No Nonsense Heavy Duty Degreaser - Screwfix

Dazza @>@'
Dazza @>@' Posts: 65
edited April 2017 in Workshop
Hello,
I'm looking to get some degreaser to use on the chain in the chain cleaning machine, does anyone use No Nonsense Heavy Duty Degreaser? I have a screwfix near me and no car so other than a Morrisons supermarket for cleaning stuff I would like your advise. :?:

Comments

  • Semantik
    Semantik Posts: 537
    My 3p worth. I bought a similar product made by Swarfega and used it in a chain bath to clean my Sram 9 speed chain during the winter-maybe used the cleaner once a week. The chain snapped twice on subsequent rides with broken side plates after only 500-1000 miles. I don't know for sure if it was the degreaser that played a part but I don't use the stuff in a chain bath anymore- I only clean the chain by hand now and only use the degreaser to clean other parts of the bike.
  • rolf_f
    rolf_f Posts: 16,015
    Degreaser isn't going to hurt a chain. Sometimes chains are crap but degreaser won't make them so. I use degreaser from B&Q - cheap stuff in a 5 litre bottle. I often cook the chain in diluted degreaser for a bit. That really lets the grime run off. It's OK but Finish Line degreaser let the crap settle out so it recycled more effectively. The B&Q stuff seems to hold it in suspension more.
    Faster than a tent.......
  • Dazza @>@'
    Dazza @>@' Posts: 65
    Well err, had to smirk two completely different answers. Rolf when you say cook????? What as in really cook? or just let it rest in the stuff?

    Do you use it with a brush on the chainset?
  • dgunthor
    dgunthor Posts: 644
    can also use paraffin/petrol/diesel
  • sungod
    sungod Posts: 16,517
    if a degreaser or other cleaner were acidic, it's certainly possible that it might cause chains to fail

    depends on the conditions, metal composition, treatment, acidity etc., the process is hydrogen embrittlement
    my bike - faster than god's and twice as shiny
  • Dazza @>@'
    Dazza @>@' Posts: 65
    Would White Spirit do the job, hear different stories as to whether its good.
  • wannabecyclist
    wannabecyclist Posts: 149
    Anyone know if this is any good? Want to buy a big load like this as it gets expensive to keep buying small bottles/sprays

    http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5L-Profession ... 4612149322
  • tincaman
    tincaman Posts: 508
    wannabecyclist wrote:
    Anyone know if this is any good? Want to buy a big load like this as it gets expensive to keep buying small bottles/sprays

    http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5L-Profession ... 4612149322

    I bought and use something similar, because you dilute it right down it could last for years. Works well in a chain bath too, as does white spirit and paraffin (both of these you can reuse after settling)
  • shmooster
    shmooster Posts: 335
    Dazza @>@' wrote:
    Would White Spirit do the job, hear different stories as to whether its good.

    If the job is to ruin the chain, yes

    http://www.kmcchain.eu/maintenance
  • lesfirth
    lesfirth Posts: 1,382
    Choke and carburettor cleaner is magic stuff. Comes in an aerosol. Get it from E bay, car accessory shops and some pound shops.

    Just spray it on or wash the bit you are cleaning in a metal tray . You need to be careful with plastic bits ,you might melt them! Use plenty of ventilation.
  • agent nomad
    agent nomad Posts: 93
    Some help from British Cycling here http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/commut ... in-slick-0
  • veterangaz
    veterangaz Posts: 79
    Anyone got a link for a good youtube video of how to clean a chain correctl, lots of conflitcing ones on there
  • Cygnus
    Cygnus Posts: 1,879
    I use white spirit on my chain, although I don't bath it in it but run the chain through a rag soaked in white spirit a couple of times.
  • rfretwell
    rfretwell Posts: 30
    shmooster wrote:
    Dazza @>@' wrote:
    Would White Spirit do the job, hear different stories as to whether its good.

    If the job is to ruin the chain, yes

    http://www.kmcchain.eu/maintenance

    Soak the chain overnight in White Spirit with an occasional scrub using an old paint brush; hang it up to drain for several hours. Soak the chain again, two or three hours, but in engine oil. Hang it up to drain overnight and wipe the side-plates.

