapy water, rinse, leave to dry, re attach chain, apply lube of choice. Wipe off excess.
    Yellow is the new Black.
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,172
    smidsy wrote:
    General wipe down after each ride - WD40 on a rag and just run the chain through (use hand to turn crankset). Leave to dry and then apply chain lube of choice. Wipe off excess.

    Full clean - Remove chain, place in jar of parafin, leave to soak, wash off with soapy water, rinse, leave to dry, re attach chain, apply lube of choice. Wipe off excess.

    You clearly don't charge for your time... :lol:

    These days I use chains worth £ 5.99
    left the forum March 2023
  • Thanks for all the replies. Actually got the cleaning tips from forum posts in BR.
    The first problem is you took the chain of degreased and dried in the oven. If I did that my wife would quite literally try to kill me and I wouldn't blame her.

    I usually clean the oven, I've already had myself kicked squarely in the nuts for the mess I've made of the roasting pan. :)

    Just chatting to one of the bike mechs in Evans and he reckoned I did the right things with the chain and didn't understand why it would oxidize like that. I used fenwicks degreaser, although from some of your answers this looks like it is a complete waste of money and in future I'll just use one of the many bottles of white spirit I have in the garage. I did notice that the dry lube had separated a little, maybe it was that, not going to leave it soaking in that in the future either.

    Don't want to get into the 'how much or little to clean your chain thing', as I reckon that's been done here before? Just didn't get how it would oxidize like that in a few hours.
    Trek Domane 4.3. Merida One.forty 7.700. Merida CX 3. Voodoo Bizango
    "When the vulture flies sideways the moon has hair on his upper lip"
  • Deegs
    Deegs Posts: 74
    Sounds odd. Unless was slightlywarm and wet in oven for v long time I don't get it.
    I never use water just 1) major white spirit clean 2) wipe off to max 3) evaporate at room temp 4) lube immediately.

    You didn't leave it in a shed overnight half way through or summat?
  • MichaelW
    MichaelW Posts: 2,164
    smidsy wrote:
    ..Full clean - Remove chain, place in jar of parafin, leave to soak, wash off with soapy water, rinse, leave to dry, re attach chain, apply lube of choice. Wipe off excess.

    You clearly don't charge for your time... :lol:
    ..

    If you run 2 chains, you can clean the dirty one at your leisure. Just replace with the pre-cleaned one and ride.
    Soak the dirty one in on or 2 jars of parafin till the weekend. Personally I would just hang it up to dry then apply lube, no water involved.
    This scheme is best for all-weather winter riders who want to minimise the amount of grease-monkey time on cold, wet, dark days.
  • smidsy
    smidsy Posts: 5,273
    You clearly don't charge for your time... :lol:

    I do not have rusty, dirty drive trains either 8)
    Yellow is the new Black.
  • plowmar
    plowmar Posts: 1,032
    All I do, on bike, is clean the chain with Muc-Off chain cleaner; see I'm not daft; rinse with clean water then immediately spray with GT85 which acts as a water displacer and lubricant.

    Only time I've had rust was when I left the bike in the garage which tends to get a bit damp with no relubeing (is that a word?)