best most economical chain degreaser?
02-20-17, 03:57 PM
#26
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For many years I have used grill starter fluid because its relatively cheap where I live in Europe. Its the same stuff thats used for oil wick lamps. it works well and can be use more than once if you let it sit undisturbed. Does anyone know what the chemical name is?
02-20-17, 05:40 PM
#27
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Well, that's the good stuff, I'm stumped as to why it would harm your chains. You're the first I've ever heard of having this problem. Maybe some weird caustic reaction with some chain lube or ??? This has got me curious as to what is going on with your chains. Yeah, not quite odorless.
02-20-17, 10:34 PM
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Nothing. I quit using chain scrubbers many years ago and get longer chain life by not washing the lube from inside the chain rollers. Use the new chain as it's lubed right out of the box. Wipe and apply fresh lube as needed. Cheaper, quicker, and better.
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02-21-17, 08:47 AM
#31
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02-21-17, 08:50 AM
#32
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I've been in gas stations in Gibson, Pa; Lookout, WV; Cherokee, NC; Paw Paw, WV; Two Elks, SD; Roosevelt, WA; even Lochsa Lodge, ID, as well as many, many others. I have yet to see kerosene at any of those. You might find it at the local Helmart but not at gas stations.
I know that people use it for space heaters because I've done that myself but when I used it (very late 70s), we had to get it from the hardware store.
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02-21-17, 08:56 AM
#33
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I use Klean Strip Odorless Mineral Spirits. I've used OMS for a lot of applications and did have the personal experience of ruining 2 Dura Ace chains after repeated soakings. Plating came off and the metal had a gritty roughness to it like it started to corrode.
I would sometimes soak the chain overnight. The container I used was an unused paint can you buy from the hardware store. It had a coating inside that was also eaten by the mineral spirits. Maybe there was some sort of weird chemical reaction going on.
Good to hear OMS is working fine for you guys. I'll continue to steer clear.
Here is the stuff I use. "Odorless" is a bit of a misnomer as it has a distinct chemical smell to it.
I would sometimes soak the chain overnight. The container I used was an unused paint can you buy from the hardware store. It had a coating inside that was also eaten by the mineral spirits. Maybe there was some sort of weird chemical reaction going on.
Good to hear OMS is working fine for you guys. I'll continue to steer clear.
Here is the stuff I use. "Odorless" is a bit of a misnomer as it has a distinct chemical smell to it.
Simply put, the mineral spirits is incapable of corroding metal parts. It has no chemical functionality that can do that kind of damage.
If the "plating" happened to be plastic "plating", there is a slight chance the mineral spirits could harm it but a plastic coating isn't going to last long under wear anyway.
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02-21-17, 08:59 AM
#34
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Ineffective. It's too polar to work well on grease and oil as are the lower alcohols, i.e. methyl, ethyl and isopropyl alcohols.
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02-21-17, 09:00 AM
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cyccommute, Howdy;
I too have been in many States and lived in several ... that said I've bought kerosene
at a service station in Philadelphia, Pa., Lexington Park, Md., Va. Beach, Va., Athens, Oh.
Jacksonville, Fl. and Mt. Pleasant, Ut.. Perhaps you just weren't looking for it.
The alcohol I mentioned earlier can be bought at any Pharmacy, Walmart or Dollar Store.
hank
I too have been in many States and lived in several ... that said I've bought kerosene
at a service station in Philadelphia, Pa., Lexington Park, Md., Va. Beach, Va., Athens, Oh.
Jacksonville, Fl. and Mt. Pleasant, Ut.. Perhaps you just weren't looking for it.
The alcohol I mentioned earlier can be bought at any Pharmacy, Walmart or Dollar Store.
hank
02-21-17, 11:10 AM
#36
Sapient
Does anyone have personal experience using mineral spirits in a parts washer?
We have always used Naptha but I do not like the stuff and was wondering how well mineral spirits would work.
We have always used Naptha but I do not like the stuff and was wondering how well mineral spirits would work.
02-21-17, 11:15 AM
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It's what I always used for my weekly chain cleaning. Rag + acetone, rub the chain twice and the gunk is mostly gone. Relube and ride another week. I do like the purple degreaser stuff Home Depot sells in large quantities especially if you just want to soak things, but then you definitely need gloves.
02-21-17, 12:31 PM
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Safety-Kleen, for example, offers a low VOC (volatile organic compound) solvent but I suspect that it is more expensive because removing the aromatics involves another step in the process.
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Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
02-21-17, 02:38 PM
#40
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De-Solv-It in a Simply Orange Juice container. Swish it around some, rinse it off and lube. Of course, it helps to remove the chain from the bike before you try this.
02-21-17, 04:22 PM
#41
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Elbow grease! I just use a dry rag to wipe the outer links. Chains seem to last longer than when I used to clean them with degreaser.
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02-22-17, 12:31 AM
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I think you are attributing the problem to the mineral spirits when it has other causes. There is nothing in mineral spirits that can harm the a metal based plating on metal parts. The plating may have been damaged by salt or just water or just poor plating but the mineral spirits isn't responsible for that damage, it just happened to uncover it....
Maybe so, can only attest to actual experience. At $30+ per chain I'll stick to a cleaner that doesn't react to "other causes" in my environment.