    No problems with this method since Adam was a boy.
  • Meagachilli
    Meagachilli Posts: 2
    I never de-grease my chain... ever. If you have access to compressed air I recommend this process. Carefully blow the grit and dirt from between the links. Do a length of chain at at a time then back pedal on to the next uncleaned length. Then once you have done this twist the chain and listen for a gritty sound as apply a twisting force to the links. If you hear a gritty noise then repeat the process. If not, the chain is as good as new apart from the wear. Now lightly re apply oil to the chain removing any excess with a cloth. I use new left over engine oil for this and find it has amazing results. This is only my opinion by the way but I have done this for the last 20 years and I have never had a failure yet. More importantly, my bikes drive train always feels like brand new. Obviously after cleaning the other components of grit and mung.
  • drlodge
    drlodge Posts: 4,826
    Blowing the crap out with a compressor sounds like a novel (and good) idea.

    I generally use WD40 or GT85 with a rag to wipe the chain down, or once in a while get the chain bath out and use citrus degreaser that I bought in a 5l container costing under a tenner.

    I've used white spirit in the chain bath before but you have to get it all out. So I used the chain bath twice - first with white spirit and then the citrus degreaser before finally rinsing with cold water. Now I'd use white spirit only if the chain were really mucky (my winter bike perhaps)
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    Find me on Strava
  • SME
    SME Posts: 348
    I usually use Gunk engine cleaner. When the bikes on a stand I pour a little into a cut down bottle and put this in the seatpost bottle cage. I brush it on the cogs with a paint brush. A little more cleaner into a shallow dish (like a small margarine tub), into which I dip 2 nail brushes and place them top and bottom of the chain and run the chain between them.

    But I'll watch this thread - I'm open to new ideas, especially as the cleaner seems a little expensive.
  • drlodge
    drlodge Posts: 4,826
    This is the stuff I bought.

    f248.jpg
    WyndyMilla Massive Attack | Rourke 953 | Condor Italia 531 Pro | Boardman CX Pro | DT Swiss RR440 Tubeless Wheels
    Find me on Strava
  • Meagachilli
    Meagachilli Posts: 2
    Honestly a small shed compressor is the way forward. I use it to blast all the crap out of my mech's, chainset and all of those hard to reach places. I have a lapierre zesty and when it's caked with mud or clagged in that dust. You know the stuff that turns to grinding paste and eats your expensive components. I find, depending on how bad it is either a quick wash down and a blow off with the compressor to dry it then a re lube or just a dust down. I tend to only use the compressor on my road bike as that tends to only get dusty and not muddy. Then like I said, engine oil to lightly re lube the chain then spray everything in GT85....... cos I like it.

    The machines always feel like brand new to ride..you have got to love that feeling.
  • gimpl
    gimpl Posts: 269
    rfretwell wrote:
    shmooster wrote:
    Dazza @>@' wrote:
    Would White Spirit do the job, hear different stories as to whether its good.

    If the job is to ruin the chain, yes

    http://www.kmcchain.eu/maintenance

    Soak the chain overnight in White Spirit with an occasional scrub using an old paint brush; hang it up to drain for several hours. Soak the chain again, two or three hours, but in engine oil. Hang it up to drain overnight and wipe the side-plates.

    No problems with this method since Adam was a boy.

    Exactly what I do with no issues at all.
  • gimpl
    gimpl Posts: 269
    Meagachilli wrote:
    Honestly a small shed compressor is the way forward. I use it to blast all the crap out of my mech's, chainset and all of those hard to reach places. I have a lapierre zesty and when it's caked with mud or clagged in that dust. You know the stuff that turns to grinding paste and eats your expensive components. I find, depending on how bad it is either a quick wash down and a blow off with the compressor to dry it then a re lube or just a dust down. I tend to only use the compressor on my road bike as that tends to only get dusty and not muddy. Then like I said, engine oil to lightly re lube the chain then spray everything in GT85....... cos I like it.

    The machines always feel like brand new to ride..you have got to love that feeling.

    I've been thinking about buying a compressor for a while now for car and bike tyres plus a couple of other jobs.

    Anyone got any recommendations please?
  • 6wheels
    6wheels Posts: 411
    Gimpl wrote:
    Meagachilli wrote:
    Honestly a small shed compressor is the way forward. I use it to blast all the crap out of my mech's, chainset and all of those hard to reach places. I have a lapierre zesty and when it's caked with mud or clagged in that dust. You know the stuff that turns to grinding paste and eats your expensive components. I find, depending on how bad it is either a quick wash down and a blow off with the compressor to dry it then a re lube or just a dust down. I tend to only use the compressor on my road bike as that tends to only get dusty and not muddy. Then like I said, engine oil to lightly re lube the chain then spray everything in GT85....... cos I like it.

