Best way to Clean and Degrease a Dirty Drivetrain?
11-23-20, 11:28 AM
#51
Mad bike riding scientist
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There's an "oil settling" period of few hours where you can leave the bike and do something else productive. I oil the bike at night, leave it, and wipe off in the morning, no time wasted.
It is still less complicated and less work involved than other wet-lube service methods
It is still less complicated and less work involved than other wet-lube service methods
I’ve lubricated thousands of chains...literally. Pulling out a bottle of any kind of lubricant, dripping some onto the chain while backpedaling and wiping off any excess (if necessary...I don’t because it isn’t needed with wax based lubricants) is more involved then what you describe? Go ahead. Pull the other one.
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Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
11-23-20, 01:38 PM
#52
Senior Member
Apply liberal (lotso) amounts of ATF (Automatic Transmission Fluid) on the drivetrain (chain and derailleur). No need to disassemble nor remove any part. I prefer to use syringe to apply ATF to minimize mess. One big drop on each roller and plates, big drop on each pulley axle and also big drop on each derailleur joints.
Be sure to put newspapers under the bike and between the drivetrain and the rear wheel. Back pedal slow to distribute, wait an hour, backpedal fast to fling away excess ATF and finally wipe off excess ATF with rug from the chain and derailleurs. It's the best method if you lack time and resources for an OCD-level drivetrain job!
ATF will degrease, clean, and lube the chain all at the same time!
Use Dexron III or higher ATF
Be sure to put newspapers under the bike and between the drivetrain and the rear wheel. Back pedal slow to distribute, wait an hour, backpedal fast to fling away excess ATF and finally wipe off excess ATF with rug from the chain and derailleurs. It's the best method if you lack time and resources for an OCD-level drivetrain job!
ATF will degrease, clean, and lube the chain all at the same time!
Use Dexron III or higher ATF
11-23-20, 02:29 PM
#53
Junior Member
I've noticed there is a fair bit of resistance coming from the pulleys in the rear derailer while spinning the cranks backwards.
I'm well aware that using a pressure wash on a bike is a rather terrible idea. What if I pressure wash the frame, chain and derailer at a safe distance first before removing the chain and derailer for a proper degrease?
Or should I just remove the chain and derailer in the first place to get to work? What would be the best way? Using some sort of shallow bin filled with degrease and a brush?
There are a lot of crevices and what not such as in the front derailer as well which have been caked in dirt and grease for a very long time. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.
I'm well aware that using a pressure wash on a bike is a rather terrible idea. What if I pressure wash the frame, chain and derailer at a safe distance first before removing the chain and derailer for a proper degrease?
Or should I just remove the chain and derailer in the first place to get to work? What would be the best way? Using some sort of shallow bin filled with degrease and a brush?
There are a lot of crevices and what not such as in the front derailer as well which have been caked in dirt and grease for a very long time. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.
11-27-20, 08:06 AM
#54
Junior Member
I’ve used wax lubricants (solvent based) in wet conditions while on tour and during rain even here in the dry West...a lot of our water falls in brief but very intense doses. I also use wax based lubricants in winter conditions. People are under the (very) mistaken impression that wax “washes off”. You could put wax in water and mix it with a 150 horsepower Evenrude and it would never mix with water. Oil doesn’t mix with water nor does it “wash off”. Wax is solid oil with even less affinity for water.
Wax doesn’t flow back into gaps when it is squeezed out which is why chain squeak after rain. But while oil flows, it doesn’t mean the same damage isn’t caused by water when wax is used. It just masks the sound.
And, yea, I’m expecting flaming Triflow any day. Thankfully it’s tough to ignite.
Wax doesn’t flow back into gaps when it is squeezed out which is why chain squeak after rain. But while oil flows, it doesn’t mean the same damage isn’t caused by water when wax is used. It just masks the sound.
And, yea, I’m expecting flaming Triflow any day. Thankfully it’s tough to ignite.
11-27-20, 10:49 AM
#55
Mad bike riding scientist
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I’ve developed lots of procedures as part of my work. I have to provide details on the procedure and, often, tell someone how many hours the procedure will take so that they can budget both my time and other people’s time to do the procedure. One of the procedures I have developed only takes about 5 minute to prepare and measure the results at the end but there is a 2 hour wait time in the middle for the reaction to go to completion. That 2 hours has to be figured into the budgeting of someone’s time. The procedure takes 2 hours and about 5 minutes, not 5 minutes.
__________________
Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