09-30-21, 11:03 AM
#43
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I use Zep purple, probably not the most economical but works for me. I put a bit in a ziplock bag, drop the chain in and into an ultrasonic cleaner full of hot water.
3500 miles on this chain and cleaned about every 200 miles or so. The results speak for itself.
3500 miles on this chain and cleaned about every 200 miles or so. The results speak for itself.
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09-30-21, 11:54 AM
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If you love cycling but hate the maintenance that comes along with it, consider buying a bicycle. Then WD-40 Specialist Bike Degreaser is for you. It’s the easiest way to clean your bike, without disassembly. You simply spray it on, wait a few minutes and rinse off. It will dry up quickly, leave no dirt and other particles during application, and cause no damage to bike paint and varnish. In addition, it removes muck, grime, dirt, grease, and other tenacious contaminants from your bike chain.
I've been using regular Simple Green, along with two toothbrushes taped together so they oppose one another. Scrub the chain on the bike, wipe off with a Scott shop towel, then oil.
Mark
09-30-21, 12:17 PM
#45
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I thought I was meticulous by relubing my chain every week or about 150 miles, then removing it about every 600 for cleaning and replacing it with another of 4 chains in a rotation. Cleaning every 200 is a bit much, unless you ride in dirty conditions. I use camp stove fuel these days since it costs about half as much as OMS. With water based cleaners the chain must be rinsed with clean water and the water removed before rust sets in. With OMS or similar solvent, I hang mine up and let the solvent evaporate since I have other chains already lubed with my paraffin based liquid dry lube ready to install. Whenever I get around to it, I lube the cleaned chain and hang it up with others. I have a long bolt screwed into a work bench leg and drape the chains over it. The last chain lubed goes to the back of the group. The chain in front is the next one to be used.
09-30-21, 01:29 PM
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09-30-21, 08:37 PM
#47
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I have a can of this carb cleaner from NAPA. It comes with a dipping basket for submerging parts. You don't drain the liquid from the can, you dip the parts in to the jug.
I just degreased my chain and cassette with this the other day, among other things.
https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/MAC6...pressionRank=2
For stuff I can't dip in the can - this stuff works great for parts you can scrub:
For parts I can't scrub easy - I use brake cleaner in an aerosol can (outside with ventilation, of course). It works great with a towel to degrease parts you can scrub also, but it is hard on paper towels (I use blue shop towels a lot). It eats grease harder than anything above, but it evaporates very quick.
The can of carb cleaner works great as you can let parts soak for a good while - then flush them (lift and drop the basket to get the liquid to flow through the parts).
I just degreased my chain and cassette with this the other day, among other things.
https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/MAC6...pressionRank=2
For stuff I can't dip in the can - this stuff works great for parts you can scrub:
The can of carb cleaner works great as you can let parts soak for a good while - then flush them (lift and drop the basket to get the liquid to flow through the parts).
10-01-21, 10:03 AM
#48
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gotta chime in with a +1 for this suggestion .. i've always just used a good microfiber cloth and run that chain through that a few times to get off the gunk then simply re-lube. Been doing this for years and can go a looong time between chain replacements and never had one break.
10-01-21, 10:03 AM
#49
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I have a can of this carb cleaner from NAPA. It comes with a dipping basket for submerging parts. You don't drain the liquid from the can, you dip the parts in to the jug.
I just degreased my chain and cassette with this the other day, among other things.
https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/MAC6...pressionRank=2
I just degreased my chain and cassette with this the other day, among other things.
https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/MAC6...pressionRank=2
c:\hse\atn\sds_us\default 894_12 OZ MACS CARB & CHOKE CLEANER LT 12PK - NAPA Balkamp - 1000036031.pdf (napaonline.com)
EHS_L_TEXT(CED-U00 (ebpaving.com)
In my experience, acetone does not work as well as odorless mineral spirits on chains, so the other 20% must be magical!
10-03-21, 11:21 AM
#50
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Probably all mentioned earlier....
As little lube as possible to start with, preferably a thin synthetic.
But to clean a chain with no gaseous or explosive fluids, and faster, TSP is the way to go (TriSodium Phosphate).
Especially since a gallon of concentrate pre-mix is about $10.
And if only used for your chain cleaning will be in your Estate for your kids to use after you are gone.
Home Depot, Cleaning products aisle, ZEP Industrial purple. Now in a yellow plastic gallon jug.
Purple has become the industry wide accepted color for TSP cleaners. If it is purple, it probably has tsp in it.
Some people even mix their own and buy it in crystal form. There is nothing better to clean grease and oil with.
It also removes all oxidation from paint without harming the paint. But... takes the color off decals fast.
As little lube as possible to start with, preferably a thin synthetic.
But to clean a chain with no gaseous or explosive fluids, and faster, TSP is the way to go (TriSodium Phosphate).
Especially since a gallon of concentrate pre-mix is about $10.
And if only used for your chain cleaning will be in your Estate for your kids to use after you are gone.
Home Depot, Cleaning products aisle, ZEP Industrial purple. Now in a yellow plastic gallon jug.
Purple has become the industry wide accepted color for TSP cleaners. If it is purple, it probably has tsp in it.
Some people even mix their own and buy it in crystal form. There is nothing better to clean grease and oil with.
It also removes all oxidation from paint without harming the paint. But... takes the color off decals fast.
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