    The machines always feel like brand new to ride..you have got to love that feeling.

    I've been thinking about buying a compressor for a while now for car and bike tyres plus a couple of other jobs.

    Anyone got any recommendations please?

    I bought one of these when they were on offer for £65...

    http://www.screwfix.com/p/impax-walkair ... 230v/15318

    Not the quietest compressor out there, but so useful to have around. Not sure I'd want to blast my chain with one, but each to their own.
  • ic.
    ic. Posts: 769
    Gimpl wrote:
    rfretwell wrote:
    shmooster wrote:
    Dazza @>@' wrote:
    Would White Spirit do the job, hear different stories as to whether its good.

    If the job is to ruin the chain, yes

    http://www.kmcchain.eu/maintenance

    Soak the chain overnight in White Spirit with an occasional scrub using an old paint brush; hang it up to drain for several hours. Soak the chain again, two or three hours, but in engine oil. Hang it up to drain overnight and wipe the side-plates.

    No problems with this method since Adam was a boy.

    Exactly what I do with no issues at all.

    That seems like an awful lot of effort and an awful lot of time.

    I just use Morgan Blue Chain Cleaner. Apply with a paint brush to scrub/get it all over the chain, then run the chain through a Park Tool Chain Gang with citrus style degreaser in (diluted 20 - 1) then rinse off with water. Takes less than 2 minutes and it is clean as a whistle every single time. Yes, Morgan Blue costs, but so does time. £9 a bottle but you'll get 20 chain cleans out of that. Easy.
    2020 Reilly Spectre - raw titanium
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    2015 CAAD8 105 - very green - stripped to turbo bike
    2018 Planet X Exocet 2 - grey

    The departed:

    2017 Cervelo R3 DI2 - sold
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    Cannondale Synapse - broken
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  • sebbyp
    sebbyp Posts: 106
    I like the way no-one answered the OP's question.
    The Screwfix no nonsense heavy duty degreaser is fairly good. Cheap and you get a 5L container.
    It wont remove really thick grease such as the build up around derailleur pulleys but it softens it up then you just wipe it off. It is perfect however for use in a chain scrubber. I just pour it neat into the park tools chain scrubber and rotate the pedals backwards till most of the liquid is used, quickly wash the scrubber out and do it again. then wash the bike and chain wih bucket of hot water adding some degreasing & bit of fairly liquid in! brings the chain up near brand new, just did it this evening and there was so much dirt in the scrubber! let the bike dry in the living room then lube the chain! jobs a goodun. £6 tub enough for 100 chain washes.
  • surrey_commuter
    surrey_commuter Posts: 18,866
    Meagachilli wrote:
    Honestly a small shed compressor is the way forward. I use it to blast all the crap out of my mech's, chainset and all of those hard to reach places. I have a lapierre zesty and when it's caked with mud or clagged in that dust. You know the stuff that turns to grinding paste and eats your expensive components. I find, depending on how bad it is either a quick wash down and a blow off with the compressor to dry it then a re lube or just a dust down. I tend to only use the compressor on my road bike as that tends to only get dusty and not muddy. Then like I said, engine oil to lightly re lube the chain then spray everything in GT85....... cos I like it.

    The machines always feel like brand new to ride..you have got to love that feeling.

    I never knew I needed a home air compressor - what else could I use it for? inflating car tyres?
  • socrates
    socrates Posts: 453
    Morgan Blue
  • tincaman
    tincaman Posts: 508
    I have been using this cleaner in solution for a while now, spraying the bike over and then washing down after. I heave now noticed some surface discoloration on my rims and spokes, you can see it from a couple of feet away, I wouldn't use this on expensive wheels if you have a nice finish.
  • keithc440
    keithc440 Posts: 277
    I only clean my chain with a rag and a touch of spray on citrus degreaser if particularly dirty. If you clean your chain regularly this is sufficient in my opinion. If I come back from a ride and the bike is covered in mud it gets a wash with soapy water and a cloth. I just use washing up liquid and rinse it off with the watering can. I clean the chainrings, cassette and jockey wheels with baby wipes.
    No need for fancy degreasers in my opinion.
    As a footnote I went through a spell once of taking the chain off and soaking it in white spirit. Got the chain clean but I ended up snapping a chain for the first time. Stopped doing it after that. I think you can get your chain too clean and end up flushing out all the lubrication.

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