Wipperman 11SO corrosion question
 

Used gasoline to clean then degreaser... now have this corrosion on the chain. Is it safe to lube and use? It is the Wipperman 11so chain.
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...1ff3b80c7e.jpg


The first time I did the same routine and it was fine. I applied the paraffin/candle wax and it was awesome. I rode through a bunch of dirty after rain roads and had to reclean as it was full of dirt!

Second time around not so good... btw using the directions from the oz cycle channel.

First, NEVER use gasoline as a chain (or anything else) cleaner. It's toxic, dangerously flammable, easily forms explosive mixtures in air and has a subzero flash point. Use kerosene or mineral spirits. Second, what "degreaser" did you use? If it was a water based one like Simple Green and the chain wasn't dried very thoroughly that's probably the source of the rust.

And, yes you can lube it and it's safe to use.

thanks for reply. I also thought that gasoline is not the best and understand the safety issue. I also live in California I can only get paint thinner at Home Depo and there is no kerosine or mineral spirits.

Is it possible to get the rust off?

It was a water-based citrus degreaser. Followed the instruction from:

Next time you're in Vegas drop by any Home Depot. They sell it there. Pickup 2-3 cans and you're good for a really long time.

Is that corrosion, or some gunky coating from the gasoline?

I wonder the same, since I would expect the pins to show rust, at least in my experience with Wipperman chains.

What you see is not on any part of the chain that sees wear. Might not be pretty, but it isn't a functional problem. The gasoline or any other solvent might have washed the lube out of the places that need it (which you can't see).

About all you can do for it's longevity is put some lube on it and use it till it shows a need for replacement. If the corroded looking parts bother you, then take a soft wire brush to it. But that's not going to make it last longer. Just maybe look better.

It is minor surface rust, not pitting or anything bad, lube and go as others have stated.

My Dad used to use gasoline as a solvent cleaning stuff many years ago (leaded back then), it has a very high vapor pressure and he was usually smoking a cigarette, lucky he and me didn't go boom!

What I see is not corrosion but unremoved dirt/grease from an incomplete cleaning. Some mechanical addition to the
cleaning process should remove this innocuous residual. Or an ultrasonic cleaning tank would work and only cost the
price of 2-3 Wipperman chains. You could argue that if this is on the external parts, what is left in the innards, but
this borders on obsessing.

A bit of googling confirmed my suspicion that this chain is STAINLESS STEEL and nickel plated, so rust while not impossible is
very unlikely.
What you have is chain crude, not rust.

Why are you degreasing a second time using gasoline and degreaser? You should have only needed to use hot water and maybe a brush if you had already degreased previously and were using wax. i.e. if you cleaned and degreased properly (previously) there would be no grease to remove.

Secondly, after a decreasing, you should dry it off and immediately place the chain in the hot wax. Are you letting it hang? If so for how long?

I rode it once after riding in wet condition without re-lubing and it was noticeably louder and grindy. I got home and saw all this crap stuck to the chain, decided to clean it as per oz cycle instruction. I think that the water based degreaser is responsible. I've never used that one before and I may have left in the degreaser for longer than 1/2 hour. I dont care as much for the rust spots... just dont want to contaminate my wax. It is now impossible to get PTFE powder as it came from China.

Now, I left it overnight in vinigar and today it looks better. I put it in paint thinner and will update here in a few hours.

There is nothing really wrong with using gasoline to clean steel and other metals. Gasoline will not corrode steel. In my case, I seriously think it was the degreaser. It also may be the Wipperman as it is not coated for corrosion. It is the 11SO.

So now you put it in an acid? Why are you so worried about the surface of the chain that has nothing to do with how it functions. How will you know if you get all the vinegar out of bearing surfaces of the places that matter since you can't see or get to them? Especially since you washed the lube out of those places with the gasoline.

I mainly worry about putting rust into my wax as there is no ptfe poweder to make new batch.

Gasoline is a terrible chain cleaner, not because it's corrosive to steel, but because of it hazards to you and everything around you.

What would you use instead?

I don't worry about the gunk on the outside of my chain. If I'm getting it all over me when I lean against the chain, then I'll take a shop rag soaked in very light lube of any sort or WD40 and wipe it off. Use a soft brush if needed, metal or nylon bristles are fine.

If you want to wax you chain, that's fine. But is it really worth putting all that time a work into making a fairly inexpensive part last a questionable amount of time more?

If you doing these little acts of preventative maintenance make you feel good, then that's okay. I'd rather be riding though.

The epilogue
 

I did not want to leave this thread undone in case someone from the future finds it.

Oz cycle recipe is great and I thank him.

Here is what I did wrong:

I left the chain in a degreaser that was ammonia-based for way, and I mean way too long. It was supposed to be 1/2 hour, but smart me left it for over 3 hours. That is what stripped the finish!

for me the oz cycle recipe lasts about 100 miles. He said it would last longer, but its ok.

Here is the complete recipe and all items can be purchased on Amazon:
* 1lb of household paraffin wax
* 5g of pure PTFE (Teflon) powder
* 1g of pure molybdenum disulfide (MoS2).

I also read somewhere that its best to dip it twice. Let it cool after first time, then dip again. I have not tried it yet, but once this batch is done (don't know when to call it done) the new recipe will tell.

It is not that difficult and will both money and component wear and tear and keep the bike riding smooth. I hated putting a drop of oil on each link, the drip.... etc. I like the wax idea, for now.

Paint thinner = mineral spirits.

Hi, new here, but have been researching heavily since starting my chain waxing journey 18mths or so ago using MSW and am considering a recipe swap.

Not sure if your ratios are to Oz Cycles video, albeit he is only using PTFE, it is at 1:10 ratio.
Whilst I do like your use of both ingredients (similar to MSW but probably they are heavier on the MoS2 and lower on the PTFE), I think 6g total of additive is perhaps under Oz's recommendation.

1lb wax = 453.6g so at 1:10, would you not be looking at 45g of additive? At approx 8m 55s in his latest video - Ultimate Chain wax - make it yourself (Cant post URLs)

I'd be interested what Oz makes of the Hex Boron Nitride, HBN, and whether there is anywhere that can practically (also read as cheaply :) ) Cubic Boron Nitride CBN. Although these additives are probably more harmful, depends on your handling